Digital Marketing for Manufacturing Industry: Use Data to Inform Strategies

  • Content Marketing and Strategy

Illustration Of Marketers Using Data To Inform Digital Marketing Strategies

The manufacturing industry has traditionally relied on face-to-face interactions, trade shows, and cold calls to drive sales. However, in today’s digital age, manufacturing companies must adapt their strategies to engage potential customers online.

For manufacturers wanting to stay ahead of the curve, you may wonder where to start. The answer is looking at the data. By using data-driven digital marketing strategies, manufacturers can unlock new opportunities to elevate sales and marketing.

Let’s review the importance of digital marketing for manufacturing industry purposes, how to use data to shape strategies, and specific examples to optimize your efforts in the manufacturing sector.

Why Digital Marketing for Manufacturing Industry Sales Support

The reality is that today’s B2B buyers review information online before ever speaking with a sales representative. The latest data indicates that around 67% of B2B buyers begin the purchasing journey online.

This means your manufacturing company’s online presence is often the first touchpoint for potential customers. If it’s not optimized, you risk losing them to competitors. 

Digital marketing allows manufacturing companies to: 

  • Increase traffic to your website with strategies like SEO and content marketing. 
  • Educate potential customers through high-quality content about your unique products or services. 
  • Make your brand more visible via Google Search or social media marketing channels. 
  • Provide a seamless buyer’s journey that nurtures prospects and prepares them to speak with a sales rep.

Leveraging Data to Optimize Digital Marketing 

Using data makes it easier to use digital marketing to reach your target prospects. Sales and marketing data helps uncover patterns, identify marketing opportunities, and ensure campaigns are targeted toward the right audience.

Here’s how manufacturers can use data analytics to inform their marketing campaigns.

1. Identify the Right Customer Personas

B2B sales leaders in the manufacturing industry often deal with niche markets. Use industrial marketing data to define personas based on demographics, buying behavior, and specific pain points.

For instance, knowing that your target audience consists of procurement managers who value durability and cost-efficiency can help shape your messaging. 

2. Track and Analyze Website Performance

Your website is the digital backbone of your campaigns. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor visitor behavior:

  • What pages do prospects visit most?
  • How long do they stay?
  • Which blog posts drive the most conversions?

This data will help you create content that resonates with potential customers and guides them to take action. 

3. Measure the ROI of Marketing Channels

Does your sales team see more qualified leads from email marketing, Google Search, or social media? By analyzing ROI across channels, you can allocate budgets more effectively and refine your marketing campaigns. 

4. Monitor Keyword Performance 

Keyword metrics are an incredible tool to determine what types of search terms are bringing prospects to your website. For example, you can use the data to connect your content to relevant audience searches.

You will also want to regularly review the performance of these keywords in your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to maintain or improve rankings. 

Key Digital Marketing Strategies for Manufacturers 

Once you have the data, you will want to pursue digital marketing strategies to help your manufacturing business thrive in the digital landscape. 

1. Optimize Your Website

Your website is your 24/7 digital salesperson. Make sure it’s optimized for search engines and mobile users. A well-optimized site will appear higher in Google Search results, driving more traffic to your website. Don’t forget to include clear calls to action (CTAs) on every page to convert visitors into leads. 

2. Focus on High-Quality Content Marketing

Develop high-quality content that addresses your audience’s unique challenges. Consider writing blog posts with topics like how to select the best materials for manufacturing or case studies showcasing the benefits of your products or services. The key is to educate your audience while subtly promoting your expertise. 

3. Leverage Email Marketing

Email strategies are particularly effective in the B2B space. You will want to segment your email lists based on customer personas and deliver tailored campaigns promoting new offerings, special deals, or insightful blog content.

Emails that offer value will keep your audience engaged and your sales team busy with leads. Then, you can use data to measure the results of each campaign to continue refining future campaigns.

4. Use Social Media Marketing 

Social media isn’t just for consumer brands; it’s a great platform for manufacturers to showcase the technology, quality, and expertise behind their products and services. For example, LinkedIn is ideal for connecting with B2B professionals like procurement managers and engineers. 

Data Analytics in Action for the Manufacturing Industry

We’ve shared a few examples of using data in the manufacturing industry to support digital marketing strategies. How about we pull some real-world data from the industry?

At Marketing Refresh, we partnered with Databox to create a dedicated group for the industry. In our group, “Marketing Metrics for B2B Manufacturing Companies,” we track specific digital marketing data points. The data gives manufacturers a sense of where they stack up against peers.

Consider this example of website clicks. In the chart below, you’ll see the low-end, median, and high-end count of how many website clicks manufacturers in our group receive on a monthly basis. The data pulled from Google Analytics indicates the following:

  • Low-end: 519 website clicks
  • Median: 1,420 website clicks
  • High-end: 6,440 website clicks

Illustration Of Marketers Using Data To Inform Digital Marketing Strategies

Where does your company fall in the range? Having a benchmark to measure your current website performance against can help determine whether you need to invest marketing dollars into your website. For example, you could optimize the site for SEO, set up a content marketing strategy, or begin other marketing initiatives to bring more prospects to your site.

Working with a digital marketing agency can help you implement strategies, see improvements, and start generating more leads for your sales team.

Take the Next Step with a Digital Marketing Agency

Digital marketing agencies possess specialized expertise in SEO, analytics, and content marketing that manufacturers often do not have in-house. Working with an agency can help save time and effort with lead generation.

We believe the manufacturing industry is ripe for innovation, which is why we specialize in B2B digital marketing. By using data analytics, crafting high-quality content, and optimizing your online presence, we can help position your brand as an industry leader. 

Interested in learning more? Contact our team today to discuss the data in your industry. It’s time to invest in digital marketing for manufacturing industry purposes to support sales.

FAQs

  1. Why is digital marketing important for manufacturers?  

Digital marketing helps manufacturers reach a wider audience, engage with B2B buyers, and generate quality leads. It enhances brand visibility, drives website traffic, and positions your company as an industry leader in a competitive market.  

  1. What digital marketing strategies work best for manufacturers?  

Effective strategies include SEO optimization, high-quality content creation, email marketing, and social media marketing. Utilizing data analytics and improving your online presence also helps to better connect with potential clients.  

  1. How can a digital marketing agency help manufacturers?  

A digital marketing agency brings expertise in campaign design, execution, and analysis. They use tools to optimize campaigns, save time, and improve results for manufacturers.  

  1. How long does it take to see results from digital marketing?  

Results can vary based on the strategies employed and industry dynamics. Some campaigns, such as paid ads, may provide immediate results. Other campaigns, like SEO or content marketing, require at least six months to generate significant results.  

  1. What is the ROI of investing in digital marketing for manufacturers?  

The ROI depends on the scope and execution of the marketing plan. Well-implemented digital marketing strategies can offer measurable returns through increased sales, higher lead generation, and enhanced brand loyalty.

Blog Categories

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Related Blogs

Are you a leader at a sign company looking to boost sales and improve marketing efforts? Effective sign company marketing strategies can help you stand out from the competition, capture...

For B2B sales leaders, generating high-quality, fresh leads requires more than standalone efforts. Sales can’t operate on an island waiting for leads to appear. The key to driving results is...

The manufacturing industry is undergoing a transformation, especially in the realm of sales and marketing. With traditional tactics like trade shows and cold calls losing their effectiveness, manufacturing companies need...

Scroll to Top