Top 5 Lead Generation Ideas for Manufacturers
January 23, 2018
Let’s face it, coming up with new and innovative ideas for promoting your business isn’t easy. From posting ads on social media to incentivizing sales teams, there are an abundance of methods companies use to bolster sales and generate leads. From understanding the complexities of online advertising to knowing what methods your customers are most receptive to, it can hard to come up with fresh ideas to reach an ever-changing marketplace.
Many of our clients in the manufacturing industry have approached us with the goal of increasing sales and growing their business. We’ve helped them reach their goals by organizing everything from email campaigns to online ads. To help our loyal readers, we’ve put together our list of top lead generation ideas for manufacturers that are simple to use and produce great results.
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Google AdWords Paid Advertising
Every day more than 3.5 billion searches are conducted using Google alone. What this means is that everyone from soccer moms to CEOs are looking for the information they need to solve issues, research topics, or shop for the latest products. As you’re probably already aware, paid search advertising is a growing method companies are using to tap into these searches and reach targeted customers.
As more and more companies are turning to paid advertising, we’ve helped several of our clients set up their own online search advertising campaigns exclusively through Google. From basic PPC ads to allowing companies to display their products on their shopping network, Google offers a range of online tools manufacturers can use to get the word out about their products and businesses.
If you’re interested in gaining exposure and driving traffic to your website, a simple paid ad campaign might be right for you. If you sell your products directly online through an e-commerce store, setting up a Google Shopping Campaign would be a great way to get the latest deals in front of your customers. Either way, reaching your customers where they shop and look for information most is one of the best lead generation ideas for manufacturers across the country.
Get Involved In The Community
A common misconception many of our clients have about generating sales is the need to spend money on advertising. While advertising is a great way to increase top-of-mind awareness, it shouldn’t be the only component you use to reach your target market. We recommend developing a balanced approach of different methods starting with getting involved in your local community.
As cliché as it might sound, reaching out to members of your local community is still one of the most effective ways to build relationships with industry professionals and potential clients. This could be as simple as attending a few events from the York Economic Alliance to joining the local Manufacturers’ Association.
These powerful organizations often host mixers, seminar, and other events manufacturers can attend to establish rapport within the community and improve exposure of their brand. If you manufacture a specialized product that’s sold strictly Business to Business (B2B), we highly recommend joining a local organization. Beyond events, they usually offer committees where professionals can come together to discuss important industry updates, government regulations, and ideas for improving manufacturing processes.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Over the years we’ve worked with a broad range of manufacturers specializing in industries from playground equipment to technology carts and even dental tools. All have asked us for our best lead generation ideas for manufacturers’. During our initial conversations, the topic of email campaigns always comes up.
Done well, email marketing can be one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reach potential customers. Many of our clients share the universal concern of email campaigns regarding spam filters and the likelihood of being ignored. We reassure our clients that email campaigns provide an opportunity to share valuable information with a select group of customers.
Simply put, spam is spam. The key to standing out in a customer’s inbox is delivering useful content that caters to their unique needs. Everything from your messaging to the layout and design of your email needs to be approached from the eyes of your viewer.
We recommend our clients create small email lists around their unique target markets or groups of buyers. With these lists, we usually sit down with the client to create tailored messaging that addresses the needs of each group. By following these brief guidelines, our clients have seen success with many of their campaigns and have helped improve their brand awareness and sales overall.
Direct Mail
Believe it or not, direct mail is somewhat of a hidden gen for reaching key decision makers at companies or even households. For years, consumers across the nation received countless direct mail pieces in their mailbox every week. You probably remember throwing out several every day.
As trends shifted to digital and other forms of media, print has been left as somewhat of a lost art. Many advertisers simply shy away from this lost medium in hopes of catching consumers online. At VIG we’ve specialized in print for over 25 years. The beauty of this lost art is the connection you can establish with the recipient.
It’s easy to ignore an email, online ad, or even a commercial on the radio while you’re driving to work. Once you have something like a flyer, holiday card, or unique print piece in your hand, it’s harder to divert your attention elsewhere. From this attention, you can deliver essential messages that would otherwise be ignored by customers on other mediums.
Trade Directories
As you know, consumers are looking for what they want and need almost exclusively through the internet. Sites like Yelp, Angie’s List and a few others specialize in providing an online directory for customers to turn to when they’re looking to find more information on a specific product or service.
Manufacturers are no different and often have their own directories based on different markets, industries, and clientele base. Whether you manufacture items for the medical industry or t-shirts for a local community, chances are there are several different online directories you can join to put your name in front of a larger audience.
Finding the best way to reach a target market isn’t easy. Some businesses spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars finding the methods that work for them. Whether social media is where you excel or you’re partial to email marketing, reaching a select audience takes time and skill.
We’ve partnered with manufacturing companies for years to help them with their branding, design, and technology issues. Many of our clients have asked for our latest lead generation ideas for manufacturers and we’ve gladly supplied our thoughts and expertise. If you’re looking to boost sales and build great relationships along the way, these fundamental ideas will help put you on the right path.
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