by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 27, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing, Uncategorized
Do you know that the average office worker checks their email 30 times an hour? Can you imagine what the stats are for contractors out in the field?
The point is that emails are very acceptable ways of communicating with each other. The key is to have relevant and timely info for your prospect.
Heidi Cohen gives us several reasons why email trumps social media:
- Email provides directly measurable ROI – You know immediately how many opened and read your message.
- Email is content format agnostic – It’s user-friendly and you can use text, images, videos, audio, PDFs.
- Email can deliver both long and short content – Content can vary from a link to several pages in length.
- Emails you can control delivery – Whether it’s now or delayed.
- Emails can be read on anything – Smart phones, tablets, laptops, no apps required.
- Emails build customer relationships – Once someone allows you to communicate with them, it represents a certain level of trust.
So since you have such a powerful tool, we need to make sure we’re using it correctly to get the best bang for the buck. eMarketer, in a recent article, stated that we all should get ready for more personalized emails and companies plan on spending more money to accomplish this.
These triggered and transactional emails can be part of a nurturing campaign. The key is getting the right message in the hands of the right people at the right time. You need to ask the right questions to see where they are in the sales funnel so you can address that immediate need.
If we use and target emails correctly, whether you’re going after a contractor or a plant manager, the result improves with the more segmenting you can do. So do your homework and take advantage of a great marketing tool.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 21, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Marketing Trends, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Everyone today is so focused on Content Marketing that they may overlook an old standby, PR, that could help in getting that all-important content out there. Content marketing drives long-term thought leadership goals. PR can help you short-term to meeting these objectives. After all, both disciplines are working toward the same goals.
Here are a few reasons to use PR in conjunction with your content marketing program:
- PR builds corporate credibility – Foster good relationships with key editors in your field and let them tell your story.
- PR increases brand awareness – Use your new content to attract focused audiences and new leads.
- PR makes your content team focus on your public – Instead of selling features and benefits, use fresh insights and angles on how others have solved similar problems. Be relevant and timely on issues.
If you like this post you might like:
8 Tips for Media Interviews
The Scary Side of PR
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 20, 2015 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
We are a visual society and it’s a fact that videos are a unique way of delivering your message to a targeted audience. B-to-B companies using this media sometimes are too set in the old ways (or another way of saying it, they want to present the facts and their videos are boring). No wonder their videos aren’t being watched, they’re putting folks to sleep!
Videos can be a powerful tool for any manufacturer but they need to be done right. You need to have a video strategy before doing your first one. Don’t do them because your competitor is. Do them because what you have to say is relevant, timely and well done. Yes, people would like to be entertained a bit, but what they’re really looking for in our space is a solution to a problem.
I recently read a post by Jess Osteoff, managing editor of Convince & Convert, that talks about the 8 New BtoB Video Content Marketing Trends.
Here are some highlights:
- It’s all about the experience – We need to capture the attention of the viewer.
- People love to laugh – Think about the videos you’ve seen. I’ll bet most had some sense of humor included.
- Problem solving – We must not get away from the real reason why they are watching.
- Emotion trumps logic – Emotion captures their attention.
The key to a successful video program is first, have a strategy of what you’re going to say and how you are going to say it, and second, put yourself in the viewer’s shoes. Lighten up and make them memorable. Yes, it’s ok to have a sense of humor.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 14, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
I have found that there’s no better way to position yourself as a credible source than by having a third party sing your praises. Most companies, if pleased with what you did or supplied, would be happy to not only give you a recommendation, but in some cases, a testimonial.
Here are some things to consider:
- Keep the requests to unique applications or markets. This helps you focus on something that sets you apart.
- Ask when the project is complete – when everything is fresh in every bodies mind.
- Get proper clearances upfront – when dealing with bigger companies or unique situations, it’s smart to get an approval upfront and let the customer know what you want to accomplish and assure them that they will have final approval before it’s used. If you have a PR department or agency, they are used to vetting out potential before you waste time and resources.
