by tradesmeninsights | Sep 30, 2014 | Marketing Tips
My grandkids went back to school last month, and after having a very active summer, I asked them if they were looking forward to going back to school. They both agreed that they were, and when I asked why, some of the answers surprised me.
I expected to hear that they were looking forward to seeing old friends that they had not stayed in touch with over the summer. They were a bit apprehensive about meeting their new teachers and what the next grade had in store for them. But at the same time they were looking forward to learning something new.
I thought that their insights could be useful for all of us in business as teachable moments.
- Going back to see old friends – When was the last time you called up a long-standing customer you haven’t talked to for some time to see how they are doing and thank them for their business?
- Apprehension on meeting new people – What are your new challenges? Is it calling on some new key potentials or joining a professional group that would help improve your job skills?
- New challenges – What are your goals to learn something new? Get active in a LinkedIn group, take an online course or go to a seminar that will help you do your job better.
I guess the key, to me, is we should never stop learning.
I know with all the things in both our personal, as well as professional lives, it’s sometimes hard, but I think we need to step back occasionally and re-evaluate what we’re doing.
What are you doing to challenge yourself?
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 25, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Rachel Kerstetter, PR Engineer
Awhile back, we presented a webinar on social media for industrial manufacturers. Many in our clients’ industries wonder if social media is worth their time, and we typically say yes.
Social media is a broad and sometimes intimidating part of marketing. To simplify it just a little, we focus on the four areas where we see manufacturers receiving the greatest value:
- YouTube
- SlideShare
- LinkedIn
- Blogs
To get the scoop, you can watch the webcast on YouTube and follow along on the slides below.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 24, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
We all have a list of customers’ emails in some assemblage of order. What are you doing with them? Let’s not assume just because someone is currently buying from you that they will continue to do so. You need to continue to reinforce why they should do business with you and it doesn’t have to be a sell piece. Give them something of value that they can use in their business. A quick installation tip. A calculator link to help them figure out how much product they need.
Besides the emails you already have from current, past and future customers, what are you doing with all the leads you’re getting from digital sources?
Digital media is a great way to build on to your existing database list and start nurturing them along your selling cycle. By using an email marketing tool, you can build silos by market or by where they are in the buying cycle so you can tailor messaging to each.
Here are a few tips in developing your lists:
- Get their permission – send them an email that you’d like to keep them on a list to send out valuable info on a regular basis that would help them.
- Ask questions – when sending out the initial request, give them options of things that might interest them, i.e., markets, product or applications that they would find useful.
- Get them engaged – invite them to a webinar or send them a how-to video or an e-book if you have one.
- Stay on topic – focus on what you do. You’re trying to build brand awareness and credibility.
- Respect their time – experts say you shouldn’t send more than 2-3 emails a month. My recommendation is start with 1.
- Monitor who’s reading them – by using an email marketing tool, you can see who opened and read your message. If they’re regulars, you may want to pass them on to the sales force as a soft lead for them to reach out to.
By developing a list and starting communication with them, you’ll be able to see response rates increase and hopefully sales as well.
If you like this post, you may want to read:
Email Marketing: Is this the Best Way to Reach the Professional Tradesman?
Why Email Marketing is so Important in Nurturing the Professional Tradesman
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 23, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
With all the content marketing and social media options that are out there, where does a manufacturer start to ensure their brand gets noticed? What are you doing to build both your brand and your social media strategy?
I recently read a good article on Convince and Convert – 10 Company and Product Branding Tips from Microsoft that I found to be interesting, and most are applicable to the B-to-B space as well.
Here are some highlights:
- Focus on one brand – This is especially true for smaller manufacturers with limited resources. You can’t be promoting both the company and a branded product line. Go with promoting the company. Use the same logo and description in all media channels.
- Consistent messaging – Keep the message the same across all channels. Stick with the basics – who you are, what’s the product and why should I care?
- Not all brands are equal – Depending on who you are and the audience you’re trying to reach, you don’t have to cover all the social media options. Cover the ones where your customers frequent the most.
- Big picture – If you are in a bigger company with multiple people managing different silos, there needs to be someone overseeing the BIG picture.
- Bigger is not always better – Don’t worry about the number of followers; be more concerned that they are the right ones. If they are, they will share your content with their peers.
- Manage your content – Watch what engages your audience and give them more of the same.
These are just some of the things that will help you grow your brand.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 17, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
For those who follow me on a regular basis, you know I’m a big supporter of blogs. It seems that most companies now are at least considering doing a blog.
Here are a few good reasons you should consider a blog for your company:
- Websites are mostly static – Once a contractor has been to your website, why does he need to go back? He knows who you are and what you do. If you don’t get him to follow you on an RSS feed or fill out a form to be on a mailing list, you basically have lost most visitors.
- Thought leadership – One of the main objectives of a blog is to set you and your company apart. What better way to increase your brand awareness and generate new leads?
- Keep your customers/prospects coming back – When you publish new content on a regular basis, customers and prospects keep coming back. It also allows for interactions with both categories.
- Re-purpose content – You can take a current post and use it on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to gain additional exposure.
- Blogs can provide additional in-links – Once you establish yourself as a thought leader in a category, others will begin to link back to you and this will alert search engines that you must be saying something important.
Blogging is a collaborative process. You need and want to interact with your audience.
Here a few tips on writing a good post:
- You need a catchy title – Like anything else, if you can’t spark an interest, folks won’t click on to read your words of wisdom.
- Know your audience – Know what issues are affecting them on a regular basis.
- Have an opinion – People follow you because you give them a unique insight. Set yourself apart.
- Be yourself – Let your personality shine through. Write like you talk. Inject some humor when appropriate.
- Engage your readers – Ask for opinions, or if the subject matter is somewhat controversial, ask for a counter viewpoint.
Blogs are a lot of work, but if done properly, can set yourself apart in your market and ultimately get you new customers.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 16, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Let’s face it, we’re all in this for the same reason. To talk with people who share the same interest and could possibly be or refer us a new client.
So in order to get them to give up their email, we better come up with some interesting and helpful stuff that will make them want to be in our book for future gems. It’s not only what you have to say, but how you say it. Beyond being potential customers, these contacts can be your best friend by sharing it with their peer group.
I recently read a blog post by Ramsay Taplin in Copyblogger, 5 Subtle Writing Strategies That Drive Email Signups that I thought had value for the B-to-B community. While all may not be applicable to your world, he raises some good tips for us to consider:
- Use time-sensitive language – people are afraid to miss out on something. An example, for a webinar, space is limited, sign up now.
- Standing out from the crowd – tell unusual stories to get your point across. This is especially true when talking about more technical or drier topics. Add a personal touch or a little humor. Everyone loves a laugh.
- Include social proof – demonstrate that they won’t be the first. Put up comments from other subscribers as to what they are getting out of it.
- Develop and test different landing pages – Yes, you will ultimately end up with the names, but how you might ask for them will bring different results.
- Write for people and search engines – Yes, your message is ultimately for people, but search engines help spread the word to others looking for similar information.
Oh, by the way, if you want to get more gems from me, sign up here for my monthly newsletter.
