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Digital Marketing for Manufacturers

Digital Marketing for Manufacturers—How to Leverage Content Marketing, Organic SEO, and Social Media

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Digital marketing for manufacturers is crucial as they face increasing competitive pressures. External forces, such as cheaper international competitors, and internal challenges, like the need to do more with less due to budget cuts, are pushing manufacturers to rethink their marketing approach.

Yet, despite these pressures, only 32% of manufacturing marketers have a documented content marketing strategy. Without a strategy in place, too many manufacturers create content simply to respond to ad hoc requests, leading to scattered efforts and missed opportunities.” (Source).

Content, SEO, and social media all play vital roles, but without a well-thought-out strategy, they lack the cohesive power to drive real results. Here’s a formula based on my 35+ years of experience in industrial marketing:

Strategy + Implementation + Measurement = Success With Digital Marketing for Manufacturers

Starting with a clear, documented strategy ensures that all your digital marketing efforts—content marketing, SEO, or social media—align with your business goals. If you’re unsure where to begin, our Fractional CMO service can help you develop a strategic roadmap to guide your digital marketing initiatives.

For more insights, check out my previous blog: Stop the Shotgun Marketing Approach! and Marketing Strategy for Manufacturers—3 Key Components.

Understanding Digital Marketing for Manufacturers

Digital marketing for manufacturers involves using online channels to connect with industrial buyers, engineers, and other key decision-makers. From building awareness with potential customers to converting leads into sales, digital marketing enables manufacturers to target specific audiences in ways that traditional methods can’t.

For example, strategies like industrial content marketing, SEO, and social media increase visibility and help nurture long sales cycles typical in the industrial sector. Manufacturers can stay ahead of their competition by optimizing digital platforms for customer interaction, lead generation, and reaching new markets.

When combined with a robust strategy, these tactics drive higher-quality leads that are more likely to convert into paying customers.

Industrial content marketing is not just about creating technical content. You must focus on using content to create true differentiation, address the questions of various stakeholders at different stages of their decision-making journey and set the table for your sales team to have productive conversations.

This chart is from the 2023 Insights for Manufacturing Content Marketers, which illustrates this point.

digital marketing for manufacturers – Content quality vs quantity

Finding New Customers Through Strategic Digital Marketing for Manufacturers

Manufacturers are increasingly turning to digital marketing for lead generation. In-person events have indeed come back strong after the pandemic, and manufacturers are investing in them once again. However, the chart below shows that digital marketing channels still occupy the top spots.

In-person events for manufacturing content marketing

Using tools like search engine optimization (SEO) and targeted online advertising, manufacturers can connect with prospects who are actively searching for solutions. Digital marketing makes pinpointing niche markets and targeting specific buyer personas easier.

For instance, a manufacturer specializing in industrial butterfly valves can use SEO to rank for long-tail keywords that match the precise needs of engineers in the oil and gas industry. With the help of generative AI tools, finding these niche keywords has become even more efficient, ensuring you reach the right audience.

Here’s additional proof of the importance of digital marketing channels. Gartner expects that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels. (Source).

You’ve probably read that engineers and industrial professionals are passive participants in social media channels. So, How do manufacturers use social media?

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said their organization would invest in social media/community building in 2023, up from 40% the previous year. (Source: The CMI Report cited earlier). Instead of writing more words, I’ll let these two charts tell the story.

Social media channels used in digital marketing for manufacturers
Decline in Facebook ads for manufacturers

Achieving Digital Marketing Success in the Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturers must focus on measurable outcomes and data-driven strategies to succeed in digital marketing. Each marketing effort should have a clear objective: increasing web traffic, generating leads, or improving conversion rates.

Additionally, integrating marketing automation tools can help track leads, offer personalized content, and score prospects for better lead nurturing. These tools ensure that the marketing team aligns with sales objectives, creating a smoother journey from lead generation to sales qualification.

Another option is Account Based Marketing (ABM) which can produce excellent results for some manufacturers. It may not be the best fit across the board. For more on ABM, read my earlier post, How Manufacturers Can Win Big with Account Based Marketing (ABM) and Industrial Content Marketing.

Planning Your Digital Marketing Budget Effectively

How much should manufacturers budget for digital marketing? According to the 2023 Insights for Manufacturing Content Marketing report, approximately one in four manufacturing marketers reported that their organization spends 25% to 49% of their total marketing budget on content marketing.

For smaller manufacturers, this might include a mix of content creation, SEO, and paid campaigns, while larger companies might invest more heavily in automation and advanced analytics.

Keep in mind that digital marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. A tailored digital marketing strategy based on your company’s unique goals will help you allocate resources effectively.

Choosing Between In-House and Outsourced Digital Marketing Teams

Many manufacturing companies wonder whether to handle digital marketing in-house or outsource to an agency. Both approaches have their pros and cons:

  • In-house teams offer more direct control but require long-term investments in specialized talent and tools.
  • Outsourcing offers access to a broader skill set and scalability without the overhead of hiring full-time staff.

For small to mid-sized manufacturers, outsourcing to a Fractional CMO or digital marketing agency can be a cost-effective solution, ensuring you get the expertise you need without the full-time cost.

Overcoming Digital Marketing Challenges in Manufacturing

Digital marketing for manufacturers comes with unique challenges, such as long sales cycles, multiple decision-makers, and highly technical products. Overcoming these obstacles requires a strategic approach tailored to your industry.

There are many challenges when it comes to marketing to engineers and technical professionals, so much so that I have written several blogs on this topic. Here are one of them:

Choosing the Right Digital Marketing Partner for Manufacturers

Not all digital marketing partners are created equal. Finding the right industrial marketing agency requires evaluating their manufacturing sector experience, understanding your unique sales cycle, and the ability to create a customized strategy.

Tiecas has over 35 years of experience helping manufacturers leverage digital marketing to drive sustainable growth. Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive strategy or specialized services, we can help you achieve your marketing goals. Visit our case studies for real-world examples of how we’ve transformed digital marketing efforts for manufacturers.

As a manufacturing marketing expert with over three decades of experience, I understand the challenges and opportunities that digital marketing presents for manufacturers. Whether you’re looking to build a robust content marketing strategy, enhance your SEO, or improve your social media presence, digital marketing is a powerful tool to achieve your business goals.

If you’re ready to leverage digital marketing for your manufacturing business, let’s have a conversation. Contact me, and together, we’ll create a roadmap to measurable success.

Achinta Mitra

Achinta Mitra calls himself a “marketing engineer” because he combines his engineering education and an MBA with 35+ years of practical manufacturing and industrial marketing experience. You want an expert with an insider’s knowledge and an outsider’s objectivity who can point you in the right direction immediately. That's Achinta. He is the Founder of Tiecas, Inc., a manufacturing marketing agency in Houston, Texas. Read Achinta's story here.
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