Most marketers and marketing agencies will tell you that content is king.
If you want to stand out, position your brand, or generate more leads than you can handle, you must create content.
That's not completely true.
Now, don't get me wrong; content is a powerful positioning tool.
I've used it for 6 years to position Shft as the only choice for 145+ clients.
But it's not the ONLY way to market your business, and it's not the best way to generate leads for every industry.
Many of my clients are in the industrial space.
- Equipment manufacturers
- Pump manufacturers
- IOT remote monitoring builders
- Warehouse consultants
- Operational flow consultants
All of them benefit by creating content.
However, their primary source of lead generation at the moment is not content.
They've used these 6 channels instead.
1-on-1 Meeting Setups
Think of this as speed dating with your ideal customers.
An outside firm finds your ideal customers who are ready to buy, brings them into one location, and arranges one-on-one meetings with them.
Many industrial firms have a version of this.
Pay for meetings and have 1-on-1 time with ready-to-buy customers looking for your solution.
Lunch & Learn Events
Similar to meeting setups, lunch-and-learn events are a great way to showcase your expertise to your ideal customers.
Many larger companies regularly host these events, bringing in outside experts to discuss the challenges their teams are facing.
The best part? You position your business as an expert AND get to pitch your services.
Free Hands-on Workshops
Think of these as a free trial of your product or service.
Bring ideal customers in (or you go to them!) and let them get their hands on your product or service.
- Show them how to use it
- Show them how to maintain it
- Give them worksheets and frameworks to use
- Answer their questions and provide resources
People tend to buy what they understand.
Allow them to understand your product or service, and they'll likely buy from you.
Industry Publication Ads & Engagement
Be where your customers are.
If your ideal customers trust and subscribe to publications and associations, you should be there in the form of ads and engagement
Think beyond traditional media.
These could be:
- Magazines
- Podcasts
- Email Newsletters
- Slack or Discord Communities
If they allow you to submit content, do it!
Otherwise, find ways to run ads to leverage the trust your ideal customers already have with that publication.
Search and Social Ads
Like it or not, ads are still an effective way of generating leads (when done correctly).
A simple strategy you should consider:
- Search ads (Google) pointing to a specific landing page (not your homepage)
- Retarget with social ads (i.e. Linkedin)
I recommend working with an ads firm for this.
You'll burn through a lot of money and get no results if you set these up wrong.
Direct Mail
No, print isn't dead.
The right message sent at the right time to the right person still works.
Be unique with this, though. Consider:
- Lumpy Mail - sending some kind of gift or item to grab attention
- Handwritten - use a platform like Handwrytten to send mass mail that looks personalized
- One Message - make sure you're only communicating ONE thing in your mail
Get a list of the decision makers for your ideal customers and send them mail.
It stands out far more than email.
Go Beyond Content
Content is a powerful positioning tool. But it takes time to start generating leads.
Implementing some of these other channels into your marketing strategy will help you:
- Stand out from the competition
- Position your business as the expert
- Generate high-quality leads
And, ultimately, make you the ONLY choice for your ideal customers.
Until next week,
#SassyJason out.
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