Whether you’re an influencer who lives for likes or a novice marketer who swears “tick, tock” is the sound a clock makes, you can launch a successful digital marketing presence. The biggest resource you’ll need to get started? Time. In a recent IMTS Job Shops Workshop podcast, manufacturing experts gathered to discuss the many opportunities that digital marketing presents – and how to unlock them for your shop. It all comes down to three key areas: content, conversations and connections. Focus on Content Content is king. We all know that. When you are aiming to launch – or improve – your company’s digital marketing presence, you have to start with quality content. Consumers don’t want to just hear about products and services. They want to know the people behind the machines. “The thing that really separates you from your competition is your people,” explained Robert Cortez, Founder of KYRO Creative. “The stories of the people in your shop can set your company apart and help you build emotional connections with customers.” Cortez noted that while there are always professionals available to help, you can also make simple videos using your phone that are perfect for applications like TikTok. Nancy O'Leary, the Vice President of Custom Direct, agrees. “Decisions are always made from an emotional standpoint. Building your brand isn’t about what you do; it is about your customer’s experience with you.” She recommends using a buyer persona exercise to learn more about the emotional connections your customers have with your company. While your sales team understands your customers' tangible wants and needs, the buyer persona methodology identifies what influences your target audience through a careful, intentional interviewing technique. These interviews are much more than "why do you do business with us," and instead helps you understand why your customers like you, why they stay with you, and what would cause them to leave. With a buyer persona in hand, you can develop a solid brand promise built around what you deliver for customers. Again, it is important to focus not just on products and services but also on why customers choose you and how your people set you apart. Engage in Conversations Improving your digital marketing efforts means enhancing both your website and your social media presence. When it comes to social media, it is important to be engaged – not just present. “The number one thing with social media is to USE the accounts. If you set them up and then don’t use them, that is worse than not having them at all,” explained Sue Nordman, President of Obsidian Manufacturing. To really benefit from social media, companies need to engage in social listening, she noted. This means you can’t just post and wait for the likes and comments to roll in. You have to be liking, comment, and engaging with other accounts. Social media is a two-way conversation. Make Connections Once you have quality content and you’re participating in the conversation, your next focus has to be on making connections – and conversions. This means looking more closely at the functionality of your digital presence to ensure it is designed to generate real-life connections. According to Ryan Sarti with Fusion OEM/RoboJob-USA, you have about 2-4 seconds for your website to load before visitors get impatient and move on. To maximize your limited time, make sure your phone number is prominently displayed and easy to find. Sarti suggests the upper right-hand corner of your home page, where the eye naturally lands first. Since a lot of business is still finalized by phone, you want to make it convenient to call. To further optimize your website, consider installing a chat bot to handle simple requests and using Google analytics to see how customers search your website. Finally – to complete the digital marketing circle – you want to make sure that you have quality content, so you can keep potential customers on your website for as long as possible. For more information about workforce development, job shops, and all things manufacturing, tune into IMTS+ for added content.
To unlock digital marketing opportunities, you need to focus on content, conversations and connections, according to industry experts during a recent Job Shops Workshop podcast.