5 Big Reasons Why Your Manufacturing Business Needs a Social Media Strategy

Social media marketing for manufacturers isn’t new.

In fact, more and more manufacturers are using social media to share content and engage with buyers.

 

 

In a recent Content Marketing Institute survey, 82% say they use social media analytics to monitor the success of their efforts. But sadly, performance stats aren’t always what they hoped for.

 

The importance of strategising

 

The problem is that some manufacturers hear ‘social media’ and dive straight in, without really giving much thought to their approach.

This can result in wasted efforts that don’t generate the kind of impact that was hoped for.

For example, between 2018 and 2019, it’s believed that social media efforts drove just 2% of total traffic to manufacturing websites (Gartner survey).

Everything from investing time in the wrong platform, to sharing the wrong kind of content, can impact the performance of a social campaign.

The solution is to develop a social media strategy; a plan of action that keeps you on the right track and ensures all your efforts are contributing towards a common, achievable goal.

 

And while there are numerous benefits to developing a social media strategy, there are 5 big reasons for doing so that you can’t ignore:

 

1. Innovation

 

Growing your business and staying ahead of the competition means having the right people on board to help you do that.

By utilising professional social media networks such as LinkedIn, manufacturers can connect with industry forward-thinkers to boost workplace innovation.

 

2. Alignment

 

When you use social media in the right way, there’s an almost unlimited amount of data available to you.

Whether you’re engaging with customers or keeping track of your competitors, the information and insight you gain from social interactions can help ensure your efforts remain aligned with buyer needs.

 

3. Reach

 

Social media is perhaps one of the easiest ways to expand your reach.

It can help you engage with new audience pools that you may have found challenging to connect with in the past.

Influencers who share your content with their own ready-made pool of followers can extend your message beyond your own contact list.

 

4. Awareness

 

Manufacturers are always looking to boost awareness of their products and brand.

And achieving this means being present where their buyers are.

So just where are buyers? Research shows that decision-makers spend longer on social media than average web users, so these channels are hugely valuable.

 

5. Loyalty

 

It’s said that buyers don’t want to be sold to. And there’s truth to that. Forrester states that “today’s B2B buyers don’t want to be treated as targets but instead, as equal partners”.

Traditional marketing can’t help you here; buyers can’t interact with a catalogue.

Social media is the "two-way street" buyers need.

By building a strategy rooted in the unique needs and goals of your manufacturing business, you can generate a wealth of new opportunities for future growth and development.

You can improve awareness of what you do and who you are, of course.

But it can also help you to ensure you have the team you need to take you to the next level.

Social media, used effectively, is key to helping companies edge closer to their goals.

 

Infographic - 5 Big Reasons Why Your Manufacturing Business Needs a Social Media Strategy

 

 

Social media needs a strategy.

 

Efforts need to be driven by an in-depth understanding of customer preference.

That understanding needs to encompass everything from channel selection to content type.

This will ensure your hard work isn’t going to waste; that it’s attracting and engaging with the right people, at the right time.

 

Unsure where to get started with developing your own social media strategy?

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