Industrial Marketing Muse

Industrial Blogging: There's no Such Thing as Perfect

Written by Kerry O'Malley Sunday, 29 August 2010 21:50

man_at_computer Here's an important fact for industrial businesses to grasp: at last count (and this changes by the minute) there were 1.8 billion people ONLINE. That is the number of people who have Internet access. I would bet that a few (or more) of those 1.8 billion are your potential customers. There are over 75 billion searches done on the Internet every month, and again, that number increases daily.

The number one reason people are doing searches on the Internet is to obtain information. It may not always be "business" information, but nevertheless, this is the main reason people give for getting online. Much of the information people look for IS business related, like: new vendors to work with, emerging trends and technologies, products they need to purchase, ways to do their jobs better, solutions to problems.

Now think about this: some people have problems and yours may be one of the few companies that can provide them with a solution. Can they find you?

If I use my own client base as the gauge for how well industrial companies are doing at "getting found" on the Internet, I would have to say "not very well." The number one issue is that their websites simply aren't visible enough. Whether a business is industrial or not, if it doesn't come up on the first page of search results and win the "click," it's probably not getting found.

Of course there's "pay per click" advertising, but many people when surveyed say they don't even look at the sponsored ads when they search. I'm not saying "pay per click" is a waste of money; but if you want to get the most number of click throughs, you need to be listed on the first page of "natural" search results.

I realize that the successful online business model doesn't always translate well to industrial . . . but will it always be that way? I think every business that has obtained a strong online presence (and visibility) has mastered two strategies: blogging and social media. If you truly master these two tools, you'll increase your online visibility, improve your search engine rankings, and generate exponential traffic to your website, which, in the numbers game equates to more new business.

I write a lot about manufacturers and industrial companies using social media on my blog, but rarely have I written about blogging. I decided it was time to change that!

I am going to say this one more time (because I say it to my clients all the time): every company that has a website needs a blog. Here are some reasons industrial companies should be blogging:

A blog can become the central point for all of your other social media efforts. Blog posts can be broken up into many different short posts for Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. When people see your short posts and are interested, they can circle back to your blog or website and go deeper.
A well written blog that contains relevant content related to your company's expertise builds your company's credibility and reputation as a reliable authority.
Blogging is a way to brand your company that is less "in your face" than more traditional forms of marketing. You're actually educating your industry and providing value at the same time you're promoting your expertise.
Blogs allow you to push content throughout the Internet. It offers many more opportunities to amplify your message than you would have with a website alone.
Along with ongoing SEO work, nothing helps place you higher in natural search engine results than a blog with regularly updated content.
If you're submitting your blog posts to article websites and using them as teasers on social media sites, you'll increase the traffic to your website because more people will be linking back to it from your posts.

I have to end this by saying that I write this blog post after almost two weeks of not posting anything. As a small business owner, I can totally relate when you say, "but there are not enough hours in the day to take care of my own business, much less WRITE about it."

I also understand the overwhelming feeling you get when you think you have to write three, two, or even one blog post per week. I write this blog post after almost two weeks without writing because I accept that I cannot do it perfectly. My customers (and family) will always come first. To throw up my hands and say, "because I cannot do it perfectly, I will simply not do it at all" - is like saying "because I can't exercise every day, I won't exercise at all." We all know what THAT leads to . . . right? Out of shape body? Outdated website? There's always a choice.

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How to Win A New Customer for Less Than $3

Written by Kerry O'Malley Wednesday, 18 August 2010 16:16

woman.lightbulb Social media marketing, email marketing, print advertising, trade shows, promotional events . . . billions of dollars spent on marketing communications every year, and marketers forget that one of the most tried and true, powerful marketing tactics can be created without the assistance of an expensive agency and can be implemented for under $3.00 a prospect. That's right: $3.00. It may not be as cool or WOW inspiring as some of the more dramatic marketing tactics, but it has proven in studies over time to be one of the most effective. The most effective marketing campaign you can create is a series of letters.

