Category: Industrial Marketing Strategies

  • Industrial Content Marketing for Manufacturers: Adapting to AI Overviews and Zero-Click Search

    Industrial Content Marketing for Manufacturers: Adapting to AI Overviews and Zero-Click Search

    Industrial content marketing for manufacturers is not dead—but it has changed significantly over the past two years.

    If you’re a manufacturing marketer, a business owner, or a VP of Sales & Marketing in a manufacturing or industrial company, you know how vital organic search traffic has been for generating qualified leads.

    For decades, well-crafted technical content has driven buyers to your site and helped you compete with bigger players, without Fortune 500 marketing dollars.

    But that landscape has shifted fast.

    According to SparkToro’s 2023 Zero-Click Search Study, more than 65% of Google searches now end without a click—a sharp reminder that traditional content strategies must adapt or risk becoming invisible (SparkToro, 2023).

    For more on this problem, read How AI Overview Is Changing Manufacturing Content Marketing and SEO—And What You Can Do About It.

    Yet here’s the good news: the fundamentals of industrial content marketing for manufacturers haven’t disappeared. Engineers, technical professionals, and industrial buyers continue to require trustworthy, detailed, and relevant information, particularly in niche B2B markets. But how you create, package, and optimize that content must change to break through AI overviews and zero-click barriers.

    And that’s where a strategic approach to Industrial Content Marketing becomes more important than ever.

    Why Industrial Content Marketing for Manufacturers Isn’t Dead—But Different

    Despite the AI buzz, industrial buyers still do deep research online before ever talking to your sales team.

    According to the 2024 B2B Manufacturing Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report from the Content Marketing Institute, 71% of manufacturing marketers say content marketing is more important to their organization than it was a year ago.

    That’s no surprise — engineers want to solve problems, compare options, and check specs long before requesting a quote.

    What has changed is how easily your content reaches them, and whether your hard-earned organic traffic converts into qualified leads.

    Google’s AI Overview and generative search have added a new layer between your expertise and your potential buyers. The same blog post that ranked on page one two years ago might now sit far below AI summaries that scrape bits and pieces of your insights.

    That doesn’t mean your investment in content is wasted. It means your strategy needs to evolve. To break through today’s AI filters and zero-click searches, your industrial content must be more technical, more useful, and more credible than ever—the kind of in-depth material AI can’t easily summarize in a few sentences.

    For small to mid-sized manufacturers, that’s a tall order, especially for lean marketing teams that juggle multiple priorities with limited bandwidth. But with a clear roadmap, it is possible to adapt and keep your content working as a lead-generation engine.

    How Google AI Overview and ChatGPT Search Are Disrupting Manufacturing SEO

    For years, manufacturing SEO was straightforward: create technical content that answers buyers’ questions, optimize it for relevant keywords, earn a spot near the top of Google’s organic results, and capture clicks. But with the rapid rollout of Google’s AI Overview and tools like ChatGPT Search, that familiar playbook is no longer enough.

    Today, a growing share of B2B buyers are getting instant answers to complex questions directly on the search results page. Google’s AI Overview summarizes information from multiple sources and displays it prominently at the top, pushing traditional organic listings further down. In many technical searches, the first organic link can appear halfway down the page, or lower.

    A Search Engine Journal study found that AI Overview results can occupy 30% or more of the screen on both desktop and mobile, dramatically shrinking the real estate available for traditional organic links (Search Engine Journal, 2024).

    Add ChatGPT Search and other AI tools that give direct answers — and it’s clear why click-through rates are dropping.

    For manufacturers, the impact is clear. You’ve invested time and money into detailed technical content—application notes, product selection guides, how-to articles—but if your prospects never click through to read them, your pipeline dries up.

    This is why so many manufacturing marketers are seeing a disconnect between their content output and actual lead generation. If you’re depending on SEO alone to deliver traffic, these new AI-driven filters can quietly siphon off your audience without warning.

    In short, the days of publish and pray are over. Manufacturers must adjust their SEO and content strategy to stay visible.

    See What Are the New Rules of Manufacturing Marketing in an AI-Driven World?

    Zero-Click Searches: The New Challenge for Manufacturers

    So what does this mean? More of your audience gets the answers they need without ever visiting your site.

    When buyers see a summarized answer in Google’s AI Overview—or get a direct response from ChatGPT Search—there’s no need to click through for more. For small to mid-sized manufacturers, this is a real threat.

    Every zero-click search represents a potential missed opportunity to showcase your expertise, build trust, and start a conversation with a qualified prospect. The more technical your solutions, the bigger the loss, because AI can’t replace the depth engineers need to make complex decisions.

    Here’s where the challenge gets tougher: your competition for organic clicks is no longer just other manufacturers—it’s the AI summary boxes themselves. If your content isn’t distinctive or valuable enough to break through, it risks being reduced to a snippet—with no credit, no click, and no lead for your sales team.

    The takeaway? Zero-click searches aren’t going away—but smart industrial content marketers can find ways to adapt, not just accept the loss.

    Why Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturers Struggle with Technical Content Creation

    Adapting your industrial content marketing strategy for AI-driven search is easier said than done, especially if you’re a small or mid-sized manufacturer with a small marketing team.

    Here’s the truth: creating technical content that resonates with engineers isn’t something you can delegate to just any freelancer or general agency. It takes time, deep knowledge of the technical audience, and the ability to translate complex engineering details into content that’s both accurate and easy to understand.

    Yet, in most small manufacturing firms, marketing teams are stretched thin. Often, it’s just one person juggling trade shows, website updates, email campaigns, and sales support, with content squeezed in where possible. The result? Inconsistent publishing, generic posts that don’t stand out, or technical inaccuracies that undermine credibility with your audience.

    According to the Manufacturing Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2025 report, “Sixty-six percent of manufacturing marketers say creating content that prompts a desired action is challenging. Fifty-four percent say creating content consistently is a challenge, and half say creating enough content is.”

    These challenges feed the zero-click problem. If your content doesn’t add depth beyond what AI can scrape, you’ll struggle to win the click.

    Here’s another eye-opener from the same report: Only 22% of the survey respondents considered AI-generated content as excellent to good.

    That’s why partnering with an experienced industrial content specialist makes a real difference — delivering credible technical content that stands out from AI summaries.

    That’s exactly why I offer dedicated Industrial Content Creation services—to help manufacturers consistently produce the kind of deep, technical content AI can’t easily replicate or replace.

    So, how can manufacturers adapt their content marketing strategy in a world of zero-click searches and AI overviews? The answer isn’t to publish more content — it’s to publish better, deeper, and more differentiated content that adds value AI can’t easily replicate.

    Start a Conversation — Stay Ahead of the Shift

    Industrial content marketing for manufacturers isn’t going away — it’s evolving. Manufacturers who adapt now will keep driving qualified leads, even as AI and zero-click searches change the game.

    You don’t need to figure this out alone. With over three decades of experience marketing to engineers, technical buyers, and industrial decision-makers, I understand the complexities that come with creating technical content that works.

    If you’re ready to rethink how your industrial content marketing can perform in this new era of AI-driven search, let’s start a conversation. Together, we can develop a strategy that keeps you visible where it matters most — in front of your ideal buyers.

  • What an Industrial Marketing Agency Can Do for Manufacturers: Strategy, Content, and Results

    What an Industrial Marketing Agency Can Do for Manufacturers: Strategy, Content, and Results

    Searching for an industrial marketing agency isn’t just a matter of semantics. The needs of manufacturers are vastly different from those of other industries, requiring a specialized approach that truly understands their challenges.

    Unlike generalist marketing firms, industrial marketing agencies are uniquely equipped to address the complexities of technical products, long sales cycles, and the nuanced buying behaviors of engineers and procurement professionals.

