![[Infographic] Content Marketing in Manufacturing: What Works, What Needs Work](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Infographic-content-marketing-in-manufacturing-801x675.png)
by Fronetics | Aug 11, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Manufacturing is experiencing a graying of its industry. With millions of workers at or near retirement age, many top posts are occupied by workers who have seen radical changes in the workplace over the course of their careers. And while executives have largely embraced advances in technology to transform the operations side of manufacturing, research shows they’ve been slow to adapt marketing and sales processes using emerging digital tools and technology.
Earlier this year the Content Marketing Institute released its annual report on the current state of content marketing within the manufacturing industry. This year’s report shows that the manufacturing industry continues to make strides in leveraging digital tools for sales and marketing purposes. Still, because these efforts are fairly new, the report also captures a sense of ambiguity about these new marketing strategies, particularly when it comes to measuring program success. Other notable findings from the study reveal that more than two-thirds of manufacturers are using content marketing to build brand awareness, boost sales, and generate leads. The report also uncovers some marked changes between the most recent report and last year’s report; there has been a shift in both the way manufacturers are choosing to distribute content and their perceived effectiveness of those tactics.
Check out our Infographic for a more detailed look at the report’s findings:
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm. Our firm works with companies to identify and execute strategies for growth and value creation.
Whether it is a wholesale food distributor seeking guidance on how to define and execute corporate strategy; a telematics firm needing high quality content on a consistent basis; a real estate firm looking for a marketing partner; or a supply chain firm in need of interim management, our clients rely on Fronetics to help them navigate through critical junctures, meet their toughest challenges, and take advantage of opportunities. We deliver high-impact results.
We advise and work with companies on their most critical issues and opportunities: strategy, marketing, organization, talent acquisition, performance management, and M&A support.
We have deep expertise and a proven track record in a broad range of industries including: supply chain, real estate, software, and logistics.
by Fronetics | Aug 4, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Supply Chain
Do reverse logistics companies need to focus on content marketing? Yes.
Should they use LinkedIn? Yes. Twitter? Yes. YouTube? Yes. Yes. Yes. Should they blog? Yes!
Several reverse logistics companies are already using content marketing in an effort to connect with peers and potential B2B consumers. IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) company, TradePort, has an informative blog and utilizes LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The large 3rd-party logistics (3PL) company, Unyson, utilizes the top B2B social media outlets with just under 2,000 followers on Twitter and just over 3,000 followers on LinkedIn. On the homepage of their website you can view a running tally of how much money they have saved their customers. At the time of the writing of this blog it’s at $2,055,763,398.
What the studies show:
The Content Marketing Institute reports that 8 out of 10 people identify themselves as blog readers, and 23% of all time spent online is spent on social media sites. With the rise of the blog, companies have gotten smart about how to reach their current and potential consumers. According to Forbes, many brands are moving their advertising budgets from television to online videos.
In the B2B world things are changing, too, with many executives wanting to gain information through other mediums. The Content Marketing Institute also reports that a majority (80%) of business decision-makers prefer to get information from articles rather than through advertisements.
We know that inbound marketing is effective in garnering consumers’ attention. It’s aligned with a generation of people who want to be educated about the products they’re buying and who are willing to search for those products online. Even with all of this known, it’s important to ask: what is the ROI when it comes to content marketing?
Return on Investment
In order to calculate ROI, the cost of content marketing needs to be assessed:
- salaries (if going in-house)
- marketing agency or contractor services
- additional overhead
- distribution costs
- design and publication software
After those costs have been calculated, the next step is to subtract that number from the revenue generated. The Guardian has put forth its simple content marketing ROI calculator:
(Revenue Generated – Cost of Content Marketing) / Cost of Content Marketing = ROI
According to the newspaper, “A simple calculation could say that you drove 1000 visits through a piece of content, and Google Ads would have cost £1 per click, e.g. £1000 to equal the same. If the content only cost £500, you have a saving!”
But with most seemingly simple things, there’s complexity underneath. Dig deeper and ask more questions:
- Is the money you’re spending on inbound marketing deterring other, less obvious, costs?
- Would it have cost you more through outbound marketing methods to achieve that same level of visibility than through inbound marketing solutions?
- Is inbound marketing bringing in customers or closing a deal more quickly than alternative methods (time is money, after all)?
- Is inbound marketing cutting down the need for staffing in other areas, such as support staff to manage inquiries or support calls?
Some incalculable values from inbound marketing, like consumer preferences, content intelligence, customer relationship strategies, and branding can be hard to tie to a number, but over time you will see that your ROI will become more clear to you as you generate leads, turn leads into customers, and see the result in the form of money gained (American dollars or British pounds!).
There are several ways to measure ROI. Reverse logistics will continue to grow in importance as regulations increase and the environment continues to come to the forefront as an ethical and practical issue. Content is king, so consider it, measure it, and go for it.
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm. Our firm works with companies to identify and execute strategies for growth and value creation.
