Marketing doesn’t always come naturally for manufacturing companies that are small but growing. As such it’s important to think about how you can revamp your existing promotional strategies, or pursue entirely new ones to get better results and boost sales and brand recognition.
Without further ado, here are some marketing for manufacturers ideas that small businesses can implement to catalyze their own efforts.
Fund your marketing by reducing costs elsewhere, e.g. for machinery | Marketing for manufacturers
One thing that holds businesses in this industry back is the expense associated with marketing. When your budget is being stretched elsewhere, it’s harder to justify dedicating whatever spare funds you have to promotional endeavors.
That’s why it’s wise to give yourself more flexibility by cutting costs in other areas, and machinery is a great place to start.
For example, if you need to procure a new piece of equipment, why not choose a used example instead? That way you can minimize the amount you’re spending on machinery, thus giving you more to plumb into marketing, without compromising elsewhere.
There are used machinery marketplaces that offer a large selection of press brakes, mills, lathes, grinders, and much more besides, all at low prices. So check out your options and make more of your budget.
Publish informative & entertaining content online | Marketing for manufacturers
Lots of businesses use content shared via the web to boost brand recognition and snare new customers. Manufacturers are in a better position than most to make the most of visual content marketing, because large audiences enjoy seeing how everyday items are made, and it’s a breeze to capture and share the workings of your production line via social media.
Even something as simple as having an Instagram or TikTok account to which you post short-form videos of machinery in action, turning raw materials into components or finished products, will give you traction with a wider audience. This is worth doing whether your business is B2C-focused or B2B-based.
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Embrace event sponsorship | Marketing for manufacturers
Offline marketing shouldn’t be neglected, even in an age when digital marketing is more talked about than ever.
A great example of a promotional tactic that works well for manufacturers is the sponsorship of an event, especially if it is tied to the industry you occupy.
You could of course get your brand out there by sponsoring a local event that’s not necessarily tied into what you do every day. However, if there’s a regional conference that’s all about manufacturing, then this will obviously get you the attention of the right people, rather than an audience that might not need your services.
Be liberal with freebies | Marketing for manufacturers
If your products are tangible and tactile, then giving clients the opportunity to try them before they buy them will work wonders for your reputation, as well as for your sales figures.
It may not always be practical, but trials or small-scale freebies which are representative of the full-blown experience of what you offer not only to help from a marketing perspective but also generate trust.
Think about your tone | Marketing for manufacturers
Finally, if your small manufacturing company is struggling to connect with clients in spite of implementing some of the other ideas mentioned above, then it may be that the way you are expressing yourself is the issue.
People are very sensitive to the tone that businesses take in their marketing messages, and if there’s inconsistency or a clash with expectations for the industry niche, it can be off-putting.
Realizing this is empowering, since it means you can make changes and see improvements in the future, even if it is demoralizing at first.