    In this blog, I’ll explore how an industrial marketing agency like Tiecas can provide a unique blend of strategic insights and executional expertise to help manufacturers thrive in today’s competitive markets.

    Whether you’re considering an industrial marketing agency, a Fractional CMO, or a hybrid solution, I’ll guide you through the options, explain the value of customer-centric content, and show why aligning marketing with your business goals is critical for success.

    Choosing Between an Industrial Marketing Agency for Manufacturing and a Fractional CMO: What’s Right for You?

    Deciding between hiring an industrial marketing agency for manufacturing and engaging a Fractional CMO often depends on your organization’s size, structure, and immediate needs. Both options offer distinct benefits, but understanding their roles and how they align with your business goals is essential to making the right choice.

    A marketing agency for manufacturing brings a team of specialized professionals who can handle everything from strategy development to content creation, SEO, lead generation, and more. This is particularly valuable for manufacturers looking to execute marketing campaigns efficiently without investing in full-time staff for every specialized role.

    Agencies like Tiecas, which exclusively serve the industrial sector, offer the advantage of a deep understanding of technical products, buyer personas, and the long sales cycles typical of the industry. We are not learning at your expense; we bring proven methodologies and sector-specific expertise to the table.

    On the other hand, a Fractional CMO offers high-level strategic oversight and leadership. This role is ideal for manufacturers needing an experienced marketing executive but not ready to commit to the cost of a full-time CMO.

    A Fractional CMO can work closely with your internal teams, bridging the gap between strategy and execution while ensuring alignment with broader business objectives. They also help in breaking down silos between sales and marketing, establishing KPIs, and refining strategies based on real-time data and market conditions.

    Choosing the right partner ultimately comes down to understanding your specific goals. Do you need a focused execution of marketing campaigns? Or do you require an overarching strategy to align marketing efforts with your business objectives? In either case, working with professionals who understand the complexities of industrial marketing is the key to success.

    What if You Could Get the Best of Both Worlds – Industrial Marketing Strategy and Execution?

    By partnering with a hybrid solution, like Tiecas, manufacturers can access the strategic leadership of a Fractional CMO while leveraging the executional power of a specialized industrial marketing agency. This approach ensures that every tactic—from website design to content marketing—is rooted in a well-defined strategy and executed to deliver measurable results.

    Developing a successful industrial marketing plan means aligning strategic thinking with precise execution. Without a clear roadmap, marketing efforts can become scattered and ineffective. At the same time, even the best strategy will fail to deliver results without consistent follow-through.

    For manufacturers, execution involves creating high-quality, customer-centric content, optimizing digital channels for lead generation, and leveraging data to refine marketing initiatives. It requires an experienced industrial marketer who understands the unique needs of technical buyers and can translate complex product information into compelling marketing campaigns.

    You don’t have to choose between strategy and execution. Our approach combines the high-level thinking of a Fractional CMO with the hands-on expertise of an industrial marketing specialist. Whether you need a full-scale industrial content marketing campaign or a focused effort to refine your lead generation strategy, Tiecas brings both strategic guidance and tactical execution to the table.

    Always start with a strategic roadmap and ensure every marketing effort drives measurable ROI.

    Consistently Creating Customer-Centric Industrial Content is a Challenge For Manufacturing Content Marketers

    Creating content that resonates with engineers and technical professionals is one of the most significant challenges manufacturers face. It’s not enough to describe product features or benefits—industrial buyers demand detailed, accurate information that directly addresses their work-related challenges.

    According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Manufacturing marketers struggle with creating content for the buyer’s journey, aligning content efforts across sales and marketing, and communicating internally among teams/silos.” (Source:2023 Insights for Manufacturing Content Marketing).

    While these obstacles are common, they’re not insurmountable. Customer-centric content begins with understanding your audience. What questions are engineers asking during their research? What problems are they trying to solve? The answers to these questions should form the foundation of your content strategy.

    At Tiecas, we emphasize creating industrial content that combines technical accuracy and clear messaging. This approach builds trust and encourages meaningful engagement with your target audience. For example, a blog post explaining how your products solve a specific problem can be far more effective than a generic product description.

    That said, consistency is key. Engineers and industrial buyers rely on reliable, accessible content at every stage of the buyer’s journey. From awareness to decision-making, your content must guide them seamlessly through the process.

    While tools like generative AI can assist with brainstorming and outline development, you cannot rely on 100% AI-generated content to engage technical audiences. This is where human expertise becomes essential. By blending AI’s efficiency with human insight, manufacturers can produce content that informs, engages, and converts. See my blog, Industrial Content Creation for Scalable Manufacturing Content Marketing Needs GenAI + Human Expertise.

    An Industrial Website Redesign Should be More Than a ‘Pretty’ New Skin

    For many manufacturers, the idea of a website redesign often focuses on aesthetics—modernizing the look and feel of the site. While visual appeal is essential, an industrial website redesign must go far beyond surface-level changes. It’s not just about creating a “pretty” new skin; it’s about developing a tool that drives measurable business results.

    The foundation of any successful industrial website is content. Product datasheets and detailed specifications are essential for design engineers, but your website content needs to go beyond that.

    Engineers and technical professionals seek specific, detailed information that helps them make informed decisions and address their pain points. Without this, even the most visually stunning website will fail to engage users or generate leads.

    You’ll need to pair your website content with a robust inbound marketing approach to convert visitors into leads. Let’s explore how industrial content marketing can set the stage for effective lead generation.

    Inbound Lead Generation With Industrial Content Marketing

    Inbound lead generation has become a cornerstone of modern industrial marketing. Why? Because today’s industrial buyers prefer to self-educate, conducting extensive research online before ever engaging with a sales representative. This shift means that your content must do the heavy lifting—informing, engaging, and building trust with your audience long before they’re ready to make contact.

    “Inbound leads, on average, cost 61% less than outbound leads.” (Source: Invesp).

    At its core, industrial content marketing is about creating valuable, relevant, and consistent content that addresses the specific challenges of your target audience. This might include technical whitepapers, case studies, instructional videos, or blog posts that provide actionable insights. The goal is to position your company as a trusted resource, earning the attention of engineers and decision-makers who are actively seeking solutions.

    But, effective inbound lead generation goes beyond content creation. To truly set the stage for your sales team, your content must be strategically distributed and optimized for search engines. This ensures that potential buyers can find the right information at the right time, whether they’re searching for answers to technical questions or comparing product specifications.

    Email marketing also plays a pivotal role in nurturing leads through long and complex sales cycles. You can maintain engagement, build relationships, and guide prospects toward a purchasing decision by delivering targeted content directly to their inboxes.

    Inbound content marketing doesn’t just generate leads—it builds stronger relationships by addressing work-related challenges rather than pushing sales pitches. This approach allows your sales team to have more productive conversations with well-informed prospects who are already familiar with your value proposition.

    In the next section, we’ll discuss how tracking and refining your marketing strategies can ensure that your lead-generation efforts remain aligned with your business goals.

    The Importance of Regularly Tracking and Refining Strategies

    No industrial marketing strategy is set in stone. Regularly tracking and refining your efforts are essential to staying aligned with your business goals and adapting to changing market conditions. A well-planned marketing strategy must be dynamic, driven by data, and continuously optimized to deliver measurable results.

    Establishing realistic KPIs is a crucial first step. Instead of focusing solely on top-of-funnel metrics like website traffic and pageviews, prioritize goals tied to sales and business objectives, such as Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) vs. Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) and conversion rates.

    Tracking these metrics helps assess how your content and campaigns influence the buyer’s journey—from generating the right kind of leads to nurturing them effectively and driving conversions.

    Tracking and refining strategies aren’t about chasing vanity metrics but about driving tangible business outcomes. With a clear focus on data and continuous improvement, manufacturers can achieve sustained success in today’s competitive markets.

