In today’s complex selling environment, manufacturers have to be more strategic and targeted when it comes to attracting, engaging, and converting their customers. While most manufacturers have been keeping pace with the latest supply chain technology and other industry advancements, their marketing departments are lagging behind in terms of innovation. This puts manufacturing marketers at a great disadvantage when it comes to fueling business growth.
At first glance, it might make sense to prioritize product development over marketing. After all, the value is in the product, and you don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to convey that, right? The problem with that approach, however, is that not even the best and highest-quality products on the market will sell unless you can find a way to convey that value to your target customers.
In other words, long gone are the days of customers settling on the first solution that comes their way. Today’s buyers do their research and expect vendors to meet them halfway by providing content and recommendations that will help them find a solution that best fits their needs. Because of this new dynamic, manufacturers not only have to make customers know that they are the best option, they also have to find ways to engage and nurture their customers and stand out from competitors during what is now a much lengthier customer journey.
While the products produced by manufacturers are unique, the challenges faced by their marketing departments are similar across all industries. This means that manufacturing marketers can learn a thing or two by replicating strategies that have proven effective in other industries.
Keep reading to learn more about key marketing challenges plaguing the manufacturing industry, as well as digital marketing essentials that will help you make your business stand out, attract and nurture the most qualified leads, and drive ROI like never before.
The Top 3 Marketing Challenges Impacting the Manufacturing Industry
If you’ve been marketing to a manufacturing audience for some time, you’ve probably noticed that some of the tactics that worked for you in the past are no longer packing the same punch. While each organization will face its own unique set of obstacles, these are some of the most common marketing challenges preventing manufacturers from attracting and converting more leads into customers.
1) Lack of Insight Into Buyer Preferences
Today’s buyers aren’t settling for navigating the customer journey at your pace or by your rules. Buyers have taken much of the sales cycle into their own hands and become accustomed to conducting online research, reading peer reviews, and weighing their purchasing options long before they’re willing to speak to any salespeople.
Marketers in manufacturing (like many other industries) have struggled to shift their sales and marketing efforts to accommodate these buyer preferences and needs. The result? Too often their marketing efforts completely miss the mark as manufacturing marketers aren’t offering customers the content and information they want and need at the right time. This leads to a huge disconnect and usually motivates the customer to veer toward a vendor that is willing to adapt to their preferences.