When it comes to generating leads in B2B industrial marketing, engineers and manufacturers are among the top target audiences. If you’re a member of an industrial marketing team, you undoubtedly felt the pressure to reach these groups in 2021. After all, most marketing teams were asked to produce more content without additional resources this year to keep up with decreasing in-person events, increasing material demand, low worker availability, and other unanticipated disruptions to traditional marketing strategies.

Each year, Ecreative likes to see what B2B industrial marketing strategies worked best for manufacturers and forecast possible strategies for how to market to engineers in the coming months. For instance, in 2019, we saw a workforce moving into the digital space and suggested industrial marketing teams get comfortable online. One pandemic and a couple of years later, the industrial world operates almost entirely through screens. Today, we break down which marketing approaches worked for manufacturers in 2021 and explore B2B strategies for 2022.

B2B Industrial Marketing: 2021 in Review

2021 was a year that saw a dynamic shift in how to market to engineers. With industrial marketing strategies that previously relied on tradeshows, conferences, and other face-to-face events, industrial B2B companies have had to fundamentally change how they build their brand and foster quality lead generation.

Online Information Sources Were the First Stop for Manufacturers & Engineers

Did you know that 94% of industrial B2B customers research online before purchasing a product? According to a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, not only did most manufacturers and engineers research online in 2021, but more than 70% of them waited to contact a sales representative until they fully realized their needs and identified a solution (or multiple solutions!). Most engineers spent over half of their buying process interacting only with websites. That timeframe expanded drastically when the buyer was under 45 years old.

Content Marketing Strategies Were Crowned King

 
As you can see from the survey’s findings, 66% of engineer respondents reported that their business has a content marketing strategy in place. Over 80% of those manufacturing B2B companies found their content marketing strategy to be moderately, very, or extremely successful in building brand awareness, nurturing leads, and increasing their overall business.

Content was most successful when used to build awareness, trust, and credibility in a brand. Social media usage, in particular, saw growth in 2021’s industrial marketing strategies. 79% of strategies utilized LinkedIn to market to engineers with satisfying results, using the platform to distribute articles, educational materials, and other content to catch purchasers early in their buyer’s journey. Other social media platforms successfully used to create organic results included YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Videos & Webinars Created Effective Lead Generation

While video is a part of an overall content marketing strategy for manufacturers, 2021 saw a significant rise in the utilization of video and virtual events compared to previous years. The top-performing topics of these videos included:

• How-to instructional videos
• Webinars, webcasts, and web series
• Interviews with industry experts
• Information about the company.

86% of surveyed marketers responded that video provided the greatest return of investment in 2021. Additionally, 70%% of respondents said they introduced webinars, virtual events, or online courses during the past year, up from 55% in 2020, to fill the need left by canceled or restricted in-person events. Videos allowed marketers to reach their buyers more personally than articles, blogs, or social media would otherwise allow.

How to Market to Engineers in 2022

These numbers, trends, and statistics are all well and good, but what do they mean for your B2B industrial marketing strategy? How can you use this information to market to engineers and manufacturers as you create your B2B industrial marketing strategy for 2022?

Build a Better Website to Market to Manufacturers

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 56% of respondents surveyed anticipate increased investment in in-person events in the coming months. While we expect to see an increase in face-to-face tradeshows or conferences, it is still vital to maintain a healthy, vibrant digital presence that brings value to engineers and manufacturers. In addition to optimizing your B2B website for success, build your site to market to engineers. Remember, manufacturers conduct most of their research online. Make sure your site:

• Incorporates product data into marketing content
• Delivers accurate, concise component information
• Displays CAD models or 3D previews for engineers to inspect
• Includes detailed specifications or on-demand information.

Recognize That Gen-Z & Millennial Engineers Aren’t on the Way—They’re Here

In 2021, Gen-Z and Millennials made up nearly half of the engineers and manufacturers making purchasing decisions. You may even be a Gen-Z or Millennial engineer yourself! Even pre-pandemic, Gen-Z and Millennial buyers have shown that they prefer to control their sales process via digital and online presences. Luckily, it’s easy to adapt your marketing strategy to meet these buyers’ needs by implementing these industrial marketing strategies:

• Use social media to create a more curated and personalized experience
• Include video and webinars in your content marketing strategy
• Strive for authentic language
• Streamline your website
• Optimize for tablets and mobile devices.

Utilize Quality Content Marketing Strategies for Better Lead Generation

Creating quality, varied content as a part of your industrial marketing strategy will lead to better lead generation in the coming year. We’re not the only ones who think so! According to the Content Marketing Institute, 64% of businesses anticipate a higher marketing budget in 2022 than last year. So, as you plan your 2022 content strategy, you can strengthen your marketing by remembering to:

• Craft content that moves engineers through the buyer’s journey
• Differentiate your content from your competition’s
• Prioritize the value and needs of manufacturers over a sales push.

Keep in mind that content is not always synonymous with words on a page. What can you turn into a picture or infographic? Can you record a warehouse tour to build brand trust, film a how-to video for your popular products to establish expertise, or create a virtual introduction to your team for a more personalized buying experience? Have you established a Google My Business profile?

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at what marketing manufacturers applied in 2021, and consider how you can diversify your content in the coming months:

Comprehensive B2B Industrial Marketing Strategies for Manufacturers

Digital marketing is here to stay. Despite the return of in-person events anticipated in 2022, a carefully cultivated web presence is required for a modern, successful B2B industrial marketing strategy. That’s where Ecreative comes in. From designing an effective website to crafting one-of-a-kind content or building a social media presence, we are prepared to help you develop a strategy for marketing to manufacturers and engineers.

Learn How We Can Help with your Industrial Marketing

In-text graphics source: www.contentmarketinginstitute.com. Access the complete study: Manufacturing Content Marketing.