The Thomas Blog

How to Spark Interest in Manufacturing Among Our Youth

It takes a village — every one of us in manufacturing — to ensure that there is a next generation of skilled workers. When it comes to inspiring young people, it takes a village filled with those of us who are passionate about our careers, willing to be role models for those who hopefully will follow in our work boots.

Four Ways to Be “King of the Jungle” in the Marketing Ecosystem

At this point, the question has been answered: Yes, content marketing works. The tactics aren’t revolutionary or unorthodox. They simply follow the ways that buyers today consume information and gather research for decision-making.

The Secret to Staying Ahead of Google’s SEO Updates

Search engine optimization can seem like an impossible game.

New updates everywhere you look, and what I like to call the “caffeine conundrum:” the so-called experts tell you something is good for you one day, and bad the next. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that one of the earliest Google algorithm updates was, in fact, dubbed "Caffeine."

From the Big Green Books to Digital Dominance: One Engineer’s Take on Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

Full disclosure: I jumped at this opportunity to guest blog for ThomasNet, and not simply because of my relationship with the Thomas team (I am their HubSpot rep). From my past life as a chemical engineer, I have fond memories of sourcing suppliers in the company’s “big green books,” the Thomas Register — just as my father did as an engineer before me.

Breaking the Glass Case: Generating Interest from New Industries in Custom Manufacturing

Recently I attended IMTS 2014 on behalf of Thomas and had the chance to speak with many custom manufacturers looking to grow their businesses. During one of these conversations, as an attendee was describing his product, I asked if he had it on display in the glass case at the office.

The Top 9 Resources to Help You Find Your Next Engineering Job

You’re working hard and doing what you love, designing new parts and products, but you just can’t see any potential for career growth. You’ve searched through LinkedIn, Monster, and Indeed and have come up empty. If you can relate, it might be time to start trying some more focused job boards to uncover that new opportunity. 

Why Aren’t Your Site Visitors Submitting RFQs?

Wouldn’t it be frustrating if qualified visitors were coming to your website, but few, if any, of them were actually converting to leads? If you’re not providing the right information that buyers are looking for, you may be in that very situation without even knowing it — after all, no one’s sticking around to waste time telling you why they’re leaving.

How the Internet of Things Can Change Your Shop

Whatever you call it — the internet of things, the cloud, the “smart grid” — it’s all about connectivity, access, and efficiency. So what exactly is it? The internet of things, as we’ll refer to it, is a series of interconnected “smart devices.”

Have you heard of the Nest thermostat? That’s an example of a smart device: not only can you control it remotely, say, from your phone, but it also uses sensors to adjust the temperature based on whether you’re home or not, and from there it actually “learns” how to heat and cool your house optimally based on your schedule and other factors.

Pick-Six: Marketing Lessons From the Football Playbook

The first season of NCAA Football to end with a formal playoff system is just kicking into gear, and while we’re still settling in to see which teams look to be on top, one fact remains unchanged: NCAA Football is a marketing powerhouse. From deals with sponsors from ESPN to Coca-Cola, it’s clear that the organization has its playbook set when it comes to promotion. But what about you? If we take a look at the game itself, we can draw up a few marketing lessons that are useful to anyone — not just huge organizations: