Social media marketing appears irrelevant to most companies in the manufacturing industry. Manufacturers who want to move their organizations forward must rely on social media to promote their business. Mentioned below are some ways to do the same-
- 1. Create a Video Library on YouTube
Nowadays savvy manufacturers are beginning to create their own YouTube channels and use the social media sites to post informational videos that emphasize on the capabilities of their facility, their products, and specific product features. By creating an online library of content, viewers can learn about products to stimulate purchase. The most important factor for customers is the reduction of customer effort; they want simple solutions, and they want them quickly. By providing a searchable library of helpful videos, manufacturers can enable self-service capabilities for customers allowing them to find answers to their challenges. This can also reduce frequent calls or emails to customer service teams.
- Create a Business Profile on LinkedIn or Facebook
Arguably the best social network for making business connections is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a potent tool, operating as a portal for prospective customers and potential employees. To be effective on LinkedIn, businesses must get active in discussions that boost their brand’s visibility.
Manufacturers struggle more with Facebook because they’re often Business-to-Business (B2B) operations, while Facebook is generally used for more casual and personal connections. However, it can still offer value. You can always create a business page on Facebook, and occasional posts about the inner workings of your operations.
- Tweet with Customers
Twitter is one of the more misunderstood social sites that manufacturers believe cannot help them to say anything in 280 characters. The truth is that it’s just a matter of knowing what to say. The tweets benefit manufacturers by putting a human face on their company, while also helping to keep them top-of-mind amongst customers. Since it’s easy to come up with a 280-character post, companies must be careful with what they post otherwise it can cause a PR nightmare for many businesses.
- Use Social Media to Complement Other Efforts
As we all know that content is king. Most organizations share or engage in some form of content marketing, often sending information and updates through email. However, creating valuable content on your website and then sharing it out through your social media channels can have an enormous impact on engaging customers, and having it shared out to others.
Social media also integrates seamlessly with other inbound marketing tactics such as blogging and newsletters. It allows you to share valuable content offering solutions to problems, such as case studies, white papers, quick tips and industry articles. By providing content versus just another sales pitch, manufacturers can establish themselves as subject matter experts to nurture leads.
Despite all the difficulties faced by manufacturers in deciding how to get social and which networks will work the best for them, having a social media presence is critical in today’s day and age. By using social media, manufacturers can generate leads, drive sales, and recruit new talent.
