The internet gives everyone a platform today. You’re no longer beholden to the Business Journal running a story or forced to pay for a glossy ad in a trade show rag to get your story in front of potential customers.
Everyone can tell a story and build a tribe.
Think you’re stuck in a boring industry where it is impossible to get people excited? Think again.
If you create content that is relevant to your industry, then the people in your industry will find it interesting.
Jeff Morgan from ThomasNet made a great point in his recap of the Inbound 2013 conference.
Minivan buyers aren’t looking for Porsches. They’re looking for the specific qualities of a minivan, and which one works better for them. The minivan stand-in is just an illustration – replace it with roller bearings, heat sinks, or metal stampings, and think about how it relates to your industry.
Your marketing doesn’t need to be sexy to solve people’s problems. Just focus on delighting your customers.
Be Helpful.
Instead of spending your marketing dollars on outbound tactics that interrupt people with direct mail blasts or cold calls, use content to help solve problems.
Creating content like blog post, YouTube videos, instructional eBooks, and industry reports is a great way to position your company as a resource. It doesn’t matter the industry.
Every industrial marketer’s toolkit should include at least three things: a blog, iPhone, and a marketing database. Use the blog as your resource hub, use the iPhone to capture photos and videos, and use a marketing database, like Hubspot, to follow up and engage prospects over time.
Solve Problems
Your customers have questions. They have pains. Just talk to your sales team. It will probably take them about 12 seconds to give you a 10 point list of frequently asked questions.
If there are people asking these questions, then there is a great chance that there are people out there who are thinking the same thing. Use these questions and problems as material for your company blog and email updates.
Identify Opportunities
As you’re going about your day-to-day, just keep your eye open for opportunities. Be on the look out for the chance to shoot a quick iPhone video of a new product delivery. If someone on your team presents at a conference, turn their slide deck into a SlideShare presentation. Ideas are everywhere and there you have never had access to more platforms for telling your story.
Remember, online marketing done well (also known as inbound marketing) doesn’t have to be prefect. Get it up and get it out. You can make adjustments on the fly. You can examine marketing analytics to see what is working and what isn’t working. Focus on improving over time instead of trying to be perfect before you ever begin.
If you want to learn all the ins and outs of what goes into a successful inbound marketing campaign, download our free eBook Inbound Marketing 101. Inside we break down all the steps to help you get started. Enjoy!