In 2022, there were approximately 718,796 manufacturing businesses in the US, and the market size was expected to grow by 14%. These statistics show how competitive the industry is, which calls for manufacturers to up their marketing games to stay on the map.
Unlike B2C companies, manufacturers must think of creative ways to reach wholesalers and distributors, who will then make the products reach consumers. From content marketing to traditional strategies and paid online advertising, manufacturers of all niches and sizes must learn how to connect meaningfully with their business customers and consumers.
While manufacturers have limitless advertising options, content marketing has become the go-to option for most businesses, thanks to its effectiveness and ability to offer high ROI. This guide explains content marketing for manufacturing companies for best results.
Why Content Marketing for Manufacturers
Manufacturing companies face unique challenges in their marketing endeavors, such as the technical nature of their products or services and the need to convey complex information concisely and compellingly. Content creation addresses these challenges by presenting information in a visually appealing and easily understandable format, allowing companies to effectively communicate their value propositions and stand out from the competition.
Moreover, the digital landscape offers various platforms and channels for companies to distribute content and reach their target audience. By harnessing the power of search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email campaigns, and other digital marketing strategies, manufacturing companies can amplify the impact of their content and attract qualified leads, ultimately driving customer acquisition and increasing revenue.
Content marketing has become a favorite among digital marketers as it offers several key benefits for manufacturing companies. First, content marketing allows manufacturers to showcase their expertise and knowledge, positioning themselves as industry leaders. According to a study by Demand Metric, content marketing generates three times more leads than traditional outbound marketing strategies, helping manufacturers reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness.
By providing valuable and informative content, manufacturers can attract potential customers actively seeking solutions to their problems. A study by HubSpot found that companies that published 16 or more blog posts per month received 3.5 times more traffic and four times more leads than those that published fewer than four blog posts.
Content marketing enables manufacturers to engage with their target audience more deeply. When manufacturers create educational content that helps potential customers understand their products and their benefits, it builds trust and credibility. According to a survey, 96% of B2B buyers want content with more input from industry thought leaders.
Furthermore, content can effectively guide potential customers through the buying process. By providing informative content that addresses common questions and concerns, manufacturers can educate prospects and move them closer to making a buying decision, which shortens the buying cycle.
Also, content marketing can provide a competitive edge in the manufacturing industry, where products can be complex and highly technical. By creating and distributing valuable content, manufacturers can differentiate themselves from competitors and establish their expertise, making it more likely for potential customers to choose their products.
What Are Notable Differences Between Consumers and Manufactures Marketing?
There are several notable differences when creating content for consumer and manufacturer marketing.
B2C marketing primarily focuses on meeting the individual needs and desires of consumers. The marketing strategies aim to create emotional connections and appeal to consumers’ preferences and aspirations. The decision-making process in B2C marketing is often driven by price, convenience, brand reputation, and emotional appeal.
On the other hand, manufacturers target businesses and focus on addressing their specific needs. The marketing strategies are designed to demonstrate how the manufacturer’s products or services can enhance productivity, reduce costs, or improve efficiency for the business customers. The decision-making process in manufacturer marketing is more rational and is driven by product features, quality, reliability, and long-term benefits.
In B2C marketing, emotional factors such as personal preferences, lifestyle choices, and social influences often influence purchase decisions. Consumers may be motivated to make purchases based on their desire for self-expression, status, or the need to fulfill immediate gratification.
In manufacturer marketing, purchase decisions are typically driven by practical considerations. Businesses seek products or services that can provide a competitive advantage, improve operational efficiency, or align with their specific industry requirements. Cost-effectiveness, functionality, reliability, and compatibility with existing systems are crucial in purchasing.
Consumer marketing often utilizes mass marketing channels to reach a broad audience. This may include television commercials, radio advertisements, online display ads, social media campaigns, and targeted email marketing. The focus is on reaching many individual consumers and creating brand awareness.
Conversely, B2B marketing generally involves more targeted and personalized marketing approaches. It often relies on direct sales teams, industry trade shows, business-to-business (B2B) websites, and professional networking to reach potential customers. The emphasis is on building relationships with key decision-makers and demonstrating expertise in the specific industry.
How Manufacturers Can Use Content Marketing
While there are limitless marketing options for manufacturers, content marketing has proven to be a powerful tool for manufacturers to engage with their target audience, generate leads, and ultimately drive sales.
Blogging is one great way to create content for company advertisements. Businesses and consumers are always searching for information about complex products before purchasing. And there is no better way to explain key facts about your products than by regularly publishing informative and relevant articles.
Blogging also establishes you as a thought leader in their industry. Your manufacturing company can attract potential customers and build credibility by addressing common pain points, industry trends, and valuable insights.
However, research deeply for blog post ideas so that you only offer relevant and accurate information. You can check the kind of topics and keywords your competitors use but don’t copy.
Besides writing, videos have become a favorite content type among buyers. Over 72% of online users prefer watching videos over reading the same information over text.
