Getting Started With Email Marketing for Manufacturers

Manufacturing email campaigns are a successful B2B marketing tactic because email is accessible, customizable, and offers a platform on which most consumers are willing to connect with brands. Email marketing for manufacturers can be even more powerful because it extends opportunities to segment your database and deliver different messaging to the various stakeholders throughout the long and complicated buying journeys.

Successful manufacturing email campaigns may provide benefits such as:

• Help build a meaningful database of contacts, prospects and customers
• Generate traffic to your website, which helps you understand more about how prospects behave in the buying journey
• Build authority with your audience by providing helpful content
• Collect valuable customer feedback through surveys to help you improve
• Boost sales through automation and increase touchpoints for your reps

This blog post will look at email marketing strategy for manufacturers. But first we will touch on the basics of B2B email marketing.

Understand the Basics of Email Marketing for Manufacturers

Email marketing works best with strategic messaging that targets your audience’s needs and offers value on a regular cadence. To get started, it is key to understand the vast range of potential emails.

It’s also important to figure out what is the sweet spot for your company’s emails. For some end users, receiving an email from you once a month will be fine; anything more is intrusive. For others, once a week is OK.

This is a partial list of the types of emails you might consider:

• Welcome and onboarding emails
• Newsletters
• Product or service announcements
• Lead nurture campaigns
• Transactional trigger emails
• Churned or re-engagement lead emails

A monthly newsletter gives you added flexibility in pushing out case studies and new or updated product guides.

It’s also essential to understand the technical aspects and best practices for B2B email marketing in general. Here’s a great resource for your getting started checklist:

• Email Marketing Software: Ideally this is your CRM, which is invaluable for showing when prospects drop out of consideration and key actions that correlate with a sale. It also offers automation options.
• Email Database: The better your database, the more you can benefit from segmenting it and personalizing the messaging.
• Best Practices: This includes crafting subject lines, when to send emails, A/B testing, and calls to action.
• Valuable Content: Your audience expects authority and educational content, so focus on how your offerings can help them do their jobs better. You are not selling with manufacturing emails.

Now let’s take a look at some of the more strategic approaches for you to consider with your manufacturing email campaigns.

Go Beyond Product Specs: Focus on Solutions and Expertise

Just as your SEO strategy emphasizes providing technical information and solving problems, your email marketing should do the same. Instead of just listing product features or sending generic promotional blasts, use email to share your expertise and address your audience's pain points. This could include:

• Application-based content: Showcase how your products solve specific manufacturing challenges, such as "Improving Cycle Times in Automotive Stamping.”
• Technical tips and guides: Offer valuable insights related to materials, processes, or industry best practices. For example, "A Guide to Selecting the Right Industrial Adhesive" helps establish you as an authority.
• Case studies and success stories: Demonstrate how you've helped other manufacturers achieve their goals, with links to detailed case studies on your website.
• Webinar or event invitations: Highlight opportunities to learn more about specific technical topics or solutions.

By positioning your emails as valuable resources, you'll build trust and engagement, moving beyond transactional communication.

Nurture Leads Based on Position in the Supply Chain and Buying Journey

Integration with your CRM is so important because it enables personalized emails that address specific needs and interests, which will be far more effective than generic broadcasts. Your emails should recognize the different needs of stakeholders and their stage in the buying process. Segment your email list based on relevant criteria, such as:

• Industry or niche: Tailor content to the needs of each manufacturing sector (e.g., aerospace, medical device, food processing).
• Job title or role: Speak directly to the concerns of engineers, purchasing managers, or operations personnel.
• Engagement with your website content: Nurture leads that have downloaded technical documents or viewed specific product pages with more in-depth information.
• Their stage in the buying journey: Send awareness-stage content to new subscribers, consideration-stage content to those who have shown interest, and conversion-focused emails to those further along.

Highlight Your Differentiators to Build Relationships Over Time

Just as your SEO aims to showcase what makes you unique, your email marketing provides an ongoing opportunity to reinforce your value proposition. Think of email as an engagement tool for your best customers, much in the way you use social posts to win over casual prospects. Use email to:

• Share company news: Highlight personnel achievements, new certifications, equipment upgrades, or innovative processes that set you apart.
• Offer exclusive content or access: Reward your email subscribers with valuable information not available elsewhere.
• Solicit feedback and foster dialogue: Show that you value your audience's input and are committed to understanding their needs.
• Maintain consistent communication: Regular, valuable emails keep your company top-of-mind when a need arises. It’s essential to remain on the radar for when companies are getting ready to invest.

Email marketing allows you to build relationships and nurture leads over time..

Integrate Email Marketing with Other Marketing Efforts (Especially SEO)

Email and SEO can work synergistically to drive results. Consider these connections:

• Promote valuable website content via email: Share new blog posts, technical guides, and case studies to drive traffic to your site (boosting your SEO).
• Use email to nurture leads generated through SEO: Follow up with individuals who have downloaded resources or contacted you through your website.
• Segment email lists based on keywords or topics of interest: If someone landed on your site via a specific long-tail keyword, you can send them targeted email content related to that topic.
• Include clear calls-to-action in emails that align with website conversion goals: Drive subscribers to request quotes, download spec sheets, or contact your sales team.

By integrating your email and SEO strategies, you can create a more cohesive and effective marketing approach.

We Can Help With Your Email Marketing Strategy for Industrial Companies

By embracing these strategic email marketing approaches, small manufacturing marketers can move beyond basic outreach and cultivate meaningful connections that fuel business growth.

Visit our integrated marketing and INDUSTRIAL Strength Marketing services page to learn more about email marketing. Request a consultation to see how we can help you.