Posts Categorized: Commentary

Why Show Industrial Pricing Online?

What's the big deal about pricing on your website? It's the #1 piece of information users want.

Imagine if grocery stores didn’t display pricing. You’d be outraged if Kroger forced you to request a quote on bread and milk. Likewise, it would leave a bad taste in your mouth if an electrician didn’t give you an estimate for rewiring your kitchen. You’d never hire him or her to do the work. That’s… Read more »

Why Industrials Should Hire a Marketing Agency

You're good at what you do. Agencies are good at marketing. Hiring one is a win-win situation.

Throughout the last few years, I’ve heard a lot of “Why do I need to hire a marketing agency?” Not surprisingly, I hear this primarily from industrial companies. Traditionally, industrials are focused on old-school methods of sales and marketing such as trade shows and the occasional print ad. If it ain’t broke, why fix it… Read more »

Manufacturing — The Super Bowl Commercial

What's different about 2015 Super Bowl commercials? An emphasis on manufacturing.

With all the buzz about economic recovery in the U.S. and the role that manufacturing has played in that rebound, it’s no wonder that the reinvented image of modern manufacturing has started to become a focus for advertising. This week, manufacturing makes it to the big game with three Super Bowl ads that draw our… Read more »

Zombie Coffee: LinkedIn & Industrial Sales

How to use social media and caffeine to drum up new business.

Imagine: You find someone you’d like to connect with on LinkedIn. You email them to ask if you can “pick their brain.” A coffee date is set. You’ve just become part of the phenomenon that’s taking over industrial sales: Zombie Coffee. This no-frills networking strategy fueled by a lethal combination of LinkedIn, caffeine, and brain… Read more »

Profit-Driven Marketing for Industrials

Stop thinking about marketing as an expense. Start using it to drive profits.

Earlier this year, Google began publishing content about profit-driven marketing on its “think with Google” site. For Google, recasting marketing in terms of profit is specifically about changing how marketers think about their search advertising spend. While it’s important to take heed of the world’s leading search engine’s official position on search marketing spending strategy,… Read more »

5 Marketing Automation Mistakes to Avoid

Minding the gap between best intentions and practical applications.

We’ve all seen the stats and heard the grandiose claims. Indeed, marketing automation is much more than a trend or buzzword; it’s a bonafide technology solution and business strategy that will continue to redefine the future of marketing. SiriusDecisions estimates that nearly 50 percent of B2B companies will have purchased and implemented marketing automation by… Read more »