Which digital marketing tool is best for manufacturing? If you’re starting from scratch or optimizing existing digital assets, a robust email marketing for manufacturers strategy should fit in with any plan. Not only can you get it up and running in short order, but you’ll also connect directly with prospects who expressed interest in your manufacturing services.
As any statistics-loving marketer knows, email is an effective piece of your strategy.
- The ROI on email marketing is $36 for every $1 spent.
- 99% of email users check their inboxes multiple times a day.
- Nearly three out of four (74%) manufacturing marketers used email newsletters in the past year and 65% used email to share content with prospects.
- With a nearly 20% open rate in the manufacturing industry, email marketing is a proven method for reaching and engaging prospects.
Email marketing provides a rapid response and impression-building strategy for marketing manufacturers to reach prospects directly and keep the connection alive.
- The timeline between planning and executing an email strategy is brief.
- Email marketing is less cost intensive than other forms of digital marketing.
- You’ll speak directly to prospects who have interacted with your brand — and who have provided their email address.
- Best of all, you’ll receive instant feedback on how your message is resonating by measuring the open and click-through rates.
Which email marketing for manufacturers is the best approach?
Lead times are long for contracting for manufacturing services, lasting anywhere from a few months to a few years. Until they’re ready to discuss quotes and contracts, drip campaigns and e-newsletters will keep your brand in their field of awareness. And, ideally, entice them to take the next step.
Stay in touch with useful news and content through email marketing, and you’ll raise the odds of converting that lead.
What is a drip email strategy?
In manufacturing, a drip email strategy is the perfect nurturing tool to keep your brand in front of prospects over those long lead times. Also known as a drip sequence, this automated email marketing strategy delivers a sequence of emails that are triggered by an event or an action.
A drip sequence is your opportunity to make first encounters memorable. Your brand will be secured in their mailbox. So they can easily reconnect when they’re ready for the next conversation.
Drip campaigns follow a template. Think of it as a storyboard for your services and what you offer. With each subsequent email, you’re creating an opportunity to deepen the impression. But good drip campaigns drive action by enticing prospects to engage with your website.
The template for a drip sequence to welcome and engage new prospects might look something like this:
- Trigger: Your lead provides their email address at your trade show booth, activating sequence delivered weekly.
- First email lands in their inbox — with a welcome message and an invitation to sign up for your newsletter.
- Second email goes out a week later, with a high-level reminder of your value, while also enticing them to click over to a blog or video that reinforces the main message.
- Third email focuses on a topic that aligns with this stage of the buyer’s journey with a link to your eBook or how-to guide.
- Fourth email touches on a common pain point in the buyer’s journey, with a callout and link to solution content on your site, such as an interactive online tool or a case study.
- Fifth and closing email ends strong with your ultimate value proposition and a call to action to set up a consultation.
Other occasions for drip campaigns
Post-consultation drip campaign: This series might focus on success stories and next steps.
Retargeting drip campaign: Overcome the radio silence with a second campaign that offers something of value to your prospects — a webinar or a whitepaper — that speaks directly to their challenges with solutions.
Here is a retargeting email example:
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Best messaging for your drip email campaign?
What’s the best approach for a drip sequence campaign for manufacturing prospects? Consider the length of the lead times and their phase in the buyer’s journey.
A direct response approach, where you’re pushing for a sales conversion, isn’t likely to resonate — it won’t be relevant and it can come across as pushy.
It’s more effective to provide information that aligns with their stage of the buyer’s journey, while enticing them to click links and engage with your website.
When building your template for your email nurture campaign, lead with these questions:
- Which message would make a stronger impression at this stage?
- Which content on your website can reinforce that message?
- What would you like prospects to do once they’re done reading?
Amplify that awareness play with a strong call to action in each email — an action that connects prospects with useful content on your website, a download or a direct interaction.
- Sign up for the newsletter
- Download our eBook
- Sign up for our webinar
- Schedule a free consultation
- Subscribe to our blog
[Read more: A Quick Snapshot of Marketing Automation]
Inform, engage with newsletters
A newsletter email is the workhorse of your email marketing for manufacturers strategy. It keeps your brand “sticky” in the minds of prospects during those long lead times.
In the manufacturing space, focus on sending editions of educational content to engage and entice readers to interact with your website. They’ll learn more about what you do, and what you offer.
[Read more: 6 Reasons Why You Need Email Newsletters in Your CM Strategy]
What types of nurturing and educational content can you publish in your manufacturing newsletter?
Thought leadership: Curate and share articles and resources from around the web. Here, your expertise intersects with your prospect’s biggest issues and challenges. Add commentary and insights from your team, while occasionally connecting the dots to the value you offer, and your newsletter can become a trusted source of timely, industry-relevant information.
Expertise: Share the latest in your content marketing efforts and drive traffic to your website through your newsletter. As you publish blogs, e-books, videos and case studies, write up an enticing snippet for your newsletter capped with a strong call to action.
News and evolutions: Show your stuff. Keep prospects up to date on your latest products, capabilities and certifications. Link to your materials selection and what makes your process reliable. Or, you can announce a facility expansion or machinery update, showing why it’s a game changer for customers. Don’t forget to spotlight key members of your team.
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Best practices in email marketing for manufacturers
Speak to your audience with segmentation
Identify your audiences, and segment your email lists by buyers, personas and product lines. Over time, you’ll want to extend your mailing list to keep past and present customers in the loop.
Write captivating subject lines
To keep your message from being cut off (and possibly misconstrued!), keep subject lines to a minimum of 6 or fewer words. When in doubt, steer clear of clever tactics and gimmicks and frontload your subject lines with the value readers will find inside.
Direct traffic to your site with a clear call to action
Infuse each email with purpose with a clear call to action, whether you want them to download the eBook, sign up for the webinar or book a 10-minute meeting at the trade show.
Write succinctly
Manufacturing prospects are busy people. To make your message easy to absorb, format your text for scanning, with short paragraphs, headers and bold type to guide the eye.
Grow your manufacturing marketing strategy with Brandpoint
Want to learn more about how you can grow your manufacturing business with marketing to earn more leads and get more traffic? Reach out today!
