Originally Published in BIC Magazine, February 2019
BIC Magazine: Industrial Digital Marketing Strategies Really Work
Why B2B industrial companies need specialized digital marketing approaches that differ from consumer product strategies.
By Doug Mansfield | President, Mansfield Marketing
BIC Magazine Cover, February 2019
BIC Magazine Article, February 2019
Your Website is the Cornerstone of Industrial Marketing
What you sell is complicated. Your processes and solutions are highly technical. Sales cycles are long and initiated by engineers or field technicians. Conversations with advertising, marketing and salespeople start with, "You need to understand that what we do is different..." — and it is. The good news is you're probably not as special as you think in this regard. To those in the B2B/industrial digital marketing space, what you describe is not "special." It is standard operating procedure; it is assumed. The place to start driving sales opportunities, building brand value and awareness is your company's website.
Your domain and website are the cornerstones of your digital marketing strategy, sometimes even comprising your entire marketing strategy. It is the one thing in the digital space we can actually own, that others cannot alter without consent. At least, this is how it should be established, and exceptions should be corrected.
Lead with Benefits, Not Technical Details
Lead with the benefits your solution provides, not the technical details. Unclutter your website to make room for simple statements that speak to solutions. An over-designed website style creates clutter. Visitors want unrestricted access to your solutions in as few words as possible.
The purpose of the website is not to answer questions. We don't want prospects to reach their own conclusions. We want to intrigue and inspire a prospect to reach out to us, so that your sales representative can answer the questions.
Marketing as a Sales Challenge
A good website and digital marketing strategy is not solely a technical challenge; it is a sales and human behavior challenge. Inspiring potential clients and customers to take action is the hard part, as well as what separates you from the competition. If you've never worked in sales, then get help from someone who has.
Content is challenging but essential to your website and digital presence. If you don't have the resources or hours to create the content, that's normal. Get help, but get good content published.
Advertising and Phone Handling Strategy
Do not advertise until your website is as good as it can be. When you do advertise, don't lead with the most costly pay-per-click direct response ads with competition-based pricing. Look to brand value and awareness advertising first. This requires more complex setup and strategy but reaches more people for less cost.
As a prerequisite to any marketing, brush up your phone handling game. It's common that companies lose a significant portion of opportunities through standard phone handling practices. If voicemail is used at all, you're probably not ready to invest in marketing and advertising. This is affordable and simple to correct.
If you operate in the industrial space, you will need a different approach than those selling consumer products and services. Be careful which advice you take and whom you follow. Most of the "how to" marketing and advertising content online was not written for you.
This article was originally published in BIC Magazine, February 2019. Read more published works by Doug Mansfield.
