In a world where social media has become an indispensable tool for manufacturing companies, navigating the optimal usage of your social media budget can be a perplexing puzzle. How do you effectively allocate your resources to achieve remarkable results?
Here at Brandpoint, we understand the complexities involved. Our recent State of Digital Marketing for the Manufacturing Industry Research Report found a staggering 59% of respondents plan to increase their budget for social media marketing in the coming year. This finding underscores the growing recognition of social media’s significant impact in driving business growth for manufacturing companies.
With this understanding, let’s explore strategies to make the most of your social media efforts.
Teams with a small budget
When working with a limited budget, it’s essential to be creative and make the most of organic social media efforts. Although you may not have unlimited resources, you can still generate buzz and engage with your audience using these strategies:
Building a Strong Organic Presence
Allocate a significant portion of the budget to building and maintaining a strong organic presence on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Engage with the audience by sharing valuable industry insights, product updates and relevant news. Respond promptly to comments and messages to foster customer engagement and loyalty.
Consider the following quick insights to help you select the right social media platforms for your manufacturing marketing efforts
- LinkedIn: Leverage the professional networking power of LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals, showcase your expertise and establish thought leadership in the manufacturing sector.
- Twitter: Use the real-time nature of Twitter to share industry news, engage in conversations with influencers and highlight your brand’s unique value proposition.
- Facebook: Tap into the massive user base of Facebook to reach a diverse audience, share engaging content and foster community engagement through groups and discussions.
- Instagram: Showcase the visual appeal of your manufacturing processes and products through captivating images and videos on Instagram. This platform is ideal for creating a visually appealing brand presence.
As a prominent player in the industrial sector, ArcelorMittal holds the distinction of being the world’s foremost steel and mining company. On platforms like Twitter, the company recognizes the value of highlighting its employees and their experiences. By sharing these narratives, ArcelorMittal not only celebrates the dedication and talent of its employees but also creates a sense of connection and pride within its workforce. It humanizes the company, allowing its audience to gain a deeper understanding of the people behind the scenes and the passion they bring to their work.
This clever tweet from ArcelorMittal captures immediate attention by highlighting the remarkable strength and versatility of their materials. It not only reinforces the brand’s reputation as a trusted provider of high-quality steel but also establishes their expertise in supplying materials for large-scale industrial projects. This tweet leaves a lasting impression on the audience, showcasing ArcelorMittal as a leading industry player.
Being authentic with your brand can foster a genuine connection with your audience, instill trust and differentiate your company in the competitive manufacturing landscape.
Engage and Interact
Allocate resources for actively engaging with your audience on social media. Respond promptly to comments, messages and mentions, and initiate conversations with your followers. Actively participate in industry-related discussions, join relevant groups and communities, and share your expertise to build relationships and establish your brand as a trusted resource. Engaging with your audience shows that you value their input and fosters a sense of connection and loyalty.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
Encourage your customers and followers to create and share content related to your brand and products. User-generated content, such as testimonials, reviews and product photos shared by your customers, can be a powerful way to showcase social proof and authenticity. Allocate a portion of your budget to running campaigns or contests that encourage UGC, rewarding participants with incentives or recognition. This not only helps in maximizing organic reach but also strengthens the bond with your customers.
Liebherr, a renowned manufacturer of construction machines, introduced Tower Crane World, an online community dedicated to crane operators and enthusiasts. The primary focus of this community is user-generated content. Users are given the opportunity to upload their own crane photos, engage in discussions through comments, express appreciation through likes, and easily share the content with others.
One of the key advantages for Liebherr is the establishment of a direct line of communication with their users and fans. By actively engaging in the community, Liebherr can promptly share up-to-date product information with their followers, ensuring they are always in the know. As a result, a thriving community has formed, connecting manufacturers, service technicians, crane operators and enthusiasts who share a common passion for Liebherr’s products. This community serves as a hub for industry professionals to exchange knowledge, experiences and insights, further strengthening the bond between Liebherr and its dedicated audience.
[Read More: The Power of User-Generated Content]
Social Media Management Tools
Consider utilizing affordable social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite or Sprout Social. These tools enable you to schedule posts in advance, manage multiple social media accounts efficiently and track performance metrics. Allocate a portion of your budget to subscribe to these tools for streamlined social media management. With their user-friendly interfaces and time-saving functionalities, social media management tools are a valuable asset for any marketing professional looking to effectively navigate the dynamic world of social media.
Monitor and Optimize
Allocate time and resources to monitor and analyze the performance of your organic social media efforts. Utilize native analytics tools provided by social media platforms to track key metrics such as reach, engagement, click-through rates and follower growth. This data will help you understand what content resonates best with your audience, identify areas for improvement and optimize your future strategies. By continuously monitoring and refining your approach, you can make the most of your limited budget and ensure that your efforts are driving meaningful results.