    At Tiecas, we understand manufacturers’ unique challenges in marketing their technical products and services. With over 35 years of experience and a unique combination of technical knowledge and industrial marketing expertise, we bridge the gap between complex technical concepts and effective marketing strategies.

    As a Marketing Engineer, I bring a rare blend of technical and business acumen to every project, ensuring your marketing resonates with the engineers and decision-makers who matter most. Let’s start with a conversation. Together, we can develop a strategic roadmap tailored to your business goals, ensuring that every marketing initiative delivers measurable ROI. Experience the difference an industrial marketing agency led by a Marketing Engineer can make in aligning your marketing and sales efforts for sustained success.

  • How Industrial Marketing Agencies Drive Superior Results for Manufacturers Compared to General Marketing Firms

    How Industrial Marketing Agencies Drive Superior Results for Manufacturers Compared to General Marketing Firms

    Industrial marketing agencies are the strategic advantage for manufacturers aiming to thrive in globally competitive markets. Unlike general marketing firms, these specialized agencies have a deep understanding of the manufacturing industry – from the complex B2B industrial sales cycles to the technical nature of products and services.

    In this blog post, we’ll explore how partnering with an industrial marketing agency can drive superior results for manufacturers compared to general marketing approaches, helping you unlock new growth opportunities and achieve your business objectives.

    Understanding the Unique Challenges of Industrial Marketing for Manufacturers

    B2B industrial marketing in the manufacturing industry presents a unique set of challenges compared to consumer marketing. Sales cycles are often longer, and buying processes involve multiple stakeholders, and products or services can be highly technical. This requires a deep understanding of the industry, its terminology, and the specific needs of its target audience.

    For a more in-depth look at the marketing hurdles manufacturers face, check out my previous blog post, Overcoming the Challenges of Industrial Marketing for Manufacturers: Strategies for Lead Generation and Growing Sales.

    Industrial Marketing Agency vs. General Marketing Agency

    While general marketing agencies may have broad marketing knowledge, they often lack the specialized expertise needed to navigate the complexities of industrial marketing. Industrial marketing agencies, on the other hand, possess:

    • Industry-Specific Knowledge: They understand the intricacies of the manufacturing sector, including industry trends, regulations, and terminology.
    • Technical Expertise: They can effectively communicate complex technical information in a way that resonates with engineers and other technical decision-makers.
    • B2B Marketing Experience: They have a proven track record of developing and executing successful B2B marketing campaigns for manufacturers.
    • Established Networks: They often have strong relationships with industry publications, trade shows, and influencers, allowing them to reach a wider audience of potential customers.

    By partnering with an industrial marketing agency, manufacturers can leverage this specialized knowledge and experience to achieve their marketing and sales goals more effectively.

    Industrial Marketing Strategies That Deliver Results

    To achieve superior results, industrial marketing agencies emphasize the importance of developing a strategic roadmap before implementing any tactics. A well-defined roadmap aligns marketing efforts with overall business goals, ensuring that every action taken contributes to the desired outcomes.

    To learn more about the benefits of strategic roadmaps, check out our Strategic Roadmaps service.

    Lead Generation Tactics for Manufacturers

    Everyone wants more leads that convert, but it isn’t so easy to do. To learn more about the complexities, see my earlier post, ‘Industrial Lead Generation for Sales – It’s Complicated!’

    Industrial marketing agencies leverage a variety of lead generation tactics that cater to the specific needs of the manufacturing industry. Some of the most effective approaches include:

    • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Enhancing website visibility in search engine results to attract potential customers actively seeking solutions. Don’t be hung up on getting to the first page of search results (SERPs) and expect search volumes to be low for highly specialized terms.
    • Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Running targeted ads on platforms like Google and LinkedIn can be effective for standard industrial products and consumables. However, PPC may not always be the most efficient approach for custom-engineered systems.
    • Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms like LinkedIn can be an excellent source for promoting new content, such as blog posts and white papers, and driving webinar registrations. While engineers tend to be passive participants on social media, they still value platforms like LinkedIn as a source of industry news and insights. (95% of manufacturing marketers use LinkedIn, and 62% found it to be extremely useful. Source)
    • Email Marketing: Email marketing remains a highly effective tool for lead nurturing in the manufacturing industry’s long sales cycles. The key is to create personalized, relevant content that educates and informs prospects without being overly salesy or pushy. Avoid batch-and-blast email tactics, which can be seen as spam and damage your reputation.

    By strategically combining these tactics, industrial marketing agencies can create a comprehensive lead generation strategy that delivers high-quality leads and supports the long-term growth of manufacturing companies.

    Industrial Content Marketing for Manufacturers

    Today’s industrial buyers are in the self-serve and self-select mode, meaning they prefer to conduct extensive research online before engaging with sales teams. This makes industrial content marketing a critical and effective component of any successful marketing strategy for manufacturers.

    Industrial content marketing is more than just creating content; it’s about strategically developing and distributing content that educates, informs, and engages potential customers.

    Creating Technically Accurate Content

    One of the biggest strengths of industrial marketing agencies is their ability to create technically accurate content that resonates with engineers and industrial professionals. This requires a deep understanding of the industry, its terminology, and the target audience’s specific needs.

    Many manufacturers find regularly creating good industrial content challenging. Are you struggling with the same problem? For help, explore our industrial content creation services.

    Choosing the Right Industrial Marketing Agency

    Selecting the right industrial marketing agency is a critical decision that can significantly impact your company’s growth and success. Here’s what to consider when evaluating potential partners:

    Qualities of Top Industrial Marketing Agencies

    • Industry Expertise: Look for agencies with a deep understanding of the manufacturing industry, including its unique challenges, terminology, and target audiences. They should be able to speak your customers’ language and understand their pain points.
    • Proven Track Record: Explore the agency’s project portfolio and case studies to see how they’ve helped other manufacturers achieve their goals.
    • Understanding of Your Business Goals: The agency should take the time to understand your specific business objectives, target audience, and budget. They should be able to develop a customized marketing strategy that aligns with your overall business goals.
    • Transparent Communication: Open and honest communication is essential for a successful partnership. The agency should be responsive to your questions and concerns and provide regular updates on the progress of your marketing programs.
    • Data-Driven Approach: Look for agencies that use data to make strategic decisions. They should be able to track and measure the results of your campaigns and make adjustments as needed to optimize performance.
    • Cultural Fit: Choose an agency that shares your company’s values and culture. A good cultural fit will ensure a smoother working relationship and better collaboration.

    Partnering for Success

    Choosing an industrial marketing agency is not just about finding a vendor; it’s about finding a partner. The right agency will be an extension of your team, working collaboratively with you to achieve your marketing and business goals. They should be invested in your success and willing to go the extra mile to help you achieve it.

    Ready to discover the difference an engineer-led, industrial marketing agency can make for your manufacturing business? Contact Tiecas today for a free consultation and discover how our industrial marketing expertise can help you achieve your growth goals.

    Let’s Talk
  • Struggling with B2B Industrial Marketing? Your Essential Guide to Proven Strategies & Tactics

    Struggling with B2B Industrial Marketing? Your Essential Guide to Proven Strategies & Tactics

    B2B industrial marketing presents unique challenges compared to other forms of B2B marketing. Longer sales cycles, complex technical products, and a highly analytical buyer persona are just a few factors that set it apart. If you’re a marketer at a manufacturer, distributor, or engineering company, you know this firsthand.

    So, what can this post offer that you couldn’t find with a simple Google search?

    Answer: My personal thoughts and experiences as an industrial marketer and consultant. 

    As the Founder and President of Tiecas, a B2B industrial marketing agency in Houston, TX, I’ve spent the past 35+ years immersed in industrial and manufacturing marketing. I’ve witnessed countless industrial companies’ challenges and frustrations firsthand.