- It’s best you control the writing. Most customers are not writers, they’re contractors. Besides, they aren’t aware of the big picture of what you’re ultimately trying to accomplish. Write an outline of what you want to accomplish and then let someone interview the contractor and write the story.
- Utilize info in multiple places – try to get it featured in a leading trade magazine. Post it on your website. Have a sell sheet made up for your salesmen to use. If you’re on social media, post it there with links back to your web. Here’s a good example of Viega that uses case studies very effectively.
Don’t miss out on one of the best ways to have customers tell your story and build your credibility.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 13, 2015 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Hopefully, as part of your strategy to move prospects along the selling cycle, you are using landing pages in order to deliver on what you promised. It’s also a great way to track responses. It could also be a way of losing a potential customer.
Here are some tips that might help results:
- Keep it simple – Deliver on what you promised to get them there in the first place.
- It’s not about you – How can you help them with a problem that got them there in the first place.
- This is not an ad – They’re not looking for a sales pitch, but answers to specific questions.
- Powerful content – Keep it relevant. Don’t focus on key words. Instead, make what you say useful and valuable.
Copybloggers infographic gives you some great pointers.
![The ABCs of Landing Pages That Work [Infographic]](https://i0.wp.com/copyblogger.com/cdn-origin/images/650/copyblogger-infographic-abcs-of-landing-pages.png?w=650&ssl=1 "The ABCs of Landing Pages That Work [Infographic]")
Like this infographic? Get landing page advice that works from Copyblogger.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 8, 2015 | Uncategorized
Each month we be feature a blog post from our friends at MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network). MAGNET’s mission is to support, educate and champion manufacturing in Ohio with the goal of transforming the region’s economy into a powerful, global player. You can visit MAGNET online at manufacturingsuccess.org.
Attracting and Retaining Manufacturing Talent
By Judith Crocker, Director of Workforce & Talent Development, MAGNET
Recent surveys of manufacturers consistently identify one of their top three priorities as workforce issues. Companies— regardless of size— recognize that a highly skilled, qualified workforce is critical to their success. Whether manufacturers are seeking to develop new products, enter new markets, or improve overall productivity, their workforce will be key to their ability to remain competitive and achieve their goals.
Companies that are successful in attracting and retaining talented people realize they must be pro-active and become part of their workforce solution.
Fewer young people are choosing manufacturing careers. They don’t know the opportunities or the educational requirements. Coupling that fact with smaller numbers of students in high school means a smaller pool of qualified candidates for employment.
To overcome that obstacle, smart manufacturers are actively engaging with educational institutions in their communities, informing students, teachers, guidance counselors and parents about the many stable and well-paying jobs they have available.
Starting with middle school age students, these manufacturers are sending young scientists, engineers, technicians and machine operators to visit local classrooms and talk with students about their work.
Students, teachers and parents are also invited to open houses to see the inside of plants and facilities they likely drive by on a daily basis, but have no idea of what is actually taking place inside. They tour the facility, are introduced to the young professionals in the company and see for themselves what takes place at that facility.
Many manufacturers are also sponsoring teams for the FIRST Robotics or Robobot competitions giving students valuable hands-on experience and also the opportunity to work as team members with engineers, technicians, and scientists to solve technical challenges.
Promising high school students can be provided shadowing opportunities that could lead to summer work-based learning experiences and possibly part-time employment during the school year. The students learn the company culture, its products, processes and customers and can contribute to the overall company goals. Many students who start out as part-time workers in high school often progress to achieve consistently higher company positions, becoming supervisors, managers, and executives.
October will once again be celebrated as Manufacturing Month in Ohio. This would be an ideal time for you to start your proactive campaign to build your workforce of the future by sponsoring an event in your local community. If you start planning now, you should be able to hold a successful community event at your facilities this October.
Click here to read the original post.