When it comes to marketing we work with our clients to create and execute strategies that drive success and elevate their brand position within the industry. Unlike other firms, we align marketing programs with business objectives and, through a data driven approach, are able to deliver results with a targeted ROI. Our team is comprised of strategists, marketing professionals, writers, designers, and experts in social media. Together we leverage our experience to increase brand awareness, position our clients as thought leaders, drive meaningful engagement with prospects and customers, and help businesses grow.
by Fronetics | Jun 30, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Marketing
93 percent of all online experiences begin with a search engine and 75 percent of searchers don’t move past the first page of search results. With home buyers increasingly more likely to start their purchasing research online, content marketing is a strategic way for real estate marketers to get their properties in front of more potential buyers. What’s more, home buyers are influenced by peers and their interactions with websites, mobile apps, and social networks. The opportunities created by these online interactions can be competitive advantages for real estate marketers who are prepared to take advantage of this new landscape.
Consider this case study of a leading real estate marketing firm who chose to use digital and content marketing to shake up their traditional marketing approach. After just three months of beginning a digital and content marketing program, the firm recognized significant gains in web traffic, social media engagement, and brand exposure. The firm recognized that unlike print, online mediums created opportunities for their firm to present target audiences with dynamic content. Optimizing their content and strategizing about its distribution boosted sales 37% for this real estate marketing firm in just 90 days.
Download the case study to find out how they achieved their remarkable results.
![DIY fail-proof content marketing strategy [eBook]](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/content-marketing-strategy-1080x675.jpg)
by Fronetics | Jun 16, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
95% of B2B enterprise marketers and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing. The down and dirty is that content marketing works. Content marketing attracts leads and converts leads to customers – and it does so at a lower cost than traditional marketing (and in a much less invasive manner). Here are some cold hard stats:
- 80% of business decision-makers prefer to get information from articles rather than through advertisements
- Inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads
- Adopting an inbound strategy doubles average website conversion rates, from 6% to 12%
The reality is that content marketing works. Customers are no longer responding to interruption-based marketing as they once did. They’re ignoring overt sales pitches and looking instead to peers, social networks, and search engines. In short, it’s all about content these days. Companies within every industry – from fashion to fishing – are creating and curating relevant and valuable content and using it to engage prospects and connect with customers.
We have created a DIY fail-proof strategy for connecting with prospects and building brand awareness by creating and distributing amazing content – our content marketing eBook. Earn the attention of your prospects and customers by using this checklist to develop a solid content marketing strategy. In it, you’ll find step-by-step instructions, templates, lists, and samples to get your content marketing program up and running.
by Fronetics | Jun 15, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Data/Analytics, Marketing
It’s impossible not to recognize that the business world is changing. Whether it’s the fall of the travel agent as people migrate towards online booking, or the irrelevance of the compact disc as Spotify and iTunes changed the music industry, or how advertising is done. Outbound marketing, such as print ads, TV ads, banner ads, trade shows, telemarketing, and direct mail are no longer what consumers are requiring. According to Forbes, many brands are moving their advertising budgets from television to online videos. The Content Marketing Institute reports that 8 out of 10 people identify themselves as blog readers, and 23% of all time spent online is spent on social media sites. With the rise of the blog, companies have gotten smart about how to reach their current and potential consumers.
In the B2B world things are changing, too, with many executives wanting to gain information through other mediums. The Content Marketing Institute also reports that a majority (80%) of business decision-makers prefer to get information from articles rather than through advertisements.
We know that inbound marketing is effective in garnering consumers’ attention. It’s aligned with a generation of people who want to be educated about the products they’re buying and who are willing to search for those products online. Even with all of this known, it’s important to ask: what is the ROI when it comes to content marketing?
According to Search Engine Journal, inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads. In the Harvard Business Review article, How to Profit from “Lean Advertising”, the shoe company DC Shoes is profiled as a model for inbound marketing. In an industry where star athletes are profiled in big-production advertisements via TV commercials, billboards, and magazine ads, the skateboard shoe company decided to take a different route. According to the 2013 HBS article, “Over the past four years they have gotten more than 180 million views—and in 2011 alone, sales jumped 15%. One was YouTube’s most-shared video of 2011; another garnered a million views in its first 24 hours. Paying online media for this type of exposure would cost upward of $5 million.”
Like any new tack in business decisions, relying on case studies from other businesses is helpful, but cost needs to be considered. In order to calculate ROI the cost of content marketing needs to be assessed:
- salaries (if going in-house)
- marketing agency or contractor services
- additional overhead
- distribution costs
- design and publication software
After those costs have been calculated, the next step is to subtract that number from the revenue generated. The Guardian has put forth its simple content marketing ROI calculator:
(Revenue Generated – Cost of Content Marketing) / Cost of Content Marketing = ROI
According to the newspaper, “A simple calculation could say that you drove 1000 visits through a piece of content, and Google Ads would have cost £1 per click, e.g. £1000 to equal the same. If the content only cost £500, you have a saving!”
But with most seemingly simple things, there’s complexity underneath. Dig deeper and ask more questions. Is the money you’re spending on inbound marketing deterring other, less obvious, costs? Would it have cost you more through outbound marketing methods to achieve that same level of visibility than through inbound marketing solutions? Is inbound marketing bringing in customers or closing a deal more quickly than alternative methods (time is money, after all)? Is inbound marketing cutting down the need for staffing in other areas, such as support staff to manage inquiries or support calls?
Some incalculable values from inbound marketing, like consumer preferences, content intelligence, customer relationship strategies, and branding can be hard to tie to a number, but over time you will see that your ROI will become more clear to you as you generate leads, turn leads into customers, and see the result in the form of money gained (American dollars or British pounds!).
