by tradesmeninsights | Jun 17, 2021 | Manufacturing, Marketing Tips, Public Relations, Tradesmen Insights
by Kylie Stanley, Public Relations Technician
In the manufacturing arena where competition is fierce, some companies have turned to blogs as a way to increase brand awareness, become a thought leader in their space, increase their web traffic and generate leads.
In a recent post from ThomasNet called, “13 Ways to Improve Your Manufacturing Blog,” it helps businesses to recognize ways to improve within blog platforms.
Here are the key highlights:
- Write With Your Buyer Personas In Mind – When creating blog content, remember who your audience is. By establishing your audience, you can make customized content towards them.
- Use Images & Visual Elements – Enhance your story by using pictures to help break up text and keep readers engaged. Images can play an important part in increasing the reading time on your blog.
- Link To External Sources, And Your Own Content! – Help your readers through the story by providing credibility. This helps with your brand’s trust and can drive readers to conversion pages, which can boost SEO.
- Establish A Frequency To Posting Your Blogs – Make sure you’re committing to the blog by frequently posting. One way to keep up with posting is to create a content calendar and lay out all the blogs you’re doing in a month.
- Ensure Your Blogs Have A Strong Word Count – Posts under 300 words are not recommended for SEO, and when your SEO isn’t strong, consumers can’t find you online. At the same time, don’t post a blog with 2,500 words of “awful” as people will not read it.
Blogs can help to achieve your business goals and build trust between you and the consumer. Follow the rules above and check out the rest in their article to learn how to improve your blog.
How will you improve your blog posts?
by tradesmeninsights | May 28, 2021 | Tradesmen Insights
by Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect
Fewer than one-quarter of consumers in the U.S. feel they are more in control of their data than they were a year ago
Today, trust can make or break a brand’s reputation. 74% of people drive their brand trust on “respects and protects customer’s data, privacy and security.” This is according to a recent survey from Morning Consult, which analyzed the important elements of brand trust.
The survey looked into 15,000 global consumers in 15 markets in March 2021 and shows us what drives trust among global consumers.
The main drivers of trust come from:
- Functional
- Experiential
- Social
- Emotional
Here are some key highlights from their survey:
Based on the survey, we can see that at the top we have emotional drivers like, “protects my personal data.” While on the other end, the other top drivers for brand trust are more product-related such as:
- Good value for the price
- High quality
- Products or services that work as advertised
It’s clear that experience and customer service contribute to one’s brand trust.
How does your brand/company perform against these Top 10 drivers?
by tradesmeninsights | May 21, 2021 | Marketing Tips, Public Relations, Public Relations, Tips, Tradesmen Insights
by Kylie Stanley, Public Relations Technician
Are you looking for new customers or want to increase business?
Well-developed public relations can be an effective tool to boost your business and help reach your desired audience. You will be able to establish an emotional connection to your audience through your brand’s marketing.
There are many ways that public relations can benefit you, but today we will be focusing on four methods. Michelle Garrett analyzed these four methods in a post she wrote for Thomas, “Why Public Relations Matters to Manufacturers.”
Educates – Public relations helps to teach your audience about who you are and why your company should matter to them. It also provides the information to your market about your products and services.
Image and Reputation – Public relations can aid in building trust and to establish your brand in the industry. By creating a strong reputation, it can lead to credibility and provide you with lifelong customers. If your customers know what your brand stands for, they will be more likely to engage with your business.
Awareness and Visibility – Potential customers will know that your brand exists, and campaigns can spread awareness of the work that your company is doing. With awareness efforts, you can change public opinions and promote your brand’s value.
Interest – From awareness we can create interest for your brand and products. Interest helps to pull customers in and make them want to learn more about your brand or be involved.
No matter how big or small a story is, it can help to elevate your brand and increase business. Let’s take some notes by looking at some examples of past public relations stories that have created visibility.
Associated General Contractors
Associated General Contractors of California partnered up with BuildOUT California, the world’s first industry association for sustainable growth of LGBTQ+ owned and certified business. This partnership is impactful for their audience and shows that the company cares about diversity and inclusion.
