Industrial Marketing Muse

The New Marketing Communications Rules

Written by Kerry O'Malley Saturday, 24 July 2010 19:06

computer_man The Internet has and continues to affect just about every facet of business communications. Although the industrial sector is behind in terms of embracing all the Internet has to offer, especially in the area of social media, they are beginning to take notice. Websites for industrial companies are being redesigned with more strategic content that is search engine optimized. Manufacturers who scoffed at all the fuss about Twitter a year ago are suddenly appearing in the Twitterverse and taking their first tentative steps at social media marketing. Engineers at industrial firms are joining groups on LinkedIn for industrial marketers where discussions take place about how best to harness the potential of social media networking.

Industrial marketing and sales paradigms are beginning to shift. The days of "the hard sell" and "marketing in your face" are over. Customers and clients are looking for relationships with vendors - not just their products and services. In the service industries, the benefit of someone's expertise is often expected for free before it is paid for. The world is getting smaller and competition is getting stiffer. Customers expect vendors to be available in "Internet time" (24/7) rather than the traditional 8 to 5 business day timeframe. Social media has created an environment in which the companies who get noticed are the companies who are more . . . well, social.

As all of these changes and new ways of communicating are evolving, it's good to understand the new rules of engagement for networking. I read a blog post by Brad Shorr of Straight North, a web content development company, with a short but appropriate list of best practices for communication on the social web. I couldn't say it better myself, so following is Brad's list straight from his post.

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Industrial Brochures: Use This Check List for Professional Results

Written by Kerry O'Malley Tuesday, 13 July 2010 16:57

check_list As an industrial marketer, I find it much more intriguing to discuss the opportunities that exist for manufacturers in the world of social media or other forms of Internet marketing. The fact still remains that this is NOT the way that the majority of industrial companies promote their products and services. They usually have a website, but I would say (and this is a guess, mind you) that for at least 90% of small to mid-size industrial companies, this is where their Internet marketing ends. More traditional forms of marketing communications are still the primary methods used to deliver a company's message in the industrial world, and there is nothing more traditional than the basic brochure.

For many manufacturers and industrial companies, their brochure and website are the only marketing tools they have. With so much riding on one or two forms of communication to get your message across to a prospect, affective brochure design is essential. It may be your only chance to make a favorable impression. An affective brochure doesn't have to break the bank, but it does require the use of good design and writing principles, and most importantly, an understanding of what is important to your perfect prospective customer.

Spend a few minutes using the following check list to evaluate your current marketing literature. If it doesn't make the grade, it might be time to invest in a brochure that successfully communicates your company's story and marketing messages. Answer "yes" or "no" to each check point.

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Twitter for Manufacturers, Part 5 - 10 Ways to Find Quality Followers on Twitter

Written by Kerry O'Malley Thursday, 08 July 2010 17:47

follow_the_leader While I don't advocate amassing thousands of followers on Twitter, I do believe in consistently cultivating quality followers - and my list of followers has grown slowly but consistently over time, since I got serious about using Twitter. A quality follower to me is someone who meets any of the following criteria:

Potential or current customer
Potential strategic business partner
Vendors
Various marketing communications experts, some could be competitors
Social media expert
Source of industrial business news or other news in personal areas of interest (for instance, politics)
Industrial companies that have a Twitter presence (these companies are blazing the trail)
They're just fun or interesting people (these are a minority, since I primarily use Twitter for business)

I'm sure with the exception of "potential or current customers" YOUR perfect list of followers will be different from mine. Think about the various types of people you might possibly want to connect with on Twitter so you know who you're looking for. Once you've determined that, there are plenty of ways to find them.

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The Lucky Seven for a Perfect Press Release

Written by Kerry O'Malley Monday, 28 June 2010 14:03

journalist_a One of the most basic ways of reaching the trade media with information they can use in their online or printed publications is the press or news release. Press releases should be written in a journalistic news style and can be delivered to your media contacts by fax, e-mail, postal mail (not done much these days) or by an online P/R distribution service or wire. Following are 7 tips that will ensure your press release is written correctly - and actually gets read!

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Make Your Company Memorable With a Tagline

Written by Kerry O'Malley Wednesday, 23 June 2010 12:08

Taglines are rarely discussed, seldom analyzed and hardly ever researched. In fact, they're woefully missing across the industrial landscape. When I work with a newer company or a company considering a logo or brand identity change, I generally suggest they consider adding a tagline if they don't already have a good one. I personally think that more than ever, well crafted taglines are what differentiate a company or product from its competition. Advertising messages are bombarding people everywhere they turn. With few exceptions, a company name or logo with a tagline is much more memorable than one without.

"Tagline" is what we marketing people call the words or phrase used with a company's name or logo on all of their marketing communications: American Express' "Don't leave home without it," or Apple's "Think different" or some that are less well know like: Sprint's "Yes you can" or Computer Associates' "Simplify, Automate, Secure" or Unisys' "Imagine it done."

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