Marketing executives have a tough job in the manufacturing industry. Convincing the CEO and CFO that marketing is a revenue generator and not just another expense is difficult. There are a few reasons for this, the first of which is, well, that’s just “the way it has always been.” And the reason it has always been done this way is because buying from manufacturing companies involves a long, information gathering process that then leads to a long decision-making process.
As the CEO or CFO, you should know that marketers understand that larger purchases require a longer buying cycle, and we know how to help buyers through that process to get them to the decision faster and more efficiently. It’s hard to convince you and the rest of the executives of this when you think we’re just prepping trade show booths and printing brochures all day.
So, how can you adopt a marketing mindset? Let’s start with the way buyers have changed in the past twenty years.
The Need for Inbound Marketing
As manufacturing industry executives, you’ll need to realize that marketing is more than brochures and catalogs. Smart marketers are working to educate potential buyers by answering common questions, providing solutions to common problems, introducing new ways to get the job done, and sharing success stories—all before someone actually asks for that information.
How can marketers anticipate the questions potential buyers will have? By analyzing buyer behaviors and anticipating their needs. With competent content marketing, you can provide the information your target audience is looking for at any time of the year and not just at the next trade show.
When the content already exists on your company’s digital assets, such as your website and social media platforms, anyone searching for the services your company provides can find it. Maybe they won’t be ready to make a purchase right away, but the marketing department can start them on the buyer’s journey by educating and convincing them so that your sales department will have nice warm leads when the time is right.
Proving Your Expertise
By answering your potential buyers’ questions before they even ask, executives can do so much more than provide marketing material. You also have a big chance to prove your expertise in your field.
To make sure you’re answering the right questions, ask the marketing department to seek out your current loyal buyers. What challenges are they facing? What questions have they asked in the past? What was the catalyst that led to a purchase? Then, create content that answers these questions.
When sharing content, consider the life span of the questions you’re answering. If the question is one you receive often, create a blog where the answer can live forever on your website. If the answer is more timely in nature—perhaps focused on current events or short-term problems—create a video or social media post where you can take advantage of the viral nature of Instagram reels and TikTok videos to reach the widest possible audience in a short amount of time. Webinars and podcasts are also solid content pieces that give you a chance to really shine with your industry knowledge.
Earning Your Buyers’ Trust
By becoming a thought leader in your space, you begin to earn your buyers’ trust. Your company will become a resource for industry knowledge, which can drive them back to your website and other digital assets to get the answers they need at any time.
While your potential buyers may not be ready to make a purchase every time they seek your company out for answers, you can be sure they will keep your company top of mind at all times. This means that, when they do need to buy, your brand is the first one they will run to.
Even better, your prospects will likely recommend you to others who are seeking answers, which can grow your audience exponentially. And later, when they need to make another purchase, your company is the one they will seek.
This is because establishing yourself as an expert leads to earning your buyers’ trust, which then leads to unshakeable customer loyalty.
Creating Demand Among Your Audience
We’ve talked a lot about how to remain top of mind so that buyers will come to your company when they have a demand. Now, how can you create demand so that you can speed up the purchase process?
Creating demand among your audience requires a little bit of psychology, something marketing leaders are really good at. There are a few different tactics you can use, all tried and tested. The first is providing social proof. Did you know that you only need 25% of your audience on board to change the minds of the remaining audience members? By sharing the thoughts and testimonials of those buyers who have been satisfied with your company, you can begin to nudge the reluctant prospects toward a purchase.
The Noble Edge effect has been used by many companies with great success. A company that develops a reputation for supporting social causes that are important to their target audience can enjoy both higher profits and higher satisfaction ratings. Take Patagonia or TOMS Shoes as examples, and you’ll understand the phenomenon. To adopt the Noble Edge effect, simply consider the causes that would appeal to your buyers and attach an action in favor of that cause to a purchase.
Finally, you can create demand by introducing a sense of urgency. You’ve likely seen this on informercials and on ecommerce websites. While you may not benefit from language such as “Only five left!” or “In two days, this style will be out of stock forever!” the psychology behind the phenomenon remains the same. Offer a limited-time discount. Call attention to limited times for production and how quickly those windows are closing. Anything that introduces a sense of urgency will spur those prospects that are still sitting on the fence to hop down to take action.
Provide Opportunities for the Sales Team
One major point that you’ll need to understand is that marketing and sales are not the same. By expecting either to do the other’s job, the company is set up for failure. Instead, marketing can help support the sales team by providing quality leads—prospects that have been well educated on the company and how you can solve their pain points—so that sales can easily close the deal.
Instead of thinking of the buyer’s journey as a straight line, with marketing at the beginning and sales at the end, instead consider the journey as a loop. Once the prospects gain awareness of your brand, marketing must then use educational content and that demand psychology to convince and convert. Sales can then take over and turn those warm, convinced leads into customers. But you don’t want the path to end there, do you? You want that buyer to come back again and again, and that’s where marketing steps back in to continue nurturing and educating so that your company remains top of mind.
Your marketing team should work with the sales team to learn the sales targets so your marketing team can develop strategies to help them meet those goals. Identify areas that are primed for growth so your marketing department can develop new content to support that growth. Who in the sales pipeline needs a stronger nudge? Develop smart content that targets those buyers and the friction that’s slowing their process.
When you see how crucial marketing is to the success of the sales team, you’ll begin to see marketing more as a revenue generator than a cost center.
Measure Your Results for Refinement
Perhaps the biggest challenge the marketing leaders face as they work to transform your marketing mindset is a lack of patience. After all, building a marketing funnel with quality content that reaches buyers where they are in their journey takes time. That time is then multiplied by the size of the purchase the customer is planning to make.
When the marketing department is presenting results, look for the exciting metrics that have nothing to do with revenue—at least at first. For instance, if brand awareness has skyrocketed, realize what potential that has for a wider audience. If positive reviews and feedback have increased, learn from the feedback to continue improving your services. As the sales numbers begin to catch up with the awareness numbers, you’ll have the proof you need to understand that marketing might take time, but it definitely works.
A strong marketing leader is crucial to success, and they need to be in the room with you and the rest of the executives when decisions are being made. If you’re missing that key piece of leadership, consider seeking out a fractional CMO to get you on the right track while you identify potential candidates to keep the ball rolling on a permanent basis.
I’m here to help, and I bring with me years of manufacturing marketing experience for companies of all sizes. If you’re ready to get your manufacturing marketing on the right track, reach out right away.
