As a manufacturer are you getting fed up of seeing ‘good news’ stories about your competitors? Are you wondering how you too can enhance your reputation by exploiting media coverage to explain the benefits of your products and their relevance in the marketplace? You are not alone.
One of the biggest challenges facing industrial companies today is keeping their brand top of mind with prospects, constantly striving to retain existing customers as well as winning new ones.
A well-executed and consistent manufacturing PR and marketing campaign is an essential tool in this battle. Strategically developed to target trade and regional media in your marketplace, a manufacturing PR and marketing campaign will attract the attention of your customers and prospects. It will also increase sales leads, brand awareness and build credibility for your products. Content that is written specifically for your target audience will educate prospects regarding the benefits of doing business with you instead of your competitors.
Many companies take an ad-hoc approach to PR and marketing, sending out the odd news release, placing the occasional advert or distributing intermittent email campaigns. This random approach is simply not good enough and is very unlikely to positively impact your target customers.
You need to create momentum with a carefully considered campaign that consistently disseminates useful information to the right people, at the right time. This requires amongst other things, crafting compelling content using keywords and messages supported with illustrative professional photography. The goal is to send out regular communications throughout the year across different media platforms to generate the widest possible reach.
The content must be fluff-free, on topic and rich in facts to ensure good media coverage. It must contain information that resonates with your existing customers and motivates prospects to engage with you.
A well written case study which clearly explains how your business has successfully helped to solve a client’s problem is a powerful testimony to the benefits of working with you. If it also includes quotes from that client as evidence to verify your claims, it becomes an extremely persuasive third party endorsement.
Accompanied by professional photography, case studies add value to your business, providing not only technical insights to your brand but also authority and credibility. To gain even greater authority producing a video testimonial provides a dynamic and entertaining way of showcasing your abilities.
Many businesses grapple with the decision about whether or not to handle PR and marketing in house or appoint an external, specialist agency. There are, of course, pros and cons and you can learn more about the advantages of each here.
If you take the agency route, make sure the company you select is already working successfully in your marketplace. Select a B2B specialist PR company and check out their credentials. Choosing an experienced agency such as Leapfrog Marketing, will give you access to decades of expertise across many manufacturing industries. Consequently, they will be able to understand your unique challenges, getting to grips with issues quickly and effectively.
Current clients are usually listed on a PR agency’s website and will give you an instant understanding of their experience in similar markets. Make sure to check out their case studies too, as they will provide confirmation of their particular skillset.
Identifying the keywords and messages that will be used to define your manufacturing PR and marketing campaign are a vital start point. This can be done in a variety of ways and Leapfrog Marketing has developed a particularly effective method – the unique Strategic Issue Analysis (SIA). This half day in-depth analysis of your business is something we recommend with each new client before embarking on a campaign.
The SIA is a tried and trusted method. It identifies not only the keywords and messages that will go on to form the bedrock of the campaign content, but also defines buyer personas, evaluates your competitors and examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that face your business.
If you’ve chosen the right PR/digital marketing partner, there’s no doubt that your investment in a manufacturing PR and marketing campaign will build interest and provoke engagement. It will also generate increased levels of sales leads many of which will come from the extensive media coverage the campaign will create.
Sadly no agency worth its salt, however, will guarantee you instant success. Like pouring a pint of Guinness, good results take time to materialise. The most effective campaigns are those that build momentum gradually over time, leaving a permanent impression on target customers’ minds.
“PR had always seemed a bit flaky to me, but the guys at Leapfrog have totally changed my mind.”
If you’d like to take advantage of Leapfrog’s expertise to engage with your customers and keep your brand top of mind, give Alan Myers a call on 0116 278 7788.
Related article: Manufacturing Awards