    Probably the most common complaint that I hear from Sales is that “Marketing just doesn’t understand engineering problems, and they generate ‘crappy’ leads that are not ready to buy.”

    But I’m not just another marketing consultant. As a Marketing Engineer (a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA in Marketing), I understand the engineer’s mindset and the complexities of the industrial buying journey. This isn’t just marketing theory – it’s wisdom born from decades of hands-on experience.

    Need proof? My team and I helped a mid-sized valve manufacturer increase leads by 31% by rewriting and revamping their product-centric content to address engineers’ real-world challenges.

    Ready to dive into a perspective you won’t find anywhere else? Let’s go!

    B2B Industrial Marketing—Overcoming Common Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

    B2B industrial marketing solutions

    In the industrial sector, the days of relying solely on your ace sales team to generate leads and close deals are dwindling. Engineers and technical buyers are empowered by ready access to information and prefer to do their own extensive research before engaging with suppliers. Industrial buyers rely heavily on supplier/vendor websites for in-depth product and service information.

    Gartner’s prediction that 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur digitally by 2025 underscores this shift. [Source]

    So, what does this mean for B2B industrial marketers?

    • Sales & Marketing Alignment: As mentioned earlier about my conversations with manufacturers, the “more leads” cry is often a misdiagnosis. Building an integrated sales and marketing machine is essential. Neither department can succeed in isolation within this new environment.
    • Engineers are Skeptical: Don’t mistake their thirst for information as a love for more marketing fluff. Trust is earned slowly. Your content needs to be technically sound, solution-oriented, and backed by data or proof points.
    • The ‘Seller Beware’ Era: Buyers hold the power, dictating the pace and terms of engagement. Your marketing must enable buyers to self-educate, building confidence in your solutions long before a sales conversation happens.

    How to Succeed: A Mindset Shift

    Here are three key focus areas for B2B industrial marketers that recognize this transformed buyer behavior:

    1. Become an Information Hub: Produce content that answers potential buyers’ questions, from technical specs to implementation case studies and post-sale support examples.
    2. Emphasize Problem-Solving: Frame your product/service as the solution to the buyer’s pain points, not just a list of features.
    3. Build Trust with Proof: Testimonials, case studies, and even unfiltered, engineering-focused FAQs demonstrate your expertise and track record.

    Important: This isn’t about overwhelming visitors with endless content. It’s about offering a clear, structured path guiding them through their buying journey.

    How can you reach engineers where they seek information and what content do they consume? I once collaborated with the Director of Applications Engineering with a manufacturer of leak testing systems. Our goal? Find and secure guest blogging opportunities in industry portals with a captive audience of design and production engineers from the automotive and medical device industries.

    Let’s get specific—in the next section, we’ll dive into the strategies and tactics that translate this understanding into results.

    Proven Industrial Marketing Strategies & Tactics Learned From the Trenches

    The order of the words “strategy” and “tactics” isn’t accidental! While I understand the urge for quick results, I strongly believe in developing a strategic roadmap before launching any marketing initiatives.

    For a quick overview of industrial marketing strategy, read the post, Industrial Marketing Strategy Must Be Documented for the Best Results.

    Your roadmap is your compass for reaching your destination, and at my agency, we take a strategy-first approach. B2B industrial marketing is a long game – consistent effort with a clear plan leads to sustainable results.

    Quick fixes like Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads can be effective for standard industrial products, consumables, and parts. However, those who manufacture custom-engineered systems sometimes struggle to see the same effectiveness from PPC.

    Tip #1: Bring your SMEs to the Forefront

    Engineers relate to other engineers! It’s a powerful way to establish credibility. Your marketing team can do the heavy lifting but publish posts and articles under the byline of your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). For more on this, see my previous post: Industrial Blogging Lessons Learned from Working with Technical SMEs. (By the way, I published that post in 2013, and it is still pulling in traffic. It proves the longevity of blogging.)

    Don’t expect your engineers to hand you polished content. Your job as an industrial marketer is to interview them with well-thought-out questions to extract valuable insights and turn them into cohesive content.

    Tip #2: The Right Content for Industrial Buyers

    According to a recent survey [Source], the top three content formats engineers value most are:

    1. Datasheets (40%)
    2. Technical publication articles (29%)
    3. Product reviews/testimonials (26%)

    It’s important to note that testimonials can be tricky in industrial settings due to NDAs or competitive concerns.

    Also, while datasheets are essential, they don’t create differentiation if your value proposition is similar to competitors’. For deeper insights on this, check out this article: How Manufacturers Can Use Content for Differentiation and Create a Competitive Edge.

    Engineers get bombarded with product-focused marketing. They crave solutions! I worked with a manufacturer of pre-engineered metal buildings to create their content. Instead of highlighting their latest robotics, we focused on the technology-enabled outcome: pinpoint accurate framing systems for hassle-free installation. This resonated with their customers, who cared far more about saving time and money than the tech itself.

    Understanding Industrial Lead Generation, Nurturing & Marketing Automation

    Balancing information with lead capture is key. It is a balancing act because you may be tempted to ask for every piece of information you think you need to qualify a lead. The resistance increases exponentially the more fields you force people to fill out. 

    Tools like progressive profiling and marketing automation help you collect valuable buyer data gradually. This is where understanding the difference between Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) is essential.

    Example Workflow:

    • Blog Post: Offer a downloadable guide as a call-to-action
    • Webinar: Invite guide downloaders to a technical webinar with your SME
    • Drip Campaign: Email webinar recording + a case study download + invitation to ask SME additional questions
    • Result: Qualified RFQs with an estimated 17% conversion rate

    This is a simplified example–adjust it based on your sales cycle length and specific offerings.

    Lead nurturing in industrial lead generation

    Organic SEO for Manufacturers

    Organic traffic is the lifeblood of sustainable B2B industrial marketing, but achieving top rankings requires strategic keyword research that goes beyond generic keyword research tools.

    • The Niche Keyword Challenge: Traditional keyword tools might suggest broad terms like “conveyor belt” for a conveyor belt manufacturer, missing out on valuable, targeted searches.
    • Generative AI Advantage: Using a generative AI tool can reveal long-tail keywords like “heat-resistant conveyor belt,” “food-grade conveyor systems,” or “conveyor belt replacement parts.” These terms signal higher purchase intent.

    To learn more, read “Could Generative AI Revolutionize Your Industrial SEO Strategy?”

    Trade Show Marketing: It’s Not Just About Showing Up

    The Content Marketing Institute’s recent study highlights a resurgence of in-person events. 60% of manufacturing marketers reported they used in-person events to get in front of their audiences versus only 28% in the previous year (Understandably due to the pandemic). More than half (55%) expected their budgets for trade shows and in-person events to increase.

    Investing strategically in trade shows can pay off for B2B industrial marketers, but only if you go beyond just ‘showing up.’

    Here’s a quick pre-show, during-show, and post-show checklist:

    • Pre-Show:
      • Develop an enticing offer targeted to your show’s audience (demo, consultation, etc.)
      • Promote your booth presence and offer across social media, email, and even targeted ads.
    • During-Show:
      • Capture leads with interactive elements, not just brochures.
      • Have a quick follow-up plan in place for hot leads.
    • Post-Show
      • Nurture all leads, not just those deemed “sales-ready.”
      • Analyze data: Which show activities yielded the best ROI?

    We did a trade show campaign for an international manufacturer of bandsaws used in the metal casting industry. They wanted to make a big splash at a tradeshow to showcase their products to the North American market. Here’s a direct quote from the client:

    “We had another very successful day yesterday also. At least 50 groups came to have a demonstration of the saw and I would put 30% of those as interested to know more. I am just sending emails to some of the red-hot leads. Fair to say the metal casting industry knows about us now!!” (See testimonials).

