Do you own or manage a manufacturing business? If so, take a moment to think about your current internet marketing strategy. You don't have one? Perhaps you don't think of manufacturing as a type of business that needs an internet marketing strategy, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Related Blog: 5 Ways Manufacturers are Using Their Websites to Increase Sales
How Can Inbound Marketing Help Your Business
What is inbound marketing? It is essentially internet marketing activities that help to generate leads and build customer relationships in a non-intrusive, engaging way.
Internet marketing activities such as social media, blogging, providing valuable content like whitepapers, ebooks, videos and infographics and using these avenues allows your customers to learn about solutions to their problems, and allows you to help them with a current issue. It is not about your business at this point, it is about informing the customer what inbound marketing is. It is about being the best teachers in the world.
Why Should Your Business Use Inbound Marketing?
Because it works. First, you must have an internet presence today in order to succeed for the long term. If you are an established brick and mortar business, you may not see the value right now in building and internet presence, because so many of your customers have been with you for years. This is common in the manufacturing industry. You may be relying on word of mouth to generate new customers, and this may be working -- right now.
For the long haul, though, if you want to stay competitive in today's digital world, you must be able to be found and connected with online. This doesn't just mean throwing up a website, though. Imagine you are in need of a new dock in your backyard. Your first step is probably going to be searching for something like "new dock builders" in your area in Google. You click on a website and this company has the services they provide, pictures of the docks they've built, and customer testimonials, as well as blogs about dock maintenance, dock repair, and other related content. This makes it very easy for you as a buyer to see what kind of product you will be getting, and you are very likely to choose this company because of their helpful and detailed website. This goes to show how far a good website will get you in today's world of digital marketing.
How To Use Inbound Marketing
A website is a great way for people to find your business and learn what it has to offer. It’s also how many of today's consumers are contacting vendors and manufacturers. Visibility is important here. By creating a blog for your business, you are keeping your site up to date with a steady stream of useful content that brings in leads and converts leads to customers. It also helps your site rank higher in searches.
"Social media is how many people spread the word about businesses they love. #InternetMarketing"
Social media is another aspect of internet marketing that you shouldn't ignore. You should have a properly branded social media presence, as that is how many people spread the word about businesses that they love. You should also be using social media for customer service, and responding quickly to people's questions and problems they post on your Facebook page, Twitter, or any other social media source you use. By showing that you listen to and fix your customer's problems, you seem more reputable to those that are unfamiliar with your business.
Social media and blogging are great ways to begin using this type of marketing. Using these methods will increase your visibility, help build relationships with current customers and introduce new customers to your business. 