Manufacturing has changed and so has the way we market it.
We've seen a transition in the past few decades from "big green books" with company information and phone numbers to updated online presences and social media profiles. Reaching potential customers has never been easier — you can send out a tweet or direct message, ask questions and have a dialogue within minutes.
A recent study showed that 85% of B2B companies in the U.S. use Twitter. Although industrial companies have been late adopters compared to some industries, there are thousands of potential prospects sending out 140-character messages each day.
Admittedly, there's a lot of white noise, and it can be difficult to find the ones that are doing it right, so we rounded up a few of our favorites. Here are 11 industrial companies on Twitter you should definitely check out:
1. 3D Printing Industry
All metal all the way https://t.co/jBKlq189z5 via @3dprintindustry by @RealityInc #3dprinting pic.twitter.com/HaKPTmzjQP
— 3D Printing Industry (@3dprintindustry) March 26, 2016
Insight on all the 3D printing news — all in one place.
2. Cerasis
[e-Book] 2016 Trends in #Manufacturing, #SupplyChain, #Logistics, & #Transportation Mgmt https://t.co/VRdFscGsCz pic.twitter.com/JlK7wBojZ9
— Cerasis (@Cerasis) March 28, 2016
This third-party logistics company posts lots of great industry information and lists for you to reference.
3. Design World
What is the best twisted pair cabling for your application? https://t.co/tUfHK8MrwH pic.twitter.com/Gn58yvU4Jr
— Design World (@DesignWorld) March 27, 2016
No surprise here — Design World's feed is chock full of interesting design news.
4. General Electric
We’re making digital twins of car batteries to make them more efficient under the hood. https://t.co/2wkdp8tflK pic.twitter.com/RtXojPC0E7
— General Electric (@generalelectric) March 24, 2016
Arguably one of the most mainstream manufacturers, GE keeps it fun and interesting on Twitter.
5. 3M
#TBT to our #scientists testing a portable runway for use at a track & field competition in the LA Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/h3y8HkO1sk
— 3M (@3M) March 24, 2016
From fun Post-Its to well-used hashtags, 3M has their Twitter game down.
6. The Rodon Group
Get the top 10 questions to ask to help you when selecting a plastic injection molder. https://t.co/Kfzv1OxYWf pic.twitter.com/QgSzmKs5G9
— The Rodon Group (@rodongroup) March 23, 2016
A Pennsylvania-based plastic injection molder with a lot of interesting US manufacturing links.
7. Proto Labs
Choose the right material for industrial #3Dprinting, with help from our new white paper. https://t.co/y0mm1NpSUl
— Proto Labs (@ProtoLabs) March 25, 2016
The world's fastest manufacturer of custom prototypes tweets about 3D printing, injection molding, CNC machining, and more.
8. Rethink Robotics
Two Baxter robots are on the job at Donnelly Mfg performing time-consuming +repetitive tasks https://t.co/jtRF5StIN8 pic.twitter.com/5pnk7DL1NF
— Rethink Robotics (@RethinkRobotics) March 28, 2016
You can tell this Boston-based advanced robotics company is on the cutting edge of the automation revolution — and they cover the topic extensively.
9. Autodesk
Architectural illustration is made easy with Formit. https://t.co/nVCmAHQa44 pic.twitter.com/bXFt2cKyQt
— Autodesk (@autodesk) March 27, 2016
They've created some pretty cool CAD software — and their posts are equally as interesting.
10. The Manufacturer
UK car manufacturing posts double-digit growth - Plastics & Rubber Weekly https://t.co/4jTnq9Y22C
— The Manufacturer (@TheManufacturer) March 24, 2016
Aiming to be the premier industry publication, they come darn close with all the great news they post.
11. THOMASNET RPM
Why is your website losing traffic? Your #linkbuilding strategy may be to blame: https://t.co/Fw3UPcVyPc pic.twitter.com/dCzVXTZYcJ
— ThomasNet RPM (@ThomasNetRPM) March 26, 2016
We couldn't get through this post without a shameless plug — can you blame us?
From fun to informative, these are just a few examples of our favorite companies on Twitter. As you can see, they post often (with pictures!), mention other users, and interact with their followers — all clear signs that they know what they’re doing on social media.
There are endless benefits to boosting your company's presence on social media — connecting at trade shows, networking with potential customers and keeping up with the latest industry trends.
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