Importance of social media for manufacturers

In an era deeply marked by digital transformation, it is essential for companies that want to increase their brand awareness to have a presence on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, among others, since they represent an excellent means of promoting products or services , and a close communication channel with your customers. Manufacturing industries in particular should focus their efforts on social media marketing strategies as it is increasingly common for millennials to take on decision-making roles in their companies.

Based on the above, marketing in social networks offers the possibility of significantly increasing sales with a high potential for return, specifically among the younger professionals because this group of audience makes the greatest use of social networks. Even, according to as illustrated by the Global Webindex, that states that more than 40% of digital consumers use social networks to research new brands or products.

It is worth mentioning that social networks are essential to drive the growth of manufacturing industries, either through the use of paid or organic advertising, they also constitute an effective online marketing tool because it does not require specialized knowledge to use them effectively and child easily accessible . Other benefits that social networks offer to manufacturers are the following:

• They represent an ideal place to establish conversations with clients and gain their trust thanks to the fact that they allow obtaining direct feedback.
• According to ThomasNet, manufacturing and industrial companies can take advantage of social networks to increase traffic by up to 300% and increase lead generation by 150%, which means that they have a great reach and allow to reach a large audience.
• Increase the visibility and recognition of the brand.
• They allow you to determine the type of content of greatest interest to your target audience.
• They improve search engine positioning thanks to social mentions.

Now, having a presence on social networks does not mean creating a series of profiles on the different networks with the sole objective of promoting each of the products that are owned, since doing this would be to misuse it. The use of these technological resources should be carried out in order to share valuable information with customers where there is a more direct interaction allows creating an environment in which they feel so identified that when making a purchase decision, they lean towards it. that has provided them with sufficient support through these networks. In this sense, it is recommended for manufacturers to do the following:

1. Identify your target audience. Knowing your target audience intimately is a key element for manufacturers who want to boost their business, because depending on your target audience, certain channels may be more appropriate than others.
2. Choose the social platform. Once you’ve identified the target audience you want to reach, find out which social media channels your customers interact with on a daily basis, where your competitors focus their efforts and test them out. For manufacturing companies and other B2B companies, LinkedIn is a great social media platform to start with, but there are benefits to using as many social platforms as are relevant to your target audience.
3. Develop an engaging content strategy. Plan a strategy that allows you to attract new customers with paid publications, interact with them either by answering their questions or through their comments.
4. Act like a human. Social media allows consumers to see the hands and hearts of those who make a product or perform a service. Before posting, think about what your audience would like to see as people are more likely to engage with a brand if they can feel a human connection.

In short, social networks represent an excellent way for manufacturers to generate sales effectively. Developing marketing campaigns in the different social channels in which your target audience is located is a valuable investment that, depending on your efforts, allows you to significantly increase your income and boost the growth of your business.