Study Finds Opportunity in Digital Marketing for Manufacturers

Sixty-five percent of manufacturers recently described their digital marketing programs as experimental/new or just getting started, representing a significant opportunity for growth, according to a new study published by Manufacturing Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) and BusinessOnline.

“Invent to Survive: How Digital Marketing Will Drive Manufacturers’ Destiny” examined the current state of digital marketing programs at more than 100 leading manufacturers.

A majority of those surveyed had sufficient support to accomplish digital marketing goals from senior management (56 percent) but lacked the data necessary to assess ROI (77 percent), funding to accomplish existing marketing goals (63 percent), and internal expertise in digital marketing (60 percent).
While most manufacturers are using social media (85 percent), email marketing (81 percent), SEO (79 percent), and online advertising (79 percent), a much lower percentage are taking advantage of marketing automation tools (32 percent) and mobile apps (51 percent).

An area of opportunity, the study found, is development and integration of cross-channel marketing efforts to create a more unified customer experience.

“Manufacturers are recognizing the need to leverage digital marketing and develop tools to do so. My hope is that the peer-based insights in this guide help lead the way in showing the potential of digital marketing in our industry,” said Cam Mackey, MAPI’s SVP of operations and partnerships.

B2B Buyers Looking For Omni-Channel Experience

A seamless omni-channel buying experience is something B2B buyers are looking for, according to a recent study by Accenture and SAP hybris. In 2015, 75 percent of B2B buyers said they research at least 25 percent of their work-related purchases online, even if they make the purchase offline.

However, the study found B2B companies are struggling to integrate the online and offline customer experience. Only 60 percent of respondents have customer names available on all channels and just 48 percent have customer shipping and billing addresses available on all buying channels.