What is your Web site for, anyway?
You’re a manufacturer. Your Web site is supposed to tell customers and prospects what you do, why you’re different, and how you can make your customers rock stars. That’s its primary objective – give ’em good reasons why you deserve their attention.
The content of your site should speak to their needs, challenges and pain. To do that, you have to understand the mindset and trends of engineers, manufacturing executives and sourcing cats. If you listen to your prospects, they’ll tell you exactly what you should be saying to them.
Social Media are confusing and deceptive to manufacturers. I know it. Other communications and marketing cats know it. And in those quiet moments when you allow yourself the luxury, so do you. You’re no more good at keeping up with the evolving and emerging communications and Social Media channels today than I am at programming a Fanuc on a 5-axis Mori or setting up a tombstone.
But it’s OK. It doesn’t have to be hard. It ain’t easy, but with a little bit of that savvy you bring to the shopfloor you can capitalize and improve the likelihood that you’ll get more attention – and business – from manufacturers looking for the services your business can give ’em. You can – and should – do something.
As you begin your new marketing journey – and, like Lean, it is a long-term commitment – here are 9 rules to follow that will keep you focused, and save you some heartache once you’re on your way.
“We’re from the Googlement, and we’re here to help you.”
Surely, there are a lot of jokes you can make about this new partnership. But there’s nothing funny about it if you’re a small business trying to win business and differentiate yourself from your competitors on the Web. I talk to business owners everyday that struggle to make sense of how to get results from their Web sites. Mostly, they’re just flat-out confused.
Social Media for manufacturers can be tricky. Many are trying it out with the “Broccoli Mentality” – “I don’t really like it, but I’m eating it because I’ve heard it’s good for me.”
But Social Media – whether it’s Twitter, or LinkedIn, your own Web site/Blog, other Blogs, Forums – only work if you accept that you have to be social. Gone are the days of trumpeting a message to the masses and watching the lemmings come shuffling in the door. Conversations are important, and they lead to deeper exchanges. Just like relationships.
Ennect is a company that provides marketing tools and services for small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). The bloggist there is named Carol.
Carol has worked with manufacturing businesses for years. It’s obvious – at least to me – because you can’t fake her voice and experience.
Carol has posted a a great piece that is certainly direct, but reflects those experiences and gives SMMs a message they need to hear:
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