Q: I was reviewing the manufacturing white paper that was done recently by GrowthANSWERS, and I was surprised by how few manufacturers surveyed utilize online tools to prospect.  Is there a reason for this?  Can it change?

A: It’s a great question.  Many of the manufacturers surveyed are specialized, and focus on niche markets.  As a result, they will tell you that their potential customer base is quite small, and thus there maybe isn’t a real benefit to social media tools.

But I wonder.  I think there is a great opportunity for social media tools to expand the market place for manufacturers.  And in opening up new doors, provide extra prospects to feed into the direct or indirect sales channels that exist.

The advantage of targeting a niche market is that you should have a solid profile of the type of customer you can serve.  Why this is important is it enables you to find others who match that profile.

And I think social media and online marketing can be an important support strategy to find more prospects that meet that profile.

Other manufacturers said that trade shows were an important tool in their marketing program.  Makes perfect sense.  Marketing, in all its forms, is meant to engage and educate – to build community.

I am willing to bet that when surveyed a year or two down the road, online marketing strategies will make up a significantly larger percentage of tactical options used.  What do you think?

Let me know what you think about social media and manufacturing.  What strategies have worked?  What social media strategies have not?

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