The Thomas Blog

Opportunities For Business Growth During The Summer Slowdown

Every year, thousands of manufacturers around the country shut down their plants and facilities for a few weeks in the summer. They do so for a variety of reasons — to allow for vacation time, to take care of deferred maintenance, or to retool for the second half of the year.

While these activities are certainly important, too many manufacturing companies let the summer slowdown distract them from one of the most important activities of all — generating new business.

Facebook vs. LinkedIn vs. Twitter For Industrial Companies

All manufacturing and industrial companies want to grow. Unfortunately, many of them are missing out on an amazing resource that can make this goal a reality — social media. Over 90% of companies, both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C), are currently making use of social media for marketing purposes. But with such a wide range of social networks to work with, and new ones popping up every day, navigating these options can often seem daunting.

While there are other social media networks that could be added to this list, we’re focusing on the main channels for B2B marketing purposes. Below, we’ll delve into three of the most popular social networks — Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter — and explore how industrial companies and manufacturers can make the most effective use of these versatile platforms, leading to more valuable prospects, increased leads, and, of course, boosted sales.

7 Ways To Get Blog Post Ideas For Manufacturing

One of the best ways for you to reach out to your customers and provide them with information about your business or manufacturing processes is through valuable marketing content. A blog will not only allow you to provide customers with information, but it will also give you a chance to incorporate a variety of well-positioned keywords into your content. The keyword-rich content you produce through blogging will showcase your expertise and raise your website’s authority.

5 Marketing Collateral Best Practices For Manufacturers

Graphic design is everywhere you look — from your manufacturing company’s logo on the front of your building to the website layout of this blog post you’re reading right now.

April 27 is World Graphics Day and to commemorate communication design, we’ll take a look at some marketing collateral best practices so you can ensure your content marketing is being communicated effectively and designed with your industrial buyers in mind.

SEO Basics for Manufacturers and Industrial Companies

You know you want more new customers, and you know your website is key to getting them to your company, so how can you connect the dots? When you do a Google search, you’re likely to click on a link from one of the first five results. Have you ever given any thought to exactly how one of those sites gets to a top slot?  It's a lead generation tactic fueled by organic search and search engine optimization (SEO) to drive your target audience to your website. 

30 Industrial Lead Generation Tips, Tricks And Ideas

Generating leads is the most important component of marketing.

When you turn a site visitor into a lead, and then that lead becomes a customer, you’ve done your job, but you need to follow up on that accomplishment. As the experts at HubSpot say, “A successful lead generation engine is what keeps the funnel full of sales prospects while you sleep.”

Video Marketing For Industrial Companies

Content marketing isn’t all about writing — today’s consumers and B2B buyers are on all channels, all the time. This means a sizeable portion of your target audience is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and other video-friendly platforms at some point during the day, and if you aren’t trying to reach them there, your marketing strategy will most certainly fall flat. 

Industrial Marketing: Train In-House Or Hire An Agency, Freelancer?

Industrial marketing requires a lot of time and expertise. If you don’t quite have either, you’re not alone. Many manufacturing companies don’t have in-house marketing departments, and those that do often have limited budgets and personnel.

So what's the solution — training current employees, seeking out freelancers, or hiring an agency? Let's look at the pros and cons of each.

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing for Manufacturers

Marketing isn't a new practice (actually it has been around for centuries) but for some companies in the industrial space, there is still an opportunity to completely embrace its effectiveness.