    Measuring Success in B2B Industrial Marketing

    Let’s be honest, C-suite executives care about more than just traffic and TOFU lead counts. They want bottom-line results. I once set up an online store for a manufacturer of safety equipment serving the refinery, marine, and cheese processing industries. This generated a new revenue stream and made the buying process frictionless for their customers.

    Proving the ROI of your industrial and manufacturing marketing efforts can be a major headache. Here’s why:

    • Long Sales Cycles: The journey from awareness to purchase can stretch over months or even years. Attributing wins solely to recent marketing activities is inaccurate.
    • Multiple Touchpoints & Stakeholders: Today’s industrial buyers interact with your brand across various channels and engage with multiple decision-makers. Pinpointing which marketing actions had the most influence is challenging.
    • Disconnect Between Metrics: While marketers track website traffic and leads, C-suite executives want to see revenue impact. Bridging this gap is essential.
    • The ‘Last Click’ Trap: Too often, credit is assigned based on the final touchpoint before a sale, undervaluing the marketing efforts for nurturing that happened earlier in the buyer’s journey.

    The Data Dilemma

    This problem isn’t just anecdotal. According to a Content Marketing Institute study, 48% of manufacturing marketers struggle to connect their content, data, and measurement across platforms. It’s clear that traditional analytics fall short in the complex B2B industrial landscape.

    What Can You Do?

    1. Embrace Attribution Models: Go beyond ‘last click’ by using multi-touch attribution models that assign value across the entire buyer journey.
    2. Align KPIs with Business Goals: Don’t just report on vanity metrics. Develop KPIs that demonstrate marketing’s direct impact on revenue and customer acquisition cost.
    3. Implement Closed-Loop Reporting: Robust marketing automation platforms can track leads from source to closed sale, giving you a much clearer ROI picture.

    For Deeper Insights: Check out these resources:

    Measuring success isn’t about finding the one magic metric. It’s about a continuous process of tracking, analyzing, and refining your marketing efforts.

    In the next section, we’ll explore emerging trends shaping the future of  B2B industrial marketing. Understanding these shifts will become critical for making data-driven decisions and demonstrating your value to leadership.

    The Future of B2B Industrial Marketing

    “Manufacturers should continue embracing digital transformation to contribute to a competitive and resilient future and to help tackle ongoing manufacturing challenges.” That’s a quote from the 2024 manufacturing industry outlook published by Deloitte. Manufacturing and the industrial sectors are in a state of exciting changes. 

    Here are a few key trends that will shape the strategies of tomorrow’s successful industrial and manufacturing marketers:

    Trend 1: Personalization Gets Smarter

    B2B industrial buyers demand relevant, tailored experiences. Generic marketing blasts just won’t cut it anymore. Marketing automation tools enable dynamic content delivery based on a buyer’s behavior, industry, or decision-making stage.

    Account-Based Marketing (ABM) takes this even further. ABM is a strategic approach focusing resources on a set of high-value target accounts. Campaigns are meticulously designed with personalized content and outreach designed to engage key decision-makers within those specific companies.

    Tools Matter: Platforms like HubSpot, Act-On, and others are essential for sophisticated personalization and ABM strategies. These tools let you track behavior and deliver the right content at the right time to the right people.

    You could also consider a simpler and less expensive tool such as MailerLite. It has robust capabilities for automation and drip campaigns. 

    Trend 2: Video’s Dominance

    Video is no longer optional for industrial marketers. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 90% of manufacturing marketers used video in 2022, and 80% plan to invest further in this format. It’s easy to see why, considering how engineers consume information.

    • Show, Don’t Tell: Videos demonstrate complex industrial equipment in action, providing far more clarity than lengthy descriptions.
    • How-Tos for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operation): Short videos are invaluable for maintenance professionals, saving time and potential frustration.
    • Mix of Formats: Offer short, engaging clips, in-depth demos, and webinars to cater to buyers at all stages of their journey.

    B2B industrial videos don’t always need to be dry and technical. When appropriate, injecting a bit of humor can make them far more memorable. Need an example? Check out Fluke’s hilarious video for their clamp meter: ‘Fluke 376 FC True RMS AC/DC Clamp Meter with IFlex Review’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH8ewYS6Te4).

    Need to explain a complex technical concept in an informative and relatable way? Take a cue from B&D Industrial. Their “Tea with B&D” series tackles topics like mechanical seals in a surprisingly engaging format. This creative approach transforms a potentially dry subject into something memorable. Check out their video: ‘Tea with B&D-Episode 5: Mechanical Seals.’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taU-bug5b1w). 

    Trend 3: The Rise of Generative AI

    Generative AI is poised to transform industrial and manufacturing marketing. Its impact goes beyond automating content creation:

    • Intelligent Keyword Research: AI tools can uncover long-tail, niche keywords traditional tools often miss. (See Could Generative AI Revolutionize Your Industrial SEO Strategy?)
    • Predictive Analytics: AI can analyze vast datasets to identify emerging trends and predict buying patterns.
    • Streamlined Workflows: AI can automate routine tasks, freeing up marketers for higher-level strategy.

    The Engineer + Marketer Advantage

    Human expertise + Generative AI –the Marketing Engineer

    While AI offers exciting possibilities for B2B industrial marketing, understanding the nuances of engineering needs and industry challenges requires human experience and expertise. This is where the Engineer + Marketer (moi) combination becomes a true competitive advantage.

    My team and I can combine technical knowledge with marketing savvy to create strategies and targeted industrial content that resonates with your audience. I ensure that these AI tools are used wisely to craft authentic messages that truly resonate with engineers and industrial buyers.

    The B2B industrial marketing is evolving rapidly. With my unique mix of engineering knowledge and marketing expertise, I help my clients by:

    • Cut Through the Noise: Implement strategic and proven marketing tactics without sacrificing the technical accuracy and trust-building that engineers demand.
    • Data-Driven Yet Relatable: Use analytics while crafting compelling content that speaks to engineers’ analytical minds and the need for problem-solving solutions.

    Stay tuned for more posts where I’ll delve deeper into these B2B industrial marketing strategies and tactics. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Marketing Matters (See form in the footer), to get the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox.

    Ready to future-proof your industrial marketing strategy? Explore our approach:

    Let’s Talk when you are ready to start a conversation.

    Some of the links mentioned in tools may be affiliate links.

  • 6 Innovative Manufacturing Marketing Strategies

    6 Innovative Manufacturing Marketing Strategies

    Manufacturers have unique marketing challenges that other businesses don’t face. As a result, they must develop innovative manufacturing marketing strategies to reach their target audience to succeed. Engineers and technical professionals are two key audiences that manufacturers need to focus on. This blog post will discuss six innovative marketing strategies that manufacturing companies can use in their own marketing efforts.

    Understanding marketing strategies is vital if you’re a manufacturer looking to stay ahead of the competition and grow your sales. As technology advances and your customer base evolves, remaining relevant in today’s competitive global markets requires creative problem-solving and up-to-date marketing approaches.

    “58 percent of engineers said that the competitive landscape is global and competes 24/7.” (Source: 2021 Pulse of Engineering Survey published by GlobalSpec)

    Social media for manufacturing marketing

    That’s why I have gathered six innovative ways manufacturers can beef up their current manufacturing marketing strategy to remain competitive in their rapidly and ever-changing industries. Here’s my recommended list:

    1. Focus on trust-building through educational content
    2. Utilize modern social media channels for outreach
    3. Provide proof of concept to overcome skepticism
    4. Invest in video marketing to explain complex concepts and provide after-sales support
    5. Effective use of online advertising and PPC to reach targeted audiences
    6. Maintain top-of-mind awareness with email marketing and newsletters

    In this post, I will discuss each manufacturing marketing strategy and share my thoughts on implementing them to help you improve your industrial marketing.

    Provide Educational Content

    Create content that educates potential customers about your products, manufacturing processes, and how your products can help them solve their problems. Sometimes raising awareness of the problem is necessary before you can sell your solution. (See Problem-centric Industrial Marketing).