Besides being fun and easy to process, videos are highly engaging and shareable. Manufacturers can create videos showcasing their products, demonstrations, or tutorials. This type of content effectively communicates the benefits and features of complex products visually appealingly.
Additionally, corporate videos are a great way to build trust with your audience. But ensure to create high-quality videos. You may even showcase the behind-the-scenes to show what goes down in the manufacturing plant.
You can then post the content on your website or social media platforms. With billions of active users, social media is a surefire way of reaching a broader audience and giving your company more exposure. You can increase brand visibility and engage with potential customers by sharing educational content, industry news, and updates about their products. Social media platforms also allow for direct interaction with customers, providing an opportunity for you to address inquiries and build relationships.
Most importantly, remember to optimize your content for search engines. Whether you opt for written text or videos, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical to make your content discoverable by potential customers. Manufacturers can improve their organic search rankings and increase website traffic by researching and incorporating relevant keywords into their content.
How We Help Manufacturing Companies Drive Results With Content
Now that you understand the benefits of content marketing and ways you can use this marketing tool for your manufacturing company, here is how ContentGo can help.
Collaborate
Collaboration is an essential first step in helping B2B manufacturing companies drive results with content creation. So, we work closely with the company’s marketing team, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to align on goals, target audience, messaging, and key themes for the content. By collaborating effectively, we ensure that the content strategy is aligned with the company’s overall objectives and that the content targets the right audience.
For example, imagine a B2B manufacturing company specializing in industrial machinery. The collaboration process would involve engaging with the company’s marketing team, engineers, and sales representatives to understand their machinery’s unique value proposition and identify their target audience’s pain points. This collaboration would help establish the foundation for the content creation process.
Research
Research is a crucial component of content creation for B2B manufacturing companies. That’s why we take time to gather information about the industry, competitors, target audience, and relevant trends. By conducting thorough research, we can help you create well-informed, insightful content that provides value to the audience.
Research also helps to put together relevant keywords and blog post ideas based on the industry, niche, or products. You certainly want your company to be ranked top by search engines, which is only achievable if you offer relevant content and use keywords that your target audience will likely use when searching for products relating to what you offer. Also, research would help identify critical statistics, case studies, and examples that can support the content and make it more credible.
Strategize
After collaborating and conducting research, the next step is to develop a content strategy. This involves defining the goals and objectives of the content, identifying the target audience, determining the channels and formats for content distribution, and creating a content calendar. A well-defined content strategy ensures that the content aligns with the overall marketing objectives and is delivered effectively to the intended audience.
For example, a B2B manufacturing company may create corporate videos or educational blog posts targeting engineers and procurement professionals involved in purchasing their products. The content strategy may include the following:
- Publishing two blog posts per month.
- Promoting them through social media channels and email newsletters.
- Measuring the engagement and conversion rates to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness.
Creation
Now, this is where the actual task is at. Creating engaging content takes a lot of planning and precision. The process involves producing high-quality content that aligns with the objectives, messaging, and themes identified earlier. The content can take various forms, such as blog posts, articles, case studies, whitepapers, videos, infographics, or podcasts. Creating valuable, engaging content that resonates with the target audience is critical.
You may create a video series showcasing their manufacturing process, highlighting the quality standards and attention to detail. You can also create case studies demonstrating how their products have helped clients overcome specific challenges. By building diverse and compelling content, the company can capture the interest of its target audience and differentiate itself from competitors.
Publish and Distribute
Publishing and distributing the content is the final step in driving results with content creation. This involves sharing the content through various channels, such as the company’s website, blog, social media platforms, email newsletters, industry publications, and relevant online communities. Effective distribution ensures the content reaches the intended audience, generating visibility, engagement, and leads for the B2B manufacturing company.
You can publish a blog post on their website and promote it through social media platforms like LinkedIn, where you can target professionals in the manufacturing industry. You may also leverage email newsletters to reach your customer base and share the latest content updates. By using a combination of owned, earned, and paid channels, the company can maximize the reach and impact of its content.
Final Thoughts
From the above information, content creation plays a pivotal role in the success of manufacturing companies in the digital age. It is a powerful tool to engage, educate, and convert potential customers into loyal advocates. By leveraging digital marketing services and creating high-quality content, companies can enhance their customer acquisition efforts, expand their customer base, and establish themselves as the preferred choice among consumers.
However, creating high-quality content and consistently delivering results can take time and effort for companies focused on their core manufacturing operations. This is where ContentGo comes in. With their content creation and digital marketing expertise, ContentGo offers a comprehensive solution for manufacturing companies seeking to enhance their online presence, engage with their audience, and achieve guaranteed results.
By partnering with ContentGo, manufacturing companies can leverage their industry knowledge and content creation prowess to develop tailored content strategies that resonate with their target market. ContentGo’s team works collaboratively to create compelling blog posts, engaging social media content, informative videos, and other forms of content that align with the company’s brand and objectives. Sign up now as a publisher to boost your business.