Partnerships can be rewarding and can help your business stand out against your competitors.
Mergers & Acquisitions
HEPACO is a leader in environmental and emergency response services that acquired Summit Field Services from Summit Environmental Services, LLC. This expansion helps to boost business development and to add value to your brand.
In the News
RMH Systems, a turn-key automation packaging and material handling integrator, announced Ryan Howard as their new president. With newsworthy information, your customers will want to hear about any changes happening within the company.
When using all these public relations efforts, we can create powerful results and assist in your brand’s marketing.
Need help with utilizing public relations? Contact us and check out our website for more tips.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 28, 2021 | Tradesmen Insights, Uncategorized
by Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect
1 in 3 U.S. Bridges Needs Repair or Replacement
This infographic from Statista shows the Top 7 U.S. states by the number of structurally deficient bridges in 2020.
Who knew Iowa had so many bridges? I always thought of rows and rows of corn fields for them. 🙂
The full 2021 Bridge Conditions Report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is alarming. Here are some key highlights and figures:
- 220,000 of U.S. bridges—36 percent—need repair work
- 79,500 of U. S. bridges need replacement
- At the current pace, it would take nearly 40 years to repair the current backlog of “structurally deficient” (SD) bridges
- Motorists drive across structurally deficient bridges 171.5 million times daily
- A structurally deficient bridge, on average, is nearly 68 years old, compared to 32 years for a bridge in good condition and 54 years for a bridge in fair condition.
Bridge inspections generally occur once every 24 months. Bridge ratings are updated as inspections are completed—each year some bridges are classified as poor or structurally deficient and others are removed from that category as they undergo repair, rehabilitation or replacement.
How are the bridges and infrastructure in your hometown?
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 21, 2021 | Tradesmen Insights, Uncategorized
Each month, Alan Sipe, a contributing editor for Professional Distributor magazine, writes a sales skill article targeted to the independent business people who own and operate the various branded tool trucks you see parked at automotive repair shops everywhere. Although this article is written for the automotive repair industry, the sales skills are applicable to everyone.
Is it an objection or a question?
Your response will make a world of difference to your wallet.
You’re right in the middle of a product presentation on a new Jenny electric 7.5hp stationary air compressor when the prospect interrupts and growls, “How much is this compressor?”
Is it a question? Is it an objection? Is the product too expensive? The prospect used a negative tone, so they must be unhappy with my presentation, right? I’m not done with the presentation and he’s getting antsy, so he’s trying to rush me, isn’t he?
First things first. Let’s understand what’s meant by the question, “How much is this compressor?”
If you think about it, the prospect probably had a compressor that was working just fine. Now the thing just died or is on its last legs and they must get a new one. The prospect isn’t happy with needing a new compressor, so they most likely won’t be thrilled with any price other than free.
In this case, even though the prospect interrupted you with a question, it’s simply that, a question. How you respond can move your potential customer in the direction of saying “yes” to the compressor purchase, or it can blow up in your face.
A simple, straightforward response is always the best. Try being relaxed, and say something like, “It will be between $X and $Y depending on which accessories you choose. Let’s take a look at the accessories and see what you decide.” (more…)
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 9, 2021 | Social Marketing, Tradesmen Insights
By Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect
Brand posts on Instagram had an average engagement rate in 2020 that was more than four times higher than on Facebook or Twitter. This is according to recent findings from Socialinsider, which also analyzed social media engagement benchmarks across 35 different industries.
The study looked into over 22 million posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and created a comparison between the social media performance of 2019 and 2020.
Here are the key stats for “industrial,” which is the most relevant industry for Sonnhalter’s B2T market. Brands within the Industrial category have high average engagement rates per post across the board. 
Average Engagement Rate Per Post
Instagram – 1.36%
Facebook – 0.52%
Twitter – 0.08%
This confirms what Sonnhalter has seen for our clients. Instagram is by far the best performing social media platform.
Are you seeing similar success and engagement with your Instagram channel?
The study also delved into understanding frequency of postings, and what mix of photos and videos were used across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Want to read the full study?
2021 Social Media Industry Benchmarks – Know Exactly Where You Stand in Your Market