    Providing educational content about your complex engineering solutions is an invaluable step in the marketing process. It creates awareness for potential customers and educates them on the problem they are trying to solve.

    With educational material breaking down the more technical aspects of what you offer, customers can better understand how you may help them, allowing them to make informed buying decisions before investing in your products and services.

    Leverage Social Media

    Use social media platforms to share news and updates about your company and its products and promote new content. Engage with customers and potential customers when and where they hang out.

    Leveraging social media for manufacturing marketing is essential for businesses to reach engineers and industrial professionals. However, engineers tend to be passive participants on social media platforms, resulting in lower engagements from them compared to other industries.

    As such, manufacturers should have realistic expectations regarding engineers’ interactions on their social media channels since this audience likes to read and watch but rarely comment or share. With a well-assembled suite of content and valuable resources, engineers can become long-time brand followers since you allow them to access the helpful information they need and can use it in their daily work.

    Social media for manufacturing marketing

    (Source: 2023 State of Marketing to Engineers published by TREW Marketing & GlobalSpec)

    Utilize Testimonials and Case Studies

    When it comes to emphasizing the value of your product or service, case studies provide engineers with much-needed assurance to get over any skepticism they may have.

    Case studies are real-life stories from actual users and serve as proof of concept. Keep it simple—stick with a proven formula of a problem statement, the solution provided, and the results delivered. Try to be as specific as possible by adding statistics and quantifying results. Case studies are powerful tools that help you build credibility and trust with specifiers and key decision-makers.

    Testimonials have lost some of their value over time because people have lost faith in them since some of them are simply unbelievable. You can make yours more authentic and impactful by using video testimonials.

    Testimonials and case studies are both hard to come by because of restrictions from NDAs and customers unwilling to be seen as endorsing a vendor. However, there are ways to overcome some of the hurdles if you cannot name names.

    Use both judiciously to demonstrate the value of your product or service and show that you can deliver on your promises.

    Invest in Video Marketing

    Investing in video marketing can be highly beneficial for manufacturers. How-to videos are a great way to showcase the unique features of your products or services and how customers can use them.

    Adding how-to videos provide easy-to-follow steps on using your product and help to make complex concepts much easier to understand. As a result, they will increase visitor engagement.

    Additionally, this type of content is particularly effective for MRO professionals and field personnel, who can access these how-to videos anytime and gain the information they need 24/7. It is an easy way to provide after-sales support and increase brand loyalty.

    “Videos were the top content type produced as well as the top predicted area of content marketing investment for 2022. 86% of respondents [manufacturing content marketers] used videos for content marketing purposes in the last 12 months.”

    How-to videos used in manufacturing marketing

    (Source: Manufacturing Content Marketing – Insights for 2022 published by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI)).

    Focus on Targeted Digital Ads

    When advertising online, be sure to target specific audiences interested in what you offer rather than just casting a wide net without considering who will find it most useful/valuable. These advertisements will not only help you reach a more specific and receptive audience that is interested in what you are offering, it will also help to avoid wasting resources on users who are unlikely to convert.

    This is another area where you need to have realistic expectations. Online ads will raise brand awareness and drive traffic to your site from what I refer to as “curious clicks,” but don’t expect a high conversion rate.

    Many of my manufacturing clients complain about PPC ads being a waste of good money. They work well for selling industrial consumables like desiccants and spare parts but are ineffective if you manufacture custom-engineered systems. Therefore, these factors should all be considered when deciding whether paid advertising would benefit your company.

    Email Marketing and Newsletters

    Email marketing and newsletters do work even in this day and age of social media. These two tactics are very effective in maintaining top-of-mind awareness. But, of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. I’ll let the findings from CMI’s survey convince you.

    “The top four owned-media platforms that manufacturing marketers used in the last 12 months were their organization’s website, email newsletters, email, and blogs.”

    The use of newsletters in manufacturing marketing

    Still not convinced? Here’s one more chart. This one is from the 2023 State of Marketing to Engineers study I cited earlier.

    “Eighty-nine percent of engineers subscribe to at least one newsletter, while 54 percent subscribe to at least three newsletters.”

    Newsletter subscriptions by engineers

    Okay, that’s my short list of 6 manufacturing marketing strategies you can deploy. Your industry is constantly evolving, so focusing on putting your company in front of the right audience via digital marketing tools is essential.

    Ultimately, focus on the target audience’s needs when deciding how your message should be conveyed and create a solid and well-rounded online presence. Remember, if potential customers aren’t regularly exposed to what you do, they will forget you even exist.

    If the thought of putting in all this time and effort in strategy and implementation seems overwhelming, or if you need help developing an effective marketing strategy for the manufacturers, don’t hesitate to reach out to industrial marketing professionals who can guide you. Contact me and let me know how I can help.

  • Lead Generation for Manufacturers: Understanding the Alphabet Soup

    Lead Generation for Manufacturers: Understanding the Alphabet Soup

    [This post was originally published in December 2010. I have rewritten and updated it recently. Last Modified Date: 09/26/2022]

    Lead generation for manufacturers is not easy, and it takes time and effort. A lead is a lead, right? Depends – are you in Marketing or in Sales? Industrial lead generation for sales is complicated.

    On top of that, manufacturing marketers have to deal with and understand a bunch of acronyms—AIDA, ToFU, MoFu, BoFU, CTA, MQLs, SQLs, SAL, PPC, CTR, ROMI, etc., to name just a few. Are you familiar with all of them?

    • AIDA: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action
    • ToFU: Top of the funnel
    • MoFU: Middle of the funnel
    • BoFU: Bottom of the funnel
    • CTA: Call-to-action
    • MQLs: Marketing Qualified Leads
    • SQLs: Sales Qualified Leads
    • SAL: Sales Accepted Leads
    • PPC: Pay-per-click
    • CTR: Click-through rate
    • ROMI: Return-on-marketing-investment

    Really, the list is endless.

    The success of industrial lead generation depends on SAL

    You know all about the problem of Sales and Marketing operating in separate silos. Sales always blames Marketing for generating “crappy” leads, and Marketing points fingers at Sales for not taking follow-up action.

    SAL to the rescue!

    Huh? What am I talking about – Sales Accepted Leads is the bridge between Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs). Clearly defining MQL, SAL and SQL are critical to the success of lead generation for manufacturers.

    What are MQLs and SQLS?

    A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is someone who has shown some interest and filled out a form with their basic contact information to download your content they believe is valuable. These are top-of-the-funnel (ToFU) leads.

    A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is someone who has shown an interest in your product or service and not just in consuming your content. These prospects are further along in their buying journey. These are middle-of-the-funnel (MoFU) leads who may be ready to have a conversation with your sales team.

    One of the biggest mistakes Marketing makes is they tend to hand off MQLs to Sales to qualify and close. However, marketing’s job doesn’t end with generating MQLs. There is a lot more work to be done.

    What is the best way to generate good MQLs and nurture them into SQLS? The answer – Manufacturing Content Marketing for Industrial Lead Generation. I’m obviously biased, but plenty of independent research studies have shown this to be 100% true.

    How SAL brings together Sales and Marketing

    There is an essential step between MQLs and SQLs. I refer to it as SAL – Sales Accepted Lead; it bridges the gap between the two.

    SAL cannot be subjective or arbitrary. Assigning a numeric score to qualified sales leads based on a predefined set of rules removes the subjectivity out of qualitative ranking like Hot, Warm, and Cold leads. Quantitative lead definitions reduce the friction between Sales and Marketing.

    SAL for lead generation for manufacturers

    SAL is a three-letter word that is the critical step in achieving Sales and Marketing alignment.

