Word of mouth can only take your manufacturing business so far. When your competitors start beating you and business slows down, it’s a clear sign you need something more. Most manufacturing companies I work with hit this wall at some point, realizing their tried-and-true referral system isn’t generating enough growth anymore.
But making the shift to industrial marketing isn’t always easy in this sector. Manufacturing has traditionally relied on relationships and referrals, with many companies proudly stating, “we’ve always done it this way.” The problem? Your competitors aren’t standing still, and neither are your customers’ buying habits.
Let me walk you through a practical approach to building effective industrial marketing for your manufacturing business when referrals alone aren’t cutting it anymore.
Recognizing When You’ve Outgrown Word-of-Mouth
How do you know when it’s time to expand beyond referrals? The answer is pretty straightforward: when you’re not getting enough business, and you recognize your competitors outperforming you and taking the bids you typically win.
This usually starts with a gradual decline in sales that may not set off immediate alarms. You might attribute it to market fluctuations or other temporary factors. But when these “temporary” slowdowns become your new normal, it’s time to pay attention.
Another telling sign comes from a simple exercise. Try searching online for the products or services your manufacturing company offers. Do you show up in the results? If not, you’re practically invisible to potential customers who don’t already know your name. Meanwhile, your competitors who have embraced industrial marketing are capturing those prospects before they ever hear about you.
Breaking Through “We’ve Always Done It This Way”
The manufacturing sector often has deeply ingrained resistance to new marketing approaches. I’ve seen it countless times. The old guard sticks to what’s worked in the past, believing industrial products “don’t need marketing” or that “our customers don’t look for us online.”
In my experience, the most effective catalyst for change often comes from within. When younger generations move into leadership roles, they can sometimes convince the old guard to try something new. They understand intuitively that today’s buyers, even in manufacturing, start their purchasing journey online.
One particularly effective wake-up call I’ve witnessed is when ownership does a Google search for something related to their business and discovers they don’t appear in the results. That moment of realization that they’re invisible online can be incredibly motivational.
Another powerful motivator? Seeing direct competitors actively investing in marketing for manufacturers and winning business that should have been yours. Nothing spurs action quite like watching someone else succeed where you’re failing.
Building Your Industrial Marketing Foundation
Creating an ideal customer profile comes with a lot of research and soul-searching. Crafting messages that resonate with manufacturing decision makers requires understanding the problems those decision makers face daily.
At David Taylor Digital, we start with a messaging exercise, which is a 2-3 hour meeting with key stakeholders and leadership to understand who the business is at its core. We dig into:
What is your core offering?
Who do you typically sell to?
What questions do you get asked all the time?
We then weave that information into fictional profiles for typically three buyer personas. These become the foundation for all your industrial marketing efforts.
Why three personas? Most manufacturing companies sell to multiple stakeholders in the buying process. You might need to appeal to engineers evaluating technical specifications, procurement professionals focused on price and terms, and C-suite executives concerned with long-term value and ROI. Each needs different information presented in different ways.
Website Elements That Actually Generate Leads
Having a beautiful website full of product photos and technical specifications isn’t enough. Many manufacturing web design projects look impressive but fail to convert visitors into actual leads.
The difference-maker is content that solves problems. Creating content that gives answers to your ideal customers’ problems is the first step in being found online. Oftentimes, a buyer isn’t even aware that they need a product or service. They’re just trying to solve a problem, so they start googling for answers. You need to get your content in front of those people multiple times. You need to be the answer to their concern before they even know they have a problem to deal with.
Once they’re on your website, you need a structure and layout that’s geared to convert the visitor to take action. This means:
Clear, compelling calls-to-action on every page
Simple contact forms that don’t ask for too much information upfront
Case studies that demonstrate solved problems similar to what your prospects face
Technical information organized in an accessible way
Mobile-friendly design (yes, even engineers browse on their phones)
The most effective manufacturing websites focus less on telling visitors how great the company is and more on showing visitors how their issues can be solved.
Industrial Marketing Channels With the Highest ROI for Manufacturers
Not all industrial marketing channels perform equally well for manufacturing companies. Based on our experience with numerous clients in this sector, there are clear winners and losers.
Industrial SEO and paid search tactics are the strongest performers by far. When someone searches for a solution to their manufacturing problem, you want to be found. This is active intent marketing at its best, capturing prospects who are already looking for what you offer.
Advertising on targeted social media platforms can be helpful too, particularly LinkedIn for B2B manufacturing. The platform’s targeting capabilities allow you to reach decision-makers in specific industries with remarkable precision.
