Due to COVID-19, people have lived in a socially distanced world for more than a year now. Mass gatherings are restricted to keep everyone safe and help prevent the spread of the virus. In the new normal, the majority of the population is staying at home. Meanwhile, business owners are forced to shut down their offices for an indefinite period because of lockdowns.
The coronavirus outbreak has changed the way people live and the way businesses operate. While global health organizations, government institutions, and healthcare workers work non-stop to win the fight against COVID-19, the rest of us have to do our part and adjust to the new normal to keep moving forward.
Thankfully, with the release of FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines, many individuals are becoming more hopeful. Still, it’s no secret that there are more challenges to address now and in the future.
One of those challenges is to overcome the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Businesses across different industries have suffered major losses because of the disruptions in their day-to-day operations. In fact, big companies in the US have filed for bankruptcy since the pandemic hit.
The manufacturing sector, in particular, is one of the industries that took a big hit by the downturn, according to a report from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. With this, it’s now more important than ever for manufacturers to come up with strategies to bounce back and thrive in these difficult times.
Why Manufacturing Companies Should Use Digital Marketing
For manufacturing companies to recover from the financial losses, they have to move their businesses online and connect with customers to generate sales. One effective way to do that is through digital marketing.
Fortunately, with the advancement in technology, it’s much easier to promote your business online. You only need internet access to start digital marketing activities. This marketing strategy is effective for all types of businesses, so using it will be beneficial for you even if you’re a manufacturer of 3D printers whose equipment and products are used in various industries.
Some of the benefits you can gain include brand awareness, higher customer engagement, and cost savings. In a highly competitive market, it’s crucial to stay on top of your competitors, so make sure that you’re taking advantage of the digital marketing platforms available to you.
Effective Digital Marketing Channels for Manufacturers
There are many digital marketing channels that you can use to reach out to your target market online. However, if you don’t have enough time and manpower to manage all the channels, you should choose specific platforms and focus on optimizing them. To help you out, here are three channels that you can consider:
1. Social media marketing
Internet users are active on various social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. By making social media accounts for your business, you can reach not only a local audience but also a global one. You can increase brand awareness by uploading photos, videos, and infographics about your products and services.
2. Content marketing
The best online platform for content curation is your company website. Make sure that it has a blog section. You should publish informative articles so that people who visit your website can learn more information about what you offer and how much value you can provide to them.
You can also use gated content like e-books, case studies, and buyer guides that your customers and potential clients can get for free after filling out a form and providing necessary information such as their name and email address.
3. E-commerce marketing
E-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay allow you to set up digital stores. This way, people interested in what your business offers can browse and select from the list of products available.
The buying process is also easy and convenient because they can pay online using their credit cards and have the purchased goods delivered right to their doorstep.
How to make your digital marketing strategy successful
Every channel is useful, but if you want to make the most out of your chosen digital platforms, you have to implement effective strategies. Here are some ways that you can do to ensure that your digital marketing efforts will be a success:
- Identify buyer persona for each digital channel — If you’re using social media, you should develop a more suitable strategy for millennial buyers. You should always consider buyer demographics so that your marketing material will encourage them to make a purchase.
- Hire experts — Your digital marketing team should be composed of highly skilled individuals who know how to optimize a specific platform. This means that you should have a social media manager, a team of writers, an e-commerce specialist, or any other expert, depending on the platform that you’ll be using.
- Keep your digital platforms updated — Consumers are always looking for new information before deciding whether they’ll buy your product or move to your competitor. Create a content calendar to have a clear schedule on when you’ll post updates. This way, you’ll keep the interest of your customers and potential clients.
In the post-pandemic market, the new normal involves running businesses online. For business continuity, always remember that you have to adopt new strategies to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the manufacturing industry.