    • The two have to work together to come up with a unified definition of a qualified lead
    • Sales agrees to take follow-up action on these leads
    • Sales provides feedback to Marketing to refine these definitions and scores over time
    • Marketing must be willing to adjust scoring rules based on feedback from sales to refine lead scoring for optimal results (closed loop system)

    Without SAL, Sales and Marketing will continue to point fingers at each other when things don’t go right

    Marketing Automation for manufacturers

    Scoring and grading leads manually or using a simple spreadsheet are time-consuming and prone to errors. Manufacturers should use Marketing Automation software to make the process a lot more efficient and accurate. There are many more benefits to using Marketing Automation.

    I came across an excellent guide, “The Manufacturer’s Guide to Data-Driven Marketing Automation.” I suggest you download the free guide. (I’m not affiliated with the publisher).

    The key takeaway is that you may be making a very costly mistake if you treat all your leads the same, put them in a common bucket, and toss them over to sales to qualify and close. Instead, you will need some form of SAL to maximize your ROI for lead generation for manufacturers.

  • Why Industrial Websites Shouldn’t be an Afterthought for Manufacturers

    Why Industrial Websites Shouldn’t be an Afterthought for Manufacturers

    Industrial websites and manufacturers’ expectations are not always in sync. I say that from my regular conversations with manufacturers from various industries and from around the world. They come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common–generate more leads by targeting industrial buyers in North America.

    Industrial website goals and usage are misaligned

    Using an industrial website for lead generation has always been a priority for manufacturers. Lately, I have seen an encouraging shift towards “better quality leads.” However, the people I talk to are not happy with the results. That’s why they contact me in the first place.

    Let me walk you through a typical conversation.

    Manufacturer: We redesigned our industrial website two years ago, but it hasn’t generated too many good leads.

    Me: What marketing have you done to promote the site?

    Manufacturer: We pay an SEO company to improve our rankings and spend money on Google Ads.

    Me: What were the results?

    Manufacturer: We really don’t know other than not getting enough leads, and PPC ads have been a waste of money.

    Me: Okay, how do you use your website in your sales process?

    Manufacturer: (After a noticeable pause) We tell people to visit our website for more information after a salesperson has talked to them.

    The above conversation is not an isolated example but a regular one. I’ve simplified it and made it into a composite conversation.

    What is the problem with industrial websites?

    In my analysis, there are several underlying problems. In general, manufacturers feel the symptoms (low traffic, lack of leads, poor conversions, etc.), but the cause is that expectations do not match site design.

    • An industrial website redesign is not the same as ongoing efforts for organic SEO. Don’t expect to show up on page 1 of Google search results after a redesign
    • Little to no time spent by the developer and the manufacturer in planning, identifying buyer personas, and creating a website strategy to address buyers’ concerns
    • Adding bells and whistles on top of old, sometimes outdated, and incorrect product-centric content
    • Using the new website the same old way—as brochureware. Think of the old days when salespeople used marketing collateral as leave-behinds after a sales call

    I could go on listing other problems that I have seen. Instead, you may want to read my post, “5 Critical Components of a Successful Website Design for Manufacturers.”

    Where manufacturers tend to go wrong

    There is a deep-rooted problem in the mindset of most manufacturing organizations. But, of course, there are exceptions in companies that have embraced digital marketing. That’s not just me pointing the finger—“overcoming the traditional marketing and sales mindset (51%)” was one of the top 3 challenges faced by manufacturing marketers. (Source).

    I’ve found that many manufacturers think of Marketing as merely sales support. It is difficult for them to accept that now you must use a blended approach. Sales and Marketing have to work together for industrial lead generation. Neither can do it alone because industrial buyers are in self-select and self-serve mode for a better part of their buying journey. Therefore, they are unwilling to engage with Sales until they are ready.

    It is not difficult to understand then why industrial websites are an afterthought. Manufacturers are not convinced websites can help their sales because they have been burned before by developers and agencies that lack the experience and understanding of how engineers and technical professionals make buying decisions.

    Don’t shortchange your industrial website

    It is definitely worth taking the time to plan carefully and invest the marketing dollars in developing a robust industrial website that fits your sales process and addresses the needs of your target audience.

    I understand if you are skeptical about that statement since my company offers industrial website redesigns. Let me present independent survey findings as evidence to support what I said.

    Exhibit A: When researching a product or service for a business purchase, 69 percent of engineers go right to the source: supplier/vendor websites. (Source).

    supplier's website number 1 source for engineers

    Exhibit B: The top four owned-media platforms that manufacturing marketers used in the last 12 months were their organization’s website, email newsletters, email, and blogs. (Source).

    industrial website is the number 1 owned media

    Exhibit C: 73% of Engineers and Architects said a “simple and easy to use website” was at the top of their wishlist. (Source).

    simple and easy to use industrial website

    The industrial website should be the hub of your digital marketing plan and not an afterthought. This post should help you if you are planning an industrial website redesign soon.

  • Marketing to Engineers—Why Digital is the Dominant Strategy

    Marketing to Engineers—Why Digital is the Dominant Strategy

    Digital marketing to engineers works for several reasons. And you can’t argue against the results. I’ve been a big believer and a practitioner of digital marketing strategies and tactics for my industrial marketing and consultancy clients for several years now.

    Let’s look at the big picture first – B2B sales. After all, engineering services and manufacturing companies are a subset of B2B companies. A survey conducted by management consulting firm Bain & Company found that 92% of B2B buyers prefer virtual sales interactions, up 17% from May 2020. The report notes that 79% of sellers also say virtual selling is effective, compared with 54% last year. (Source: Sales Content that Closes published by Allego).

    virtual sales preferred by b2b buyers

    Interestingly, Bain & Company has put together a webinar with the provocative title; Digital Marketing is Dead. Obviously, it is not dead, but digital marketing “as usual” won’t work either.

    Digital marketing to engineers is effective

    As I wrote in the opening paragraph, the results speak for themselves.

    “Online information sources are the dominant ‘go-to’ for engineers researching a product or service for a business purchase.”

    That finding is from the 2022 State of Marketing to Engineers report published by TREW Marketing and GlobalSpec.

    69% of engineers go right to the source, the supplier’s, or the vendor’s website when researching a product or service. Research and information gathering happens in the early stages of their buying journey.

    sources used by engineers to find work-related information

    In short, an industrial website is the hub of your digital marketing strategy. It may be time for you to do a complete audit of your current website. It shouldn’t be limited to just technical issues for SEO. You should evaluate the following:

    • Is the core messaging an accurate reflection of your company today?
    • Do you have outdated information on products and services?
    • What do you want site visitors to do after they find your site? Expecting them to call or email you after the first visit is unrealistic.
    • Do you have clear calls to action for moving them logically through their buying journey?
    • Have you taken steps to minimize the number of clicks required for visitors to find relevant information?
    • Is the navigation intuitive and logical?
    • Can you improve the user experience?

    Honest answers to these questions will help you identify gaps in your website content and whether or not you should consider a complete industrial website redesign.

    Content preferences of engineers

    What sort of content do engineers use in making work-related decisions? When it comes to manufacturing content marketing, we often think of blog posts, white papers, e-books, etc.

    Surprise, surprise – the good old datasheets are still #1! This is followed by downloadable CAD drawings. I’ve already written a few posts about the value of the second item as an effective sales enabler. (See my previous post).

    Content preferences in marketing to engineers

    Video plays a dominant role in engineering marketing

    Looking at the above chart closely, you’ll see various forms of video mentioned. 96% of engineers consume videos for work-related purposes, with 53% watching one hour or more weekly.

    Time spent by engineers in watching videos

    Younger engineers, those 35 and under, tend to spend more time watching videos for work-related purposes.

    Younger engineers spend more time watching videos

    Also, check out 4 Reasons Why Manufacturers Use Video Marketing, published by ThomasNet.

