4 reasons why engineering companies should have a social media presence
The universal power of social media in recent years has provided businesses with the optimum communication opportunity to reach out and connect with potential customers. Social media channels have evolved into marketing giants and while most industries have got on board, many engineering firms have fallen behind in their B2B social media strategies. While they understand its popularity, they struggle to see the relevance and value it can bring to their marketing efforts.
This definitely isn’t the case! Social media offers engineering firms the opportunity to attract prospective customers, engage with current clients and network in professional online communities. If you’re not already convinced, these benefits will help…
Drive website traffic
By posting interesting company news and content on your social media channels, your followers will be more inclined to share it with their own followers, increasing the reach of your post. By linking these social updates to your website, you can successfully drive traffic back to your site. We can’t forget the part social media can play in improving organic traffic too. It's great for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) too, with Google recognising social media mentions as a valuable referral link, pushing your site further up on google's search rankings.
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Instantly engage with potential customers
The instantaneous nature of social media means prospective clients can get in touch immediately by raising concerns and asking questions on your posts across the various platforms, something they may not do if they had to go to the effort of an email or phone call. This positively impacts customer service for engineering companies, with a designated social media manager responding promptly to queries, presenting your firm as approachable and alert to their customer’s needs.
The engaging nature of social media means you can listen closely to what your target market is talking about. Twitter lists are a great tool for targeted engagement with your engineering clients. By segmenting twitter lists accordingly, you can separate your customers, prospects, competitors and industry professionals to efficiently monitor and reach out to them when necessary.
Download→ Plan and prepare your next Engineering trade show using our 3-page checklist.
Build Relationships
The professional element of social media can be a great benefit to engineering firms. The opportunity to connect with industry experts, employees and prospects can be a valuable tool in gaining industry knowledge and keeping up to date with the latest trends. Professional networking site, LinkedIn, enables engineering firms to interact in industry groups, sharing expertise while also acquiring information from others in the engineering field. It’s also great to share relevant, helpful content on your company page that your customers will appreciate and in return view you as a trustworthy business.
Engineering group example on LinkedIn
Posting during industry events
Most engineering firms attend industry trade shows on a regular basis, showcasing what they can offer to potential clients. It’s a good idea to designate an employee with the responsibility of posting photos or videos of your company's stand/presentation along with any highlights of the event to your social media accounts. This is a great way to reach out to your followers, showcasing your presence at popular trade events.
TIP: Use the relevant trade show hashtags provided by the planners in order to expand your social reach.
So what are you waiting for? Contrary to common belief, social media should be the hub of your engineering marketing efforts! An active social media presence is the perfect opportunity for engineering companies to engage in professional industry groups, access valuable customer insights and of course build that all important list of leads.
