Change is scary, but it's important for every business' success. That's why, when digital technology emerged, manufacturers grabbed the chance to take advantage of it. And sure enough, the manufacturing industry enjoys the benefits that these technologies bring. It made it easier for manufacturers to develop materials and products.

More importantly, it introduced new methods for effectively marketing your business online. This way, you can gain a competitive advantage among other manufacturing companies.

But digital manufacturing marketing can be challenging without a plan. You can get help from a manufacturing marketing agency to develop a plan that suits you. But before you do that, it helps to familiarize yourself with different manufacturing and marketing strategies.

Digital Marketing Strategies and Best Practices for Manufacturing Companies

The internet is beaming with the potential to attract people to your brand. It's a great means of educating your customer base and distinguishing yourself from other companies. This is especially true for new businesses that are introducing their first product.

Your knowledge in the field of manufacturing will help them find solutions to their problems. At the same time, it puts you at the forefront of their minds when it's time to buy a product. But remember, it only works if they can relate to your products or brand.

There are a lot of ways to market your manufacturing company online. The good thing is that you don't have to go through the marketing journey alone.

Today, you can find marketing agencies for manufacturing companies that will guide you throughout the process. Some offer specialized services, while others will help you in all aspects of marketing. This is beneficial for you since you can focus on growing your business while leaving the marketing to the experts.

But whether you employ an industrial marketing agency or not depends on your case. Whatever decision you make, the first step toward embracing digital marketing is to learn the ins and outs of it.

1.   Start With Optimizing Your Website

Your digital marketing plan won't work if you're not visible in the online world. The best way for people to find you is to create a website for your manufacturing company.

Your website is important for making a good first impression among users. You can use it to deliver useful information, gather leads, and influence your buyers' purchasing decisions. It's an important part of any digital marketing strategy

But having a website alone is not enough to capture the hearts of B2B buyers.

A manufacturing marketing agency can develop user-friendly and search-engine-optimized websites. They're aware of what makes a manufacturing website attractive and functional. With in-depth knowledge of SEO, they can help you place your website at the top of search engine result pages.

By doing so, you can increase the number of visitors you have, which then boosts your ROI.

2.   Create Great and Relevant Content

Your website is as good as nothing if you don't publish content. Sure, you have a great landing page and a page for your products and services, but what else?

Producing relevant information about the industry will help you connect more with your audience. 82% of buyers tend to research the products first before they decide to make a purchase. You can help them learn more about your products by publishing content that addresses their needs.

This is important in the manufacturing industry since your products can come off as technical. Take this opportunity to educate them about the how-tos of your products and services.

While blogs are a popular type of content, they're not the only materials you can use. Here are some great content ideas to market your manufacturing company:

• Video demos of your products
• Case studies
• State of the industry reports
• Pricing calculators
• Product comparisons
• Safety guidelines

The key is to create great content that your target market will value. But there are so many things to do when you're running a manufacturing company. Fortunately, you can hire a manufacturing marketing agency to produce the right type of content for your business. They'll also be handling the distribution of content on different online platforms.

3.   Take Advantage of Social Media Marketing

Some manufacturers are wary about using social media to market their products. Yet, social media is one of the best ways for industrial companies to engage with their audience. You can interact with potential customers and put your business in front of decision-makers.

But maximizing the potential of social media platforms can sometimes be tricky. You need to use different techniques to reach the right people on each platform. Finding a manufacturing marketing agency to handle your social media profiles will help you achieve your goals.

A manufacturing marketing company knows the best practices for an effective social media campaign. For instance, there is a decline in organic reach due to Facebook's algorithm updates. This makes Facebook ads more important than ever. Working with these agencies means working with a dedicated team that produces captivating ads.

4.   Use Remarketing Ads

Not every business that visits your website will make a purchase right away. Most of them are still exploring their options before deciding whether to buy a product or service. No matter what industry you're in, B2B buyers go through different stages of their buying journey.

But that doesn't mean you're going to leave their decision to chance. You can influence their purchasing decision the moment they make contact with you and even after that.

Website optimization does the work while they're still navigating your website. Meanwhile, remarketing ads keep you connected with users after they visit your website or view your products.

5.   Follow Up on Leads Using Email Marketing

Sending out emails to your leads is still an effective digital marketing strategy. And even if electronic mail has been around for ages, there are still 4 billion email users as of 2020.

There are a lot of reasons why email marketing works, including:

• Interacting with users who agree to receive email updates from you: That makes it easier for you to convert them into actual sales.
• Automating the processes involved in email marketing. Running a manufacturing business already takes up a lot of your time. It would be beneficial for you to have a chance to automate some processes in your digital marketing strategy.
• Producing a high return on investment. With the right tools and a manufacturing marketing agency, you only need to invest a small amount of effort to gain a lot of returns.

6.   Collaborate With Influencers

It may seem silly, but influencer marketing works, even for manufacturing companies. In fact, 86% of B2B companies report using influencer marketing to boost their sales.

Imagine if someone with a big social media following worked with your company to promote your brand. These influencers have already established authority among their audiences. That means their followers trust them when they recommend a product. With influencer marketing, manufacturers can:

• Increase brand awareness
• Build trust and establish credibility
• Tap into a niche audience
• Form deeper connections with their audience
• Tell your story with a personal touch

Creating a Digital Marketing Plan: How a Manufacturing Marketing Agency Can Help

The key to a great digital marketing plan is to use the right combination of these strategies. But juggling the duties of running a manufacturing business and planning your marketing initiatives can be hard. That's where manufacturing marketing agencies come into play.

These companies are a group of marketing experts who have a thorough understanding of the various marketing strategies. They also have a huge number of digital tools that can help you create and run a digital marketing campaign for your business. This way, you won't have to worry about using a strategy that won't produce high returns.

Depending on your needs, you can find different types of manufacturing marketing agencies, including:

With the right manufacturing marketing agency, you can:

• Generate more leads than before
• Expand your reach
• Establish credibility
• Improve your overall marketing strategy

Final Thoughts

Every business, including industrial manufacturers, has to have a digital marketing strategy. Without it, there's no way of reaching out to the new generation of B2B buyers.

Creating an effective digital marketing plan involves knowing the right marketing strategy to use. A manufacturing marketing agency can help you develop a plan that aligns with your business goals.