I'm not talking about mass marketing letters. You know, the highly stylized ad that's about as personal as the automated government phone system? No, I'm talking about a strategic series of well crafted, personalized letters that may be going to hundreds, but appear to be sent directly to one individual.

Yes, we live in an age when most people communicate more through email than postal mail. However, there is still a slightly different perception regarding a personal letter and an email. Perhaps because emails are easier to send and more casual forms of communication, the mailed letter is perceived as a communication that was given more thought, that is more important and meaningful, and that took more effort. Think about the difference in receiving a birthday e-card or a Facebook birthday wish, versus a "real" card that was personally signed and sent through the mail. (I know I'm more impressed with the mailed card!)

This strategy works best when the prospect has already made contact with your company: they called for information; sent an email through your website; spoke to someone at a trade show; or were actually called on by someone from your sales team. These are all future customers in the making. They just need to be cultivated and developed. The best way to move someone from prospect to customer is by repeatedly putting your message in front of them. The best way to do that is an integrated strategy of communications. I'm only talking about one element of that strategy, but it's a powerful one. It just so happens that the simple, humble, letter remains the most effective direct marketing campaign in terms of ROI. If you don't believe me, ask any politician or fund raiser!

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Email Marketing Is Not Spam! (If It's Done Right) - Part I

Written by Kerry O'Malley Saturday, 07 August 2010 20:12

email_marketing_services_columbus_ohio As a marketing communications strategist, I am always challenging my industrial clients to experiment with less traditional forms of marketing. Although email marketing has become blasé in the world of B to C marketing, many of my industrial clients still resist its use. The most common objection I hear is, "I don't want to offend my customers by sending them spam all the time." Hold on there! Why do industrial marketers only see email marketing as an intrusion and something they should avoid? I guess it's because the majority of industrial companies who are using emails as a marketing tool are either working with the wrong agency or they themselves don't understand that email marketing is most successful as a tool for customer relationship management (CRM.)

Let me define email marketing and make the case for its strengths. It is basically a form of electronic direct marketing to a highly targeted audience. In the Internet world, it's one of the oldest but still one of the most effective eMarketing tactics. It's powerful because it is:

Cost Effective: because you have complete control over the email "list" used to generate your email campaign, each and every email you send out can be to a contact that is a potential customer. What other means of marketing gives you such a low cost per contact when delivering a message? Think about the shot gun approach of print advertising, and you'll get the picture.

Email marketing is powerful because it is:

Highly targeted: your email campaign can go to ten hot, "A" leads, or 100 warm "B" leads - but regardless, YOU control who receives your email. Many industrial companies simply use lists they obtain from trade shows or trade publications. While this is certainly one way of conducting an email campaign, it's not the most cost effective or targeted. The greatest ROI comes from your own qualified lead database.

Completely customizable: because you control the email list and know the audience your email is going to, you can customize each email to perfectly suit the needs or concerns of that specific group. Create an email for current customers; create another for prospects interested in one particular product or service; another for additional product lines. The possibilities are endless. Consider that the cost to create an email blast by a professional agency is at least half of what it costs to have a print ad designed, along with the fact that you're not paying for magazine "space" to deliver your message. For the cost of placing one full page ad in a widely circulated trade publication, you can send out 7 or 8 email blasts!

Measurable: if there's one complaint I hear more than any other about marketing spend, it's that there's no real way to track ROI. I had the same complaint when I worked with agencies on the other side of the desk before starting my own marketing business. With today's sophisticated web analytics widely available to all, tracking the results of an eMarketing campaign is a snap. Analytics can be as simple as who opened the email or can provide a wide range of more specific data. Determine what constitutes success in YOUR mind and find the right analytics tool to provide you with the results you need.

Perhaps email marketing's greatest strength is that it capitalizes on your customers' and prospects' most prolific gateway to THEIR customers, prospects, and the Internet - their email Inbox. Most business people spend more time today reading and responding to emails than they do talking on the phone. In fact, in many cases, your customers spend as much time in front of their computers as they do on the shop floor or out in the field. THAT is a captive audience waiting to receive your message!

