You probably know that communication is necessary, even in the industrial world. You may even have already taken certain steps, but are you not seeing convincing results?
💡Here are some tips to follow to build an effective communication strategy that delivers ROI.
1- Communicate on social media (go digital!)
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter... Nowadays, social media has become ubiquitous and indispensable for your communication strategy. It is a real source of sharing and information, one of the essential means of communication today, even in B2B. So don't neglect it!
For B2B, and specifically in the industrial sector, one network in particular, LinkedIn, will be your Swiss Army knife.
You can use it asa monitoring tool, but also to improve your reputation, find new customers, and even recruit!
To support our argument, here are some statistics demonstrating LinkedIn's influence:
- 📊 840,000 French companies present on the platform
- 📊 84.8% of B2B decision-makers use LinkedIn for their professional activities.
- 📊 10.7 million active members in France
- 📊 46.8% of decision-makers have already engaged in a conversation with a company or one of its employees following content published on social media.
2- Be consistent in your communication
Publishing content in B2B is often something we think about when we have time... However, not being consistent significantly reduces the impact of your actions (just like in sports, if you only train once in a while, you're not likely to break any records!).
On the other hand, if you post frequently, at favorable times and days, you can achieve real results over time, regardless of your objectives (brand awareness, customer loyalty, etc.).
To achieve this, we recommend creating an editorial calendar, i.e., a schedule for publishing your content. This will help you stay consistent and organized.
Our tips for consistency:
- 📱Social media: post once or twice a week
- 📩Newsletter: sent once a month
- 🖥Update your website and post news: at least once a month
3- Vary your communication media
Many often focus on one or two communication channels to promote their offerings. In the industry, these are often brochures or trade shows. It's a good start, but it's not enough.
Multichannel communication is more effective and delivers a higher ROI. And contrary to what you might think, investing in several channels at once does not necessarily require a lot more effort!
With an"integrated communication"strategy, you can guarantee better results by leveraging your content in different formats to maximize its impact. For example, a business case can be turned into a press release, and a LinkedIn post can be used to fuel your newsletter.
There are many different media options available, but be careful not to get sidetracked and turn your communication strategy into a complicated mess! In industry, it is often best to focus on four to six priority channels.
4 – Think about your budget
You may find yourself investing in relatively expensive communications for a low return on investment: a booth at a trade show such as Global Industrie, for example, costs several thousand euros, at the very least.
This budget can sometimes be much more effective when focused on digital initiatives (and in this case, a few thousand euros can go a long way!). But how is this possible? Quite simply because digital communication methods are now much simpler and less expensive, for example sending your catalog by email (newsletter) rather than sending it in paper form to all your prospects (as is still sometimes done...).
It is therefore necessary to review your communication strategy andadjust your budget to avoid unnecessary expenses that would not bring you concrete results.
With a budget of €1,000/month, you can already get very good results! (We'll give you the secret recipe if you want 😉)
5- Communicate consistently and openly:
Consistent communication is essential. A contradictory message can damage your communication and your brand image.
To avoid this, plan ahead and anchor your communication in an overall strategy (the editorial calendar we mentioned above is one such tool!). Don't act on impulse.
In addition to being consistent, you need to be open to your surroundings. Communication that only talks about you and your products does not really bring results. The reason is simple: a self-centered, overly technical discourse focused on very specific features will not interest your target audience.
So you'll need to put yourself in other people's shoes, especially your future customers, to create materials that focus on their challenges and issues, not just on you!
6- Measure your results
“ You can't manage what you can't measure.” – Peter Drucker
When communicating, we aim for specific objectives. And when we talk about objectives, we mean KPIs to monitor! It is important to measure the results of the various marketing actions implemented. This allows you to improve those that did not have the desired effect and repeat those that work well with your target audience.
📈Here are some examples of tools you can use to measure your communication results:the number of visits to your site, the engagement rate, the number of MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) generated, the number of impressions, the click-through rate, etc.
7- Emphasize your values to promote your employer brand:
We are a long way from the days when companies were thought to exist solely to generate profit. And thank goodness! The values upheld by a company are now genuinely considered important and beneficial to its employer brand.
The values you convey are particularly relevant to your colleagues and employees. That is why they contribute to building corporate culture, which is key to a positive working environment. This will enable you to foster genuine commitment.
And now you're wondering, "But how can I get people interested?" Don't worry, it's not rocket science! All you need to do is show what you stand for by keeping it simple and real. Your coworkers and employees will be more involved in the company, and that'll help you build a strong employer brand.
For example, if you want to display values during your recruitment process, team spirit (23.81%) and respect (22.86%) appear to be widely favored by respondents.
Would you like more information about developing a communication strategy? La Miteam is here to help 😁
