Manufacturing is a traditional industry where founders primarily focus on KPIs like productivity, quality, efficiency, and cost savings. As a business owner, you may be great with people and processes on the shop floor. However, you may struggle with marketing because that’s hardly a core expertise for production specialists.
Moreover, you may fail to give enough attention to this part of the operations. Things have changed in recent years in this context. According to a 2021 report, 63% of manufacturing companies rated marketing as a ‘high priority’. The number shows an evident shift toward marketing, so missing out on a robust strategy can affect your competitive positioning.
When joining the marketing bandwagon, you may realise the challenges it entails. You need experts to combat them and create an effective strategy that delivers real results. Collaborating with manufacturing marketing is the best approach because it gets you high-value expertise on a budget.
Here are some ways a specialist agency can help you overcome manufacturing marketing challenges.
Manufacturers deal with complex B2B sales cycles involving complex negotiations, multiple decision-makers, and long procurement processes. The process may last for months and get stressful for manufacturers who already handle a lot. A specialist marketing agency with niche-specific experience can help you overcome this challenge.
These experts understand the nuances of B2B sales cycles and recommend targeted strategies aligning with the extended sales process. They can also ensure the right message to your customers at each stage of the cycle. For example, you can create content that engages potential clients and utilise account-based marketing to personalise outreach.
According to statistics, digital ad spending in the US is projected to reach $271.2 billion in 2023. Businesses across all industries invest in online marketing, and manufacturing is no exception. However, building an online presence for high visibility is challenging because your website needs to beat thousands of competitors to rank at the top of searches.
The Nine Digital notes that robust search engine optimisation can boost the ranking of your website. You should also invest in an excellent website with top-notch design, content, and user experience to gain visibility and capture leads for your manufacturing business.
As a manufacturer, you may be clueless about these digital marketing strategies. A reliable marketing agency can do the heavy lifting for you and ensure high rankings, more leads, and better brand visibility for your company.
In the dynamic manufacturing landscape, evolving market trends and advancements in technology can overwhelm business owners. Your marketing plans may also need a touch of innovation. For example, you can leverage data analytics for market insights or use augmented reality to showcase your products on your website.
Failing to adopt these technologies means you may miss out on the tech-savvy B2B audience. A manufacturing marketing agency can integrate the latest trends and technologies into your marketing strategy. They can ensure that your plan is agile and adaptable enough to keep your business relevant in a constantly evolving industry.
Manufacturing is a regulated industry, and business owners have to follow a framework of stringent regulatory requirements. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration enforces Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for drug manufacturers. These regulations require them to follow minimum requirements for the facilities, controls, and methods for manufacturing, processing, and packing products.
Your marketing efforts should focus on showing compliance to win the trust of consumers. You can do it by creating content to highlight how your process and products align with industry standards. By doing so, you can demonstrate a commitment to regulatory compliance, safety standards, and ethical business practices.
Communicating your technical expertise to a diverse audience is another challenge you may encounter as a manufacturer. It gets even tougher when you run a traditional business selling to different audiences. A specialised marketing agency can craft content to present complex technical information in an understandable form.
For example, they can use industry-specific jargon to develop content that resonates with engineers and procurement professionals. Conversely, simple visuals can be more effective for communicating with C-level executives without technical expertise. Only a specialist marketer can produce custom content for different consumers.
A manufacturing marketing agency can be a saviour for companies struggling with unique marketing challenges. These agencies have a deep understanding of the target audience and industry-specific knowledge. With these attributes, they can create tailored strategies to help your business gain a competitive advantage.
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