The internet has the farthest reach of any advertising medium so if you want to get to the farthest corners of your market, generate good content about your products so those potential buyers can find you. We often hear that a manufacturers’ products are so niched that the best way to reach a target market is through networking and at tradeshows. Networking with current and prospective customers in-person will never be wrong, but remember that your prospects and customers ARE on the internet, searching for solutions to their daily manufacturing problems. Nearly 70% of engineers say they use supplier websites to research products and services (Trew Marketing & Global Spec 2022 Survey).

Just like you, they read emails and social posts from leaders in their industry to learn about the latest innovations and market trends. They are searching for ways to improve production, reduce costs and impress their boss with the newest industry information. In addition to your networking efforts, your website is a 24/7 research tool; that if set up well, with robust content, will provide answers that put you in the spotlight as the subject matter expert. However, if your site does not answer product questions, or worse, is not ranked for the key search words and phrases, then your competition could snag your leads.

In our 2021 survey of equipment manufacturers, content marketing ranked by far the digital marketing tactic that they were having the most success with.

Develop Content for Manufacturing Digital Marketing

The priority is to provide information that helps a potential client solve a problem and position your company as the subject matter expert. The reader may not be in your market, they may never buy from you, but establishing your expertise in a field is good for your brand and has strategic digital marketing value too. The most compelling reason for producing information-rich content such as educational articles posted to your blog, landing pages, and videos for your website is search engine optimization (SEO). When your company’s website contains words and phrases that your potential customers are typing in search engines, you are rewarded with a better ranking, and that means more people see your pages.

How Do Blog Posts and Videos Increase Website Traffic?

When a prospect enters a search term, search engines scan the internet for matching phrases so if your website is rich with meaningful content containing the search words then the best page(s) will show on the search engine results pages (SERP). Every time someone reads your content, it signals the search engines with a “vote” for its authority. That means it is more reputable and likely to rank higher (closer to the #1 spot) in future searches than other similar content. 

However, search engines are smarter than ever and know the difference between fluff content and that with actual benefit to readers so be genuine in the content you create. Think about the problems your clients have and the phrases they’ll input to search for answers - then write meaningful content around those words and phrases.

Choose Website Content Marketing Topics for SEO

In a recent WebStrategies webinar, Howard Deskin and Chris Leone shared some tips for creating content. The best content comes from the questions you answer repeatedly. For example, think about what you are most frequently asked:

• At tradeshows
• On customer visits
• Through online web forms
• When a prospect or client calls

It’s very important to think of how your prospects and clients phrase these questions because that is most likely the phrasing they’ll use when typing it into a search bar. Then generate a list of the keywords you want to be found for, do some research on how often those terms are searched and form a content plan that answers those questions and incorporates the keywords. 

According to the Content Marketing Institute 2021 Manufacturing Research Report, 51% of manufacturers surveyed said one of their top content marketing challenges is creating valuable content instead of sales-oriented content. We understand; it is easy to slide into selling mode. Keep in mind that people coming to your site from an organic search are looking to have their questions answered. According to Marcus Sheridan, a leader in inbound content marketing, the best content for driving sales is to answer questions about your products on your website and there is never a shortage of questions you can address. 

Can Social Media Posts Drive ROI on Manufacturing Digital Marketing?

While your brand is shaped by many things including your company culture, fun social posts are not drivers of ROI on your content marketing budget. It is worthwhile to post fun events and company updates to social media and stay in front of your followers but it is the posts that have a link back to a page on your website containing top search phrases that have more impact on your content strategy.

Now is the Time to Start your Content Marketing Strategy

It is a common scenario in the 2022 manufacturing industry: the supply chain is so tight that manufacturers aren’t able to fill the current orders so many think there’s no need to advertise for products they cannot deliver. But that is actually what makes now the perfect time to take action. This pipeline shortage won’t last forever so be proactive now to get ahead of competitors when the supply chain opens up.

Content marketing is an effective SEO strategy but it is not a ship that turns quickly. It takes several months of dedicated work to get website pages ranked for targeted keywords and phrases. According to Liberty Street Economics, the U.S. supply chain pressures are decreasing (although still high). Today is the perfect time to get ahead of your competitors. Initiate your content marketing plan now and build momentum on SEO ranking so that when the supply chain pressures normalize, your company is far ahead of the curve. 

Looking for a Manufacturing Marketing Agency to Help with Your Content Marketing?

WebStrategies Inc. is a digital marketing agency specializing in manufacturing marketing. We have content writers who are engineers and write effective content about the intricacies of your manufacturing process and products while maximizing SEO. Contact us today so we can help you to leverage this opportune time to get your website in top shape to attract your leads.