The greatest success comes from creating a strategic plan around the goals you hope to achieve with your campaign. There are really only two types of marketing emails:

Promotional: these are obviously advertising a product, service, or event and the objective is to move the reader to take a specific action such as clicking through to the company's website or a customized landing page; signing up or registering for something; filling out a form in order to obtain something (for instance a white paper); or possibly picking up the phone and calling.

Retention based: the most common form of retention based email in industry is the e-newsletter, but they can be much briefer than a typical newsletter. Many popular bloggers deliver emails on a daily or weekly basis to their readers with short, quick reads that focus on their area of expertise. The objective is to deliver something of value to the reader in order to foster or continue to develop a relationship. This is the type of campaign that is the most likely to achieve long-term results. However, as with all relationships, it has to be nurtured and consistently delivered. A hit or miss approach does not a relationship build.

So, why do so many of my industrial clients have such a negative view of email marketing? I think it's because most of the email marketing done in industrial circles is promotional and never really hits the mark on providing value or nurturing relationships. I guess if that's the only type of email marketing you've ever seen, you would consider it spam.

That's my case for the power of email marketing. Next post: how to execute a successful campaign.

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Increase Trade Show ROI by Enlisting the Trade Media

Written by Kerry O'Malley Monday, 02 August 2010 13:40

trade_show With the official opening of the Fall trade show season approaching, it's wise to start thinking NOW about ways to boost your next show's ROI.

One way you can increase your trade show ROI is by executing a trade media P/R strategy. Have you ever noticed at trade shows, there are always several (sometimes numerous depending on the industry) trade publications that have displays at the show? They're there for two reasons: 1, to cover news in the industry their publication services (new products, technology, process improvements, mergers, alliances, acquisitions, etc.) and 2, to gain new advertising business, since many of the companies exhibiting at the show are potential advertisers.

Savvy marketers, aware of the trade media's need to cover "the news" at trade shows, work it to their advantage. You might have to get creative in thinking about what you can "pitch" to an editor at a trade publication, but if your company has anything at all that is even a slight improvement over current processes or techniques, traditional products, or standard technology - you've got a hook. Other news items an editor would be interested in would be mergers, acquisitions, alliances, new corporate leadership and direction and new facilities and capabilities.

Like most marketing initiatives, this strategy works best with intelligent planning, coordination, and follow-up. Invest the extra effort and you'll be rewarded by maximizing your next show's ROI. Here's a ten point strategy for P/R success at your next trade show.

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The New Marketing Communications Rules

Written by Kerry O'Malley Saturday, 24 July 2010 19:06

computer_man The Internet has and continues to affect just about every facet of business communications. Although the industrial sector is behind in terms of embracing all the Internet has to offer, especially in the area of social media, they are beginning to take notice. Websites for industrial companies are being redesigned with more strategic content that is search engine optimized. Manufacturers who scoffed at all the fuss about Twitter a year ago are suddenly appearing in the Twitterverse and taking their first tentative steps at social media marketing. Engineers at industrial firms are joining groups on LinkedIn for industrial marketers where discussions take place about how best to harness the potential of social media networking.

Industrial marketing and sales paradigms are beginning to shift. The days of "the hard sell" and "marketing in your face" are over. Customers and clients are looking for relationships with vendors - not just their products and services. In the service industries, the benefit of someone's expertise is often expected for free before it is paid for. The world is getting smaller and competition is getting stiffer. Customers expect vendors to be available in "Internet time" (24/7) rather than the traditional 8 to 5 business day timeframe. Social media has created an environment in which the companies who get noticed are the companies who are more . . . well, social.

As all of these changes and new ways of communicating are evolving, it's good to understand the new rules of engagement for networking. I read a blog post by Brad Shorr of Straight North, a web content development company, with a short but appropriate list of best practices for communication on the social web. I couldn't say it better myself, so following is Brad's list straight from his post.

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