by tradesmeninsights | Jul 29, 2009 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
I’ve used Global Spec online marketing for several of our clients who target engineering, technical manufacturing and industrial professionals. They are well respected and a great source for qualified leads. During the 1st quarter of ’09, they surveyed marketing executives on trends and challenges facing them for the balance of year. 555 surveys were completed. There are really no big surprises here–marketers are going to have to do more with less and online is going to be used because of accountability. Here are some of the highlights:
- 73% stated that customer acquisition and lead generation is their primary goal.
- Top 3 challenges: 1-too few resources. 2-not enough qualified leads. 3-improve ROI
- Top 3 marketing channels: 1-online directories/websites. 2-e-mail marketing to house lists. 3-SEO
- 29% spend more than 50% of their budget online
- 48% will spend more of their budget online
You can read the entire white paper here.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 6, 2009 | Marketing Trends
Industrial markets focusing on design/engineering and technical jobs are spending more time online according to a recent survey released by GlobalSpec.
Here are some of the survey’s highlights:
- 83% found suppliers online
- 81% get their product specs online
- 79% use the Internet for research
- 67% request quote
- 66% compare products across suppliers
- 74% of engineers visited 6 or more related sites weekly
- 56% spend 6 hours a week on the internet
- 21% spend 12 hours or more on the internet
Seeing an online advertisement motivates the engineering, technical and industrial audience to take action. According to 2008 GlobalSpec Engineering Trends Survey, upon seeing an advertisement online, 87% of respondents visited the advertiser’s Web site and 56% e-mailed the advertiser.
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by tradesmeninsights | Mar 31, 2009 | Marketing Tips
In their marketing to tradesmen, manufacturers are always looking for cost-effective ways to reach out to both existing and potential new customers. E-mail marketing is one tool that can do both.
Manufacturers who sell through a distribution channel have the most difficult challenge in that they sell their product to a middle man, who in turns sells it to the ultimate end user. Distributors for the most part are very protective of their customer list, so the challenge for the manufacturers is to get their names.
One way is to use product warranty or registration forms to develop a database. This also helps you segment your list for addressing specific issues, either on the product or industry application.
Other ways of generating e-mail addresses is to sponsor e-newsletters from trade publications, inquiries from your web site and trade advertising, as well as trade show and distributor open houses and counter day promotions. A note: when having someone fill out a form, make sure somewhere on it you have them OK (opt-in) so you can send them stuff via e-mail.
Research from Datran Media shows e-mail is still important:
- Driving incremental sales
- Reinforcing a company’s brand position
- Improving customer relations
I read an article from GlobalSpec that outlines ways you can improve your e-mail marketing. Here are some highlights from the article:
- Manage your list. You need to segment and grow your opt-in list. We talked a little about ways above on how you can do both. The key here is to make sure we have permission to e-mail to them. The last thing you want is to be black-listed because of spam.
- Be relevant. Don’t say something for the sake of saying it. We talked above about segmenting your list. One of the reasons is so you can talk specifics about a product or process that is relevant to the reader.
- Deliver on your promises. If you say you’re going to put out a monthly newsletter, you’d better deliver. There are no right or wrong answers on frequency other than being consistent. Unless your products or services change often, I’d suggest starting them quarterly.
- Use e-mail to generate leads and sales. Even if you don’t have new products coming out, you can use white papers or case studies to generate interest.
- Look beyond your own list. Partner with respected third parties in your industry to expand your reach.
Read the entire article: Five Practical Ways to Improve E-mail Marketing