What doesn’t typically work well? I have not seen many leads generated in the manufacturing sector based on organic social media posting on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. While maintaining a basic presence is worthwhile for brand awareness, expecting significant lead generation from these channels often leads to disappointment.
The key is focusing your resources where industrial buyers actually look, not spreading yourself thin across every available channel.
Simplifying Performance Tracking
One of the biggest challenges for manufacturing companies new to industrial marketing is tracking performance. The sheer volume of metrics and data can feel overwhelming, especially for small marketing teams or business owners trying to manage marketing themselves.
We use many tools to track performance and funnel them all into one dashboard that our clients have access to. This allows them to see their website’s performance any time they want. But this can still feel overwhelming, so we make it our duty to review these metrics with clients at least once a month and help them understand the data they’re looking at.
For manufacturing companies just getting started with industrial marketing metrics, focus on these key indicators:
Website sessions (how many people are visiting)
Engagement (how long they stay, how many pages they view)
These four metrics tell you if people are finding you, if they’re interested in what they see, and if they’re taking the next step in the buying process. Everything else is secondary until you master these fundamentals.
From Referrals to Digital Success: A Real Example
Let me share a real example of industrial marketing transformation in action. We have a client in plastic manufacturing where the owner is in his mid-70s. He started recognizing his sales were declining over the years because he had no presence online and no digital marketing footprint.
Fortunately, he began to rely on a younger generation of leadership to open the doors to a new way of thinking about marketing. These younger leaders were able to show the owner what their direct competitors were doing online, which helped convince him to give industrial marketing a try.
We moved in to help with updating the messaging to better resonate with a younger generation of buyers, weaving keywords into the fabric of the website, and ultimately moving to a retainer for ongoing marketing services.
The result? New business from customers who had never heard of them through traditional referral channels. The company is now reaching buyers they never would have connected with otherwise, reversing their sales decline and opening new growth opportunities.
The DTD Way: A Continuous Improvement Approach
Successful industrial marketing for manufacturers isn’t a one-and-done project. It requires a cyclical approach of continuous improvement based on real data and insights. This is what we call The DTD Way: Strategize, Execute, Learn, Report, and then back to Strategize again.
In the Strategize phase, we define goals and objectives, identify target audiences, and develop a comprehensive way forward.
During Execute, we implement the plan according to the defined strategy, utilizing various channels and tactics like website development, content creation, SEO, paid search, and more.
The Learn phase involves monitoring and collecting data, analyzing performance metrics, and identifying patterns and trends.
In Report, we share transparent information about performance with stakeholders, discussing what worked well and what can be improved.
Then we use those insights to refine our strategy and start the cycle again. This approach allows manufacturing companies to adapt to changing market conditions and continuously improve their industrial marketing efforts without getting stuck in ineffective tactics.
Preparing for the Future of Manufacturing Marketing
Forward-thinking manufacturers should already be experimenting with creating content that can be found within AI searches. As traditional search engines evolve and AI becomes a more prominent method for research and learning, manufacturers need to create content in a way that allows them to be found within AI search results.
This means focusing even more intently on addressing specific problems and questions in your content, structuring information clearly, and ensuring your digital presence is comprehensive enough to be recognized as an authority in your specific manufacturing niche.
The manufacturers who adapt fastest to these emerging technologies will have a significant competitive advantage over those still debating whether they need industrial marketing at all.
Key Takeaways:
Industrial marketing is essential when referrals alone can’t sustain business growth in manufacturing.
A well-designed manufacturing website with problem-solving content is crucial for converting visitors into leads.
Working with a dedicated digital marketing partner ensures continuous improvement through strategic planning and data analysis.
Transform Your Manufacturing Business with Strategic Industrial Marketing
If you’re ready to expand beyond word-of-mouth referrals and build a sustainable industrial marketing strategy, we’re here to help. Our proven approach has helped manufacturers just like you increase visibility, generate qualified leads, and grow their business.
Industrial marketing is a specialized approach focusing on promoting products and services to other businesses within manufacturing sectors rather than to individual consumers.
How long does it take to see results from industrial marketing?
+
Most manufacturing businesses begin seeing measurable results within 3-6 months, with significant improvements in lead generation occurring after consistent implementation.
Do manufacturers really need digital marketing?
+
Yes, as most buyers now research solutions online before contacting suppliers, making digital visibility essential for manufacturing companies to remain competitive.
Marketing is an essential part of doing business, and companies should use every tool at their disposal. The Small Business Administration recommends spending between 7% and 8% of revenue on...
