4 MIN. READ
Modern content marketing is a radical departure from traditional 20th-century marketing methods. The old method was to blindly distribute information about your manufacturing capabilities or products, hoping the right people would find it.
With content marketing, that message is targeted to specific potential customers.
Content marketing can be so effective that interested individuals will actively seek out and engage with the content you produce.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing covers a wide range of media. The common bond is that the media is designed to trigger engagement between potential and current customers and the company producing it. Some of the most popular forms of content media are blogs, videos and email newsletters.
What makes this type of marketing so effective? It has to do with intention. Content marketing is intended to help someone who is looking for a specific solution. Traditional advertising, such as the television and radio commercials we all grew up with, are essentially a hope-for-the-best method. They reach a lot of people, but lead to relatively few conversions. Content marketing reaches fewer people overall, but is much more likely to result in not only a conversion, but brand loyalty and trust.
This ability to engage with customers provides an experience that goes beyond just selling. Rather than indiscriminate advertising that bombards uninterested individuals and wastes everybody's time, content marketing is laser targeted at those who want the information.
Best Practices
Content marketing is easy to do in theory, but takes discipline to maintain. These are some tips to keep in mind as you produce and distribute your content.
Target effectively. There are multiple methods of reaching your intended customers. Experts recommend selecting the methods your customers will embrace enthusiastically, not necessarily the newest interface or app. They include videos, blogs, email newsletters, podcasts and even hard-copy publications. In manufacturing, your audience will be knowledgable about the subject matter, so content can be geared toward experts rather than novices or the casual viewer.
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, has made content marketing delivery both easier and more complex. These programs make connecting with thousands of potential and existing customers a very personal and organic activity. It can be challenging to ensure that the message is consistent across platforms and stay up to date on specific optimization techniques.
Be realistic about how much time can be dedicated to these platforms. Manufacturing companies do not have the same type of staff as a marketing firm. This means existing employees may not be completely comfortable taking responsibility for the company's social media presence. Some companies have found that the best way to manage this is to hire experts in social media and content marketing.
Be consistent. You'll need to offer content consistently if you want to establish a true relationship with customers. Simply making a post every six months will not keep them engaged. In fact, many may forget you exist unless you are consistently posting content. Releasing a blog article once a week is better than posting five articles one week, skipping two weeks, posting two articles, then skipping another week. When people know the release schedule, they are more likely to anticipate the content and actively share it with colleagues and friends. In many cases, your ability to create content will dictate how frequently you post. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.
Be original. One of the biggest challenges in content marketing is cutting through the tremendous background noise of competing content. With so many resources available for people to choose from, there must be something distinctive that helps them find you and keep coming back. If your company has a unique manufacturing process, that can be an anchor point that provides a distinctive draw.
In the quest to produce frequent and interesting content, avoid taking shortcuts. Attempting to mimic other types of content may draw attention initially, but lack sustainability beyond a few posts. Find your voice in a blend of interesting and relevant content that is broad enough to attract attention, but specialized enough to showcase your expertise. Your own voice is also much easier to sustain over the long term as it is an extension of your company culture.
Play the long game. Just like major industrial purchases, a big part of the content process is patience. It may be several years before a reader converts to a customer. Remember that content marketing is a lot like building a long-term relationship. Trying to speed up conversions will usually have the opposite effect. People need time to get to know your company and recognize your industry expertise. Once they trust your capabilities, conversations begin much easier.
Find a Publishing Parter
There are also tremendous benefits to sharing content across platforms in order to reach more individuals who are interested in what you have to say. IndustryNet's publishing platform can put your content in front of a relevant audience of industrial buyers in your industry and share your news across its massive social media platform.
Publishing original content on IndustryNet can boost your visibility, credibility and engagement. Learn more about the publishing opportunities available on IndustryNet.
