The manufacturing and industrial space is no stranger to change. From the assembly line to automation, there has been an unending wave of innovations that transformed the industry.
Much like the industry itself, industrial marketing has also evolved. Gone are the days of printed fliers and word-of-mouth advertising; now, it’s all about digital marketing — your website, content, emails, and social media.
But the shift from traditional marketing to digital marketing is still happening. New trends continue to emerge, and savvy industrial marketers must continue to adapt in order to stay ahead.
Here are the trends that shaped industrial marketing in 2017. Make sure you're all caught up.
For years, search engines, ad networks, and agencies made a killing off of pay-per-click and display ads. With every click, these companies filled their coffers higher and higher.
However, in 2017, the world finally started to listen to the message that many industry insiders had long been preaching — that a lot of those clicks are generated not by people, but by bots. Bots can be used to view and click ads, driving up cost-per-impression and cost-per-click budgets astronomically.
It’s estimated that more than half of all web traffic is driven by bots, and bots will contribute to more than $16 billion in ad fraud this year. Even more concerning, bots are growing increasingly sophisticated, so the problem is only going to get worse.
What’s an industrial marketer to do? For one, they should demand transparency from their existing digital marketing agencies. If they deal directly with search engines or display networks, then they may need to take a more cautious and pragmatic approach, at least until these companies deliver on their promises of transparency. If they want to completely eliminate the risk of ad fraud, however, there is only one option: Thomasnet.com. All buying activity on the platform is generated by real, verified B2B buyers — not bots.
While the manufacturing and industrial industry has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to technology, it has decidedly not on the cutting edge when it comes to marketing. Many companies within the sector have been reluctant to adopt digital marketing strategies and techniques, preferring instead to rely on traditional methods like trade shows, cold calling, and referrals.
This slow rate of adoption meant that those few companies that did embrace digital marketing had a huge advantage over their competition. However, that gap appears to be eroding.
It’s now estimated that 80 - 90 percent of all B2B businesses utilize digital marketing. As a result, having a digital marketing strategy is no longer a competitive advantage; it’s a baseline. If you really want to stand out, you need to make sure your website is updated and optimized, that your content is helping you connect with new prospects, and that your marketing emails are staying out of the trash bin while keeping you top of mind.
Your website is the digital representation of your business. On the surface, that means that it must look professional, effectively communicate your capabilities, and distinguish you from your competition.
But aesthetics can only get you so far. Your website also needs to be technically sound in order to adhere to the latest best practices and put you in position to generate more leads. That means that is must be responsive, able to be viewed on desktops, tablets, and phones of all sizes. Not only will a responsive design provide a better user experience, it will also help boost your position in search results, as search engines began prioritizing mobile-friendly sites in 2017.
Search engines also began prioritizing encrypted sites — hose with SSL security. While a lot goes into website security, the first step is to transition from HTTP to HTTPS.
The Google algorithm is in a continuous state of flux. There are multiple changes implemented every day, and it’s up to SEO experts to make sense of the latest modifications.
Fred updates have big implications on rankings but very little explanation from Google. They are essentially anonymous (thus the "Fred" moniker), and they can be erased, replaced, and updated at any time.
There were at last three Fred updates this year. As a result, while there were no “named” updates, this proved to be one of the most tumultuous years for search engine rankings and the SEO industry.
Great content marketing is at the heart of any successful digital marketing program. Content can take many forms, with eBooks, webinars, and blog posts being the ones most commonly utilized by marketers.
However, in 2017, all those other content types took a backseat to videos. Looking at the numbers, it’s no secret why — by 2019, videos will account for 85 percent of all internet traffic in the U.S. Plus, videos are 40 times more likely to be shared that any other form of content. Perhaps most importantly, videos have proven to be incredibly effective lead-generating tools, with 77% of consumers reporting that a video helped convince them to buy a product or service.
The good news is you don’t need a fancy camera or professional studio to get started with video marketing. You can use a cell phone to broadcast directly from your shop floor. However, you should make sure that your video campaigns are set up for success.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from 2017, but looking back is only half the battle. To truly succeed in industrial marketing, you need to be able to look ahead — to steer clear of festering challenges and spot the emerging opportunities on the horizon.
Nobody is better positioned to help you do that than Thomas. Every day, thousands of industrial/B2B buyers utilize Thomasnet.com to source products and find suppliers. We analyze all of this buying activity to spot trends and changes in buying behavior, and we use that knowledge to deliver digital marketing solutions that produce results no other agency can match.
Need a little help with your digital marketing program? Contact us today!