We’ve all heard of the biblical Magi — three wise men bearing gifts. But you may not have heard of the Industri — two podcasters who come with gifts for industrial marketers. OK, it’s a stretch. But we’re willing to suspend our keyword discipline and be outrageously liberal with the definition of gifts in order to wish you happy holidays, entertain you for a few minutes, and hopefully inspire you to raise your marketing for manufacturers game.
In the latest edition of the Industrial Marketer Podcast, co-hosts Joey and Nels offer up three “gifts” each with resources, strategies and mindsets that can help your industrial marketing. We hope you enjoy their thoughts, and we would love to hear yours.
The Industri’s Gifts of Industrial Gold
These manufacturing-specific resources will give you access to the latest in domain expertise and innovation.
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s Workforce Content
Workforce issues top every list of concerns for manufacturers, and industrial marketers should be playing a bigger role in this area.
The Manufacturing Extension Parnership (MEP) is a public-private partnership with MEP Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers. We’ve been doing work with them for years, so we are shamelessly biased. But they have great resources for manufacturers, including their Manufacturing Innovation Blog, and this white paper, The Manufacturers’ Guide to Finding and Retaining Talent. Local MEP Centers have everything from assessments and programming to classes and webinars. MEP also sponsors America Works, an initiative that partners with innovative programs to help coordinate manufacturing workforce development programs.
A Webinar to Accelerate Your Industry 4.0 Transformation
This webinar was recorded in September, but it is well worth the hour-long commitment to hear from the digital connectivity experts at SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) and SAP. They bill the future as combining the top floor with the shop floor. The webinar dives into how you can ensure your manufacturing data connects with your ERP and other systems.
The Industri’s Gifts of Marketing Frankincense
These are among the best B2B marketing resources we know of, which we leverage regularly for ourselves and our clients.
The Clikk Free Daily Email Newsletter
The Clikk delivers a daily dose of marketing wisdom with an unapologetic snarky tone. These folks offer up proof every day of the power of content marketing, with current examples and lessons on the hows and whys of B2B email marketing. They spend a ton of time on this because they believe in it. Try it out, and we’ll be surprised if you don’t find it of value. Did we tell you it’s free?
Content Marketing Tips and Trends
If you don’t know it already, make sure to check out the Content Marketing Institute (which is actually a business but operates like an industry advocate, resource and think tank). They recently published 27+ Marketing Statistics to Help You Succeed in 2023. It’s a great read to get you thinking, and they will arm you with data to help make your case. The article includes two great links to video best practices, 4 Ways to Win With Video, the ‘It’ Content Format for 2023 and How to Repurpose Video Content for Bigger and Better Results.
The Industri’s Gifts of Myrrh
Myrrh was used in ancient times as holy anointing oil and for purification and embalming. In other words, people saved this for special occasions. The industri’s parting holiday gems are, indeed, special. Neither is a surprise, but each is a tenet in marketing.
Keep Your Focus on the Bottom Line
This resource is an infographic, so it’s a quick and easy read. Aptean’s 5 Profit-Driving Priorities for North American Manufacturers is an awesome reminder of how to align manufacturing actions with key performance indicators in a digital transformation. Bring the same mindset to your marketing for manufacturers.
Reduce Friction in Your Customer Journey
How can you become more customer-focused? How can you make things easier for them – easier to research your products and services, find capabilities and specs, and answer questions about solutions, pricing and delivery? Some of our favorite articles from the past year were about reducing friction. They include:
- “How to Translate Lean Principles into Your Office Functions”
- “E-Commerce Capabilities Will Help Reduce Friction in the Buying Process”
- Treat your website like a virtual trade show
Listen to the Podcast to Learn More About Industrial Marketing
To hear the industri wax about their gifts and for more insights into marketing for manufacturers, listen to Episode 38 of the Industrial Marketer podcast.
Subscribe to the Industrial Marketer Podcast
The Industrial Marketer podcast comes out once a month. To subscribe, visit our Buzzsprout show page and select your podcast platform of choice.
And if you have any ideas for topics you’d like us to cover on the podcast — or here on the Industrial Marketer website — send us a message on Facebook or Twitter and let us know!