    How to make content useful for your sales team

    So far, I’ve talked about how engineers consume content in digital marketing. Now, let’s look at how the sales team can use content to become more productive. If you are an outside industrial marketing consultant like me or an in-house marketer, you know it is challenging to get Sales to use the content you produce.

    I’m sure you’ve read this statistic before, but it is worth repeating. In 2013, Forrester reported that 60% to 70% of content produced by B2B marketing organizations goes unused. Even more startling was that many of their clients said that 80% of their content went unused. Needless to say, there’s a problem.

    I’m not going to repeat all that’s been written about creating synergies between Sales and Marketing. However, I did find two key takeaways from Allego’s report for making content more beneficial for the sales team.

    Making content more helpful for sales

    So there you have it—my take on why digital marketing to engineers is dominant today, backed by data from independent research studies.

  • The Industrial Buyer’s Journey—What Manufacturing Marketers Need to Know

    The Industrial Buyer’s Journey—What Manufacturing Marketers Need to Know

    The Industrial buyer’s journey can be complex and typically involves a committee of decision-makers. Sometimes the sales cycles may be as long as 12 to 18 months, for example, custom-engineered systems. Of course, not all industrial sales take that long. You may want to read my earlier post on the industrial customer journey.

    The industrial buyer’s journey has changed

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 – 7 years, you’ve undoubtedly heard and read plenty about how most of the buyer’s journey is now done online while prospects remain anonymous. So naturally, these changes affect industrial marketing and the sales process. The pandemic has not only accelerated this trend, but some of the changes are expected to be permanent.

    Here’s a direct quote from the Future of B2B Buying Journey Report published by Gartner:

    “B2B buyers report spending exceedingly little time with sales reps. Considering the average deal involves multiple suppliers, any given sales rep has roughly 5% of a customer’s total purchase time.”

    Gartner

    The norm is to think of the industrial buy cycle as four discrete stages—1) Needs Awareness, 2) Research, 3) Consideration & Comparison, and 4) Procurement. That hasn’t changed, but the B2B buyer doesn’t go on a linear journey from one stage to the next.

    According to the same Gartner report, the B2B buying journey is much more complicated than that. It almost looks like a maze!

    Does this mean salespeople are obsolete now? No, not in my opinion, not in industrial sales, but their role has changed dramatically. There will always be a need for consultative selling where the sales rep adds value to the process and helps the buyer make a more informed decision. However, the prospect doesn’t need to and/or want to contact your sales team for product information. They’ll interact with your salespeople only when they are ready.

    The adage, “Buyer Beware,” has been turned on its head to “Seller Beware” because industrial buyers today are in self-select and self-serve mode.

    There is a built-in skepticism about what buyers hear from sales reps, and it varies by age group. The following chart from the Gartner report underscores this point.

    To understand the importance of the age difference among engineers, read my post, Industrial Content Marketing that Engages Engineers.

    What do manufacturing marketers need to know to adapt to today’s industrial buyer behavior?

    What can manufacturing marketers do to increase the effectiveness of their marketing given this shift in buyer behavior?

    Needless to say, the industrial website needs to be the hub of your digital marketing strategy. This point is reinforced by a finding from the 2021 Industrial Buying Habits Survey published by Thomas™.

    Pay close attention to the quote at the bottom of the chart from Thomas to understand what information buyers want from a vendor’s website.

    Online product configurators and downloadable CAD files play essential roles for industrial components and parts manufacturers targeting design engineers. (See Using CAD and BIM Files in Manufacturing Content Marketing).

    Product datasheets and specifications play a significant role in the early stages of the buyer’s journey. However, those alone cannot help you earn their trust and create a true differentiation when there is a parity in Value Proposition between vendors. That’s when you will need manufacturing content marketing to build strong relationships based on earned trust. That’s how your customers will begin to see you as a real “value-added partner” instead of just another supplier.

    Manufacturing marketers must take the time to understand the industrial buyer’s journey as it stands today for them to generate better quality leads that turn into sales opportunities.

  • Content Marketing for Manufacturers is filling the Trade Show Void

    Content Marketing for Manufacturers is filling the Trade Show Void

    Trade shows have always been a big part of manufacturing marketing for generating new leads that convert into sales opportunities. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has made in-person trade shows almost non-existent.

    It is not surprising then that manufacturing marketers have turned to content marketing strategies and tactics in a big way. Hard data tell the story: (Source: Manufacturing Content Marketing Insights for 2021 published by CMI).

    • Use of virtual events/webinars/online courses increased to 55% from 39% last year.
    • In-person events decreased to 38% from 65% in the previous year.
    • Nearly all manufacturers surveyed (91%) expect some of the changes to stay in effect for the foreseeable future.

    My own experiences with manufacturing clients match this trend. They’ve either put more emphasis on manufacturing content marketing and/or those that were sitting on the fence in 2020, are now eager to get started in 2021.

    A recent conversation that I had with a manufacturer of custom plastic parts, started off like this, “We’ve done very well in the past with trade shows. We depended almost 100% on that channel for new sales. That has completely dried up. How can you help us get our content marketing started and become successful at it?”

    I’ve had several such conversations since the pandemic began in 2020, so this is not an isolated incident.

    Types of content used by manufacturing marketers

    There have been some major changes in the content marketing tactics used by manufacturers. In 2019, the top three tactics were:

    1. Social media content at 92%
    2. Videos (excluding livestreaming) at 81%
    3. Email Newsletters at 74%

    The chart below shows the trends in 2020. Not surprisingly, in-person events decreased and correspondingly, virtual events/webinars/online courses increased.

    Content marketing for manufacturers tactics

    Where are manufacturing content marketers investing their marketing dollars?

    Two specific areas that manufacturing marketers are expected to concentrate on in 2021 are:

    1. Content creation—76%
    2. Website enhancements—73%

    content marketing areas for investment

    All this positive news needs to be tempered with the harsh reality of the economic situation because of the pandemic. Most manufacturing marketers started 2020 with a healthy budget, but as the year progressed, things began to change. Most manufacturers expected their content marketing budget to remain flat in the second half of the year.

    Take a look at these two charts from the CMI report that was published in November 2020.

    Manufacturing marketing budget H1 2020

    Manufacturing marketing H2 2020

    Importance of email in manufacturing marketing

    Email marketing is and has always been an important part of manufacturing content marketing. With more people working from home, email is the best way to communicate with customers, suppliers, and employees.

    According to the research report, 2020 Smart Marketing for Engineers® published by IEEE GlobalSpec and TREW Marketing, 59% of engineers prefer to connect over email and 5% prefer online chat, as opposed to 24% engaging with a salesperson over the phone and 8% in person.

    Engineers preference for email

    Email is second only to social media when it comes to the distribution of content by manufacturing marketers. This is important because you can’t rely only on organic SEO for your audience to discover new content published on your website or blog.

    Content distribution channels for manufacturers

    I’m sure you’ve received plenty of email invitations to register for webinars. Email is the most common and effective way to promote your online events. After the pandemic, when trade shows do become safe to attend in person, email marketing will be used for both pre- and post-show communications just as in the past.

    For more on industrial email marketing, see my article, The Importance of Industrial Email Marketing for Targeting Engineers.

    Size of content marketing teams and outsourcing activities

    You would think manufacturers would need large teams to handle all the content marketing activities.

    The reality is that 55% of manufacturers said they had zero to 1 person dedicated to content marketing and 36% had 2 to 5 full-time employees doing content marketing.

    Content marketing team sizes for manufacturers

    Manufacturing content marketers are outsourcing marketing activities to compensate for the smaller teams.

    • 61% of manufacturing marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity
    • Technical content creation is the activity most outsourced at 80%

    Content marketing activities outsourced by manufacturers

    This post should help you plan your own manufacturing content marketing strategies, tactics, and budgets knowing what your peers and competitors are doing.