Inbound Marketing for Manufacturers

Let’s face it: most manufacturers are coming up short in their marketing efforts. While manufacturers have mastered innovation in their product design and shop-floor operations, they haven’t figured out how to apply that same innovation to their marketing strategies. Though manufacturers like to think that product improvements are enough to bring in new business, in a global marketplace, they must effectively promote themselves to generate leads.  

To give your marketing strategies a much-needed face-lift, it’s time to update your inbound marketing strategies. Through inbound marketing, companies entice customers through releasing materials across a variety of digital channels. Start modernizing your inbound marketing techniques by following our tips. 

Create Relevant Content

According to recent research from the Content Marketing Institute, only half of manufacturing marketers always or frequently prioritize their audience’s needs when generating content. Sure, sales slogans and promotional messaging are essential, but they fall on deaf ears when they aren’t seamlessly woven into well-written, informative content. To develop effective marketing materials, define your audience and determine what information they will want at each stage of the buyer’s journey.  

One step in this process is creating buyer personas, which are general representations of your ideal customers. By speaking to sales reps, you can learn more about your customers, their specific pain points and the content they’re consuming. Marketing Automation software also offers useful tools for gaining more insight into your customers. For example, you can utilize HubSpot’s contact database to see how people are discovering your content. Additionally, when creating forms for your website, you can include fields that capture information about your personas, such as company size or industry. 

From these insights, you can develop content targeted to specific personas at specific points in the buyer’s journey. Remember: The web is oversaturated with low-quality content. To stand out from sub-par content, go beyond a sales pitch to deliver useful information that your ideal customers want to read.  

Use Your Data to the Fullest

A critical problem facing marketing manufacturers is generating and using data. A survey found that 74 percent of industrial marketers don’t have enough data to access ROI, and businesses often struggle to gain a complete picture of leads and customers. Without this information, marketing teams can’t determine which strategies are working or personalize customer journeys. 

Marketing Automation software fills in these gaps by tracking marketing performance. HubSpot tracks lead flow and buyer’s journeys, so you can see which touchpoints and campaigns are helping you gain new prospects and close deals. In-depth data will also help you clarify ROI and pain points in your marketing strategies. Furthermore, a full understanding of your leads and customers will help you personalize content to drive sales and customer loyalty. 

Software integration can deliver even deeper insights. For example, integrating HubSpot with ERP software can provide marketers with easy access to critical information, such as quotes and orders. While orders through a third party aren’t captured in HubSpot, an integration with ERP will sync those orders into your Marketing Automation platform to ensure marketers never miss an opportunity. 

Prepare for Long Lead Cycles

Manufacturing marketers face the difficult challenge of engaging prospects during long lead cycles. To stay front and center in leads’ minds, it’s important to continuously deliver relevant content and keep track of where they are in the buyer’s journey. Using data on your leads, you can determine the best cadence and channel for staying in touch with them. You should also avoid pressuring leads with constant advertisements. Instead, deliver enticing information related to content they’ve previously consumed or to products they’re considering. 

Marketing Automation software simplifies marketing throughout long lead cycles. HubSpot enables users to create personalized emails that are automatically delivered to prospects. By notifying users when a lead opens an email, HubSpot allows you to follow up quickly with pertinent information. The software also supports multiple inbound marketing methods, such as blogs, social media posts and email campaigns to create an omnichannel approach that delivers consistent experiences throughout the buyer’s journey.  

Wrap Up

Manufacturers can’t afford to sideline their marketing strategies. Without a modern approach to marketing, your premier products and services will go unnoticed by your target audience. HubSpot’s free Marketing Automation solution has comprehensive tools and datasets to optimize inbound marketing and drive sales. 

At Datix, we’ve specialized in solving manufacturing and distribution problems for over 20 years. Our comprehensive solutions automate processes and maintain data integrity to enhance your business from end to end. Another solution designed to improve business practices is Unity, our integration application that connects Epicor ERP with CRM, eCommerce and Marketing Automation software. By connecting Epicor and HubSpot, Unity enables your business to personalize customer experiences and streamline marketing processes. 

Start boosting your marketing strategies. Contact Datix’s expert consultants today to learn more about our manufacturing solutions!  

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