You are smart if you have a marketing budget. Marketing generates sales, and sales are what drive any business. But you need a strategy when it comes to spending those marketing dollars because, in these days of ever tightening margins, you can’t afford to make too many mistakes. As a consultant to the industry, I have the opportunity to speak with lots of fabricators across the country every week Recently, I made a point of asking them where they get their business. It’s nothing formal, but I have noticed what I think is a pattern successful fabricators follow when spending their marketing dollars.

You want to know what I learned? Keep in mind that every business is different, and what may work for a company in Oshkosh, Wis. may not necessarily work for another in the Bronx.

1. Print advertising is not as effective anymore. We’re talking Yellow Pages, newspaper, magazines, direct mail, flyers, etc. One fabricator summed it up nicely, “They just don’t produce the jobs.”
2. Companies are investing in the Internet, specifically in websites and social marketing. I hear this over and over, and it’s always from the really successful fabricators: “Most of our leads come from our website.” Do I hear gnashing of teeth in the background? Yes, there is method to the online madness, you just need to work with an experienced professional to get the results you are looking for.
3. If you have a website (and you should), you need to invest in Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. Why? Because, as noted above, the successful fabrication companies are getting most of their leads over the Internet. SEO gets you seen by the people you are trying to reach. A recent study found that 80 percent of consumers research purchases online BEFORE contacting a potential vendor. But, they can’t evaluate your company if they can’t even find you.
4. Ever heard of Inbound Marketing? Consumers don’t respond well to getting beaten over the head with blatant advertising. TiVo was one of the first to pioneer that concept when they made it possible for viewers to record programs and skip commercials. People rely more and more on recommendations from trusted sources to help them make purchasing decisions. We all belong to networks, and networks help sell product by word of mouth (the best kind of advertising). Get your business active on Facebook – now.
5. Profile the demographic of your typical customer and concentrate your marketing efforts only on reaching that demographic. One successful fabricator told me he is extremely rigid when it comes to deciding in which radio or cable station to advertise. If the station’s audience doesn’t match his company’s demographic, he moves on to the next until he finds one that does. It’s not a question of personal taste, it’s all about reaching the right people.

So there you have it, my own personal Top 5 list of successful fabricator marketing tactics. I encourage you to noodle it a bit and give one or two a try. If you need some encouragement or even some advice, call me (801) 735-7606 or send an email to russ@sitesnsolutions.com. I’d be happy to give you my two cents’ worth.