The Thomas Blog

9 Books Every Marketer Should Read

As I’ve said before, marketing is a busy career.

A characteristic of any good marketer is keeping yourself busy, especially in periods of downtime, by constantly working to improve your skills. One of the best ways to do this is to consume literature that will increase your understanding of the field.

If you have an Amazon account; are in possession of a library card; or can transport yourself by plane, train, or automobile to a bookstore, you should absolutely pick up one, or all, of the following books:

What's Missing From Your Online Marketing?

Every day, thousands of buyers visit Thomasnet.com to source products and find suppliers, making it the home of the largest and most active network of qualified buyers.

Now that you know where your buyers are, it's important to know what they're looking for. 

"The Phone Doesn’t Ring Anymore"

Your phone used to ring off the hook with sales opportunities. But there’s a problem — it isn’t ringing anymore.

This doesn’t mean sales opportunities are dwindling. It’s a sign that phones have been replaced by a new tool — your website — and other dynamic sales tools like eCatalogs.

It’s also a reflection of our times where younger millennials look to self-service, digital sources to drive their workflows.

5 Awesome Made In America Products You Can Buy Right Now

The manufacturing sector is constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology, and that in turn is fueling the demand for local sourcing and reshoring.

However, for U.S. manufacturing to continue its momentum, buyers must be able to purchase these awesome made-in-America products, and that's what Thomasnet.com is all about.

Every day, we help buyers connect with qualified suppliers who can deliver exactly what they are looking for. Here are some of the amazing U.S.-made products that are being produced by suppliers on Thomasnet.com right now.

Video: 3D Printer Goes To The Dark Side

An ultra limited-edition, 3D-printed replica of Darth Vader's melted helmet is now available, making it possible for the force to awaken in your home or office.

5 Industrial Marketing Updates for 2016

We’re officially halfway through 2016 — but no need to panic.

There’s still plenty of time to revamp your marketing strategy (or just expand it) and work toward reaching your business goals.

Considering how much movement we’ve had in the industrial and digital marketing space in a mere six months, there’s a lot to jump on.

Not sure where you stand or what’s happening in the industry? Let’s talk through some of the updates and trends we’ve seen so far in 2016...

5 Things Industrial Buyers Are Evaluating You On Right Now

Today’s industrial buyers prefer to research suppliers online in order to create a shortlist of potential partners. If you want to have a chance of winning the business, you need to be sure you are on that shortlist. That's why it is so important to make the right first impression online. But how?

Start by focusing on these five things that buyers are evaluating you on right now.

The Oversight That’s Damaging Your Company Website

You think your website is great. You haven’t updated it in a year or two, but you’re getting decent traffic and a handful of RFQs each month. You’ve got products, a flashy video and a lot of text on the homepage.

Overall, it works, so no need to make any improvements, right? Wrong.

For years, manufacturers and industrial companies have insisted on bloating their homepages with product and certification information, part numbers and company insight — and then it just collects dust.

You’re Probably Making This Fatal Sales Mistake

Think about your current sales process: You probably get leads from marketing, the RFQ form on your website or referrals. You might give a prospect a call, ask a standard set of questions, set a price, send an email and hope your bid is selected.