Teams with a moderate budget
With a medium-sized budget, manufacturing marketing departments can expand their reach and accelerate growth by leveraging a combination of organic and paid social media strategies. Here’s how to allocate your budget effectively:
Paid Social Media Advertising
Dedicate a portion of your budget to targeted paid advertising campaigns on social media platforms, harnessing the power of advanced targeting options. Leverage demographics, interests and behaviors to precisely reach your specific audience. Explore diverse ad formats, including carousel ads, video ads and lead generation ads, to determine which ones deliver optimal results for your manufacturing business.
According to Hootsuite, social media accounted for a significant 33% of total digital ad spending in 2022, underlining its effectiveness as a paid advertising channel.
To maximize the impact of your paid social media advertising, adopt an iterative approach by continuously testing and refining your strategies based on the insights you gather. This methodical process will enable you to enhance targeting precision, refine messaging and optimize overall campaign performance, ultimately driving better results for your manufacturing marketing efforts.
Collaborations and Partnerships
Allocate a portion of your budget for strategic collaborations and partnerships with industry leaders, organizations or complementary brands. This can include co-branded campaigns, joint events or webinars, cross-promotions or sponsored industry reports. Collaborations can help expand your reach, build credibility and access new audiences.
General Electric (GE) actively engages in event marketing and collaborates with influencers to amplify its brand presence. One noteworthy event organized by GE was called #GEInstaWalk. During this event, GE extended invitations to renowned influencers and science enthusiasts, providing them with an exclusive opportunity to explore their recently established aviation plant in Canada and a transportation division plant in the United States. The primary objective behind this initiative was to showcase GE’s ongoing endeavors and enhance brand recognition among a wider audience.
Remarketing Campaigns
Allocate a portion of your budget to remarketing campaigns, which target individuals who have previously interacted with your website or social media channels. By displaying tailored ads to these warm leads, you can re-engage them and increase the likelihood of conversion. Remarketing campaigns are particularly effective for driving conversions and maximizing the value of your website traffic.
Teams with a large budget
A larger budget enables manufacturing marketers to implement a comprehensive social media strategy. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of the strategies and tactics to consider:
Comprehensive Social Media Strategy
Crafting a comprehensive social media strategy is essential for manufacturing marketers to maximize their online presence. By developing a detailed plan that encompasses organic efforts, paid advertising, influencer partnerships and community engagement, you can create a strong foundation for success. Allocate resources to content creation, social media management and strategy development to ensure a cohesive and consistent brand voice across multiple platforms.
To enhance your social media strategy further, it’s worth exploring specific platform-focused strategies. For instance, LinkedIn holds immense potential for manufacturing professionals. I recommend reading the LinkedIn blog post “Social Media Marketing: Strategy and Best Practices” to gain practical tips and techniques to optimize your presence on LinkedIn.
Dedicated Social Media Team
Consider hiring or allocating resources to a dedicated social media team. This team can handle content creation, strategy development, advertising campaign management, community engagement and performance tracking. Having a dedicated team ensures consistent brand messaging, timely responses to customer inquiries and the ability to stay on top of trends and platform changes.
Advanced Analytics and Tools
In addition to social media management tools, investing in advanced social media analytics tools is crucial for manufacturing marketers. These tools provide in-depth insights into your social media performance, including reach, engagement, click-through rates and conversion rates. With features like comprehensive reporting, trend analysis and audience segmentation, these tools go beyond basic platform analytics, enabling you to optimize campaigns, refine targeting strategies and measure ROI effectively.
Video Production
Allocate funds for professional video production to create engaging and informative videos showcasing your manufacturing processes, products and customer success stories. Videos have a high engagement potential and can help differentiate your brand in the competitive manufacturing landscape. Consider hiring a professional videographer or partnering with a video production agency to ensure the quality and impact of your video content.
Witnessing things from a fresh perspective is always captivating! With advancing drone technology, we can now capture the “big picture” through mesmerizing videos. While we typically associate drones with outdoor footage, they can also provide fascinating aerial views of warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and even showcase remarkable real estate features. Just take a moment to watch this incredible video showcasing the production process of Tesla vehicles at their factory in Berlin, Germany.
While not every company can have the budget of Tesla, there are still excellent examples of effective video production within the manufacturing industry. Let’s consider Falcon Structures, a shipping container company. Falcon’s video resource page boasts an impressive collection of over 40 videos. These videos cover a wide range of topics, including the benefits of Falcon Structures, tours of their facilities, helpful how-tos, captivating time lapses and much more. This extensive video library demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing value to their audience by offering information that helps potential customers make informed purchasing decisions.
Regardless of the budget size, manufacturing marketing departments have the opportunity to leverage social media’s power to enhance their overall marketing efforts and achieve their objectives.
As social media continues to play a pivotal role in the manufacturing industry’s marketing landscape, partnering with a reliable digital marketing agency can offer valuable advantages. Our manufacturing marketing survey found almost half of respondents enlist the help of a third-party digital marketing agency for social media marketing.
If you’re looking to capitalize on the vast opportunities social media presents, contact Brandpoint today! Our team of seasoned digital marketers is well-equipped to tailor strategies to your specific manufacturing needs, ensuring you make the most of your budget and achieve outstanding results.
