Today, however, the world of buying and selling has changed entirely. Even before a company’s sales team can make their first move, buyers would have already decided whether they want to engage with them at all. 94% of B2B buyers are doing their research online before choosing whether to proceed or not with a manufacturing company.

This has placed marketing on a much greater pedestal – it has become an inevitable necessity for innovators to let their customers know how their products can benefit them. 

The Challenges Manufacturers Face Today

Despite B2B marketing being such an important tool for growth, it is rarely ever prioritized as much as it needs to. The recent global pandemic proved disastrous to many manufacturing companies, especially small- and medium-sized ones, compelling them to rethink their business strategy.

First of all, there is much greater competition today than ever before, especially since the world got reduced into a global village. With so many companies serving in the same niche, retailers and large OEMs are looking at aspects such as relevance and performance along with product quality and cost-efficiency. They are looking for manufacturers who can innovate and create customer-centric products – something you might already be doing but not advocating enough.

Why Focus on Marketing and B2B Lead Generation?

First things first, marketing is more than just design and writing; these are just skill sets required for successful marketing campaigns. The crux of marketing lies in being able to catalyse innovation by putting customer-centric perception in the equation. 

Marketing cannot just expand and push profits, it can help manufacturing companies compete more effectively, produce high-quality results and establish a name for themselves in the business. Let us look at why manufacturing companies should rely on B2B marketing in closer detail. 

To Establish Brand Identity and Presence

Strategic B2B marketing, using both conventional and digital media, can help manufacturing companies establish an identity for their brand in a distinct, impactful way. Prospective buyers can see who you are, how your products work and what benefits they offer, along with your vision, mission and approach.

Besides, you can collect more leads using several tools, such as high-quality content connected to your expertise. You can establish a stronger online presence through helpful content, which can help you gather instant feedback, garner market response and earn recommendations and referrals for further expansion.

To Meet Consumer Behaviour

The last year has seen massive disruptions to consumer behaviour from a reduction in retail spending to a spike in online shopping. The pandemic and its induced impacts on consumer habits have also affected their preferences in terms of searching, buying and rejecting. This has impacted the expectations of OEMs and businesses as well.

Online B2B marketing can help manufacturing companies understand these customer trends better and thus become a more relevant choice for businesses. Through blogs, websites, product pages and social media posts, manufacturers can communicate with their prospective end customers and gauge what they are looking for. Online marketing aligns a manufacturer’s approach to consumer behaviour over time, making them a highly pertinent pick for OEMs and business tie-ups.

To Identify and Fill Underserved Gaps

Despite facing problems, buyers at times are unaware of an existing solution – they do not know what product or service they need because they are oblivious to its existence. B2B marketing helps create a persistent presence online, allowing buyers to not just chance upon suppliers but also remember them.

At the same time, the right marketing strategy enables manufacturing companies to identify unserved or underserved gaps in the market. These are potential avenues for the company to innovate upon. Efficient marketing will not just address these challenges buyers are facing but also educate them about the intervention, telling them why they need it in the first place.

To Reach New Geographies

Digital marketing, including email and telemarketing, can help manufacturing companies break geographical barriers and break into new markets. Together with traditional marketing moves, online marketing campaigns can help suppliers reach out to more buyers than ever before.

What can Manufacturers do for Efficient B2B Marketing?

There are plenty of methods and tools that manufacturing companies can deploy for efficient B2B marketing today to build brand awareness and generate leads. Some of the conventional practices include participating in trade shows which, though expensive, are an excellent medium of putting forth innovative products and services before businesses. Another traditional marketing route happens to be through a PR team that pitches your stories, organizes public meets and builds networks for manufacturers.

Alternatively, you could consider online B2B marketing – it is fresh, fun and trendy. From blogs to social media campaigns, content-rich digital ads to websites, manufacturing companies can focus their marketing strategy on great content. The best way would be to hire an expert B2B marketing company, providing SEO and online marketing strategies for your brand to help you stand ahead of your competitors in both search results and business considerations.