54% of engineers think that social media aren’t beneficial, while 37% consider it a non-reliable source of information. These are quite big numbers for sure, and show that the true power of social media is still undercover… And a MYTH busted.
We, engineers, love facts. Logic all the way. So here are some cold, hard, facts for you.
- 49% of engineers use social media for product reviews;
- 43% used it to follow up on product news and updates;
- 40% used it to look for expertise/specific niche.
Just like computing powers, algorithms, cloud, and automated systems, social media is a part of Industry 4.0. A pioneering channel to not only market, but educate, inform, and enlighten people to learn about various information.
Consider social media a place to store useful information, and a place to always remind your customer to keep their eyes on your organisation, team, products, and services. AT NO COST.
Yes. It’s free. Facebook (Meta), Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Snapchat. Call me a nerd, but I love how different countries have different cultures for social media marketing.
In the U.S. they even use discord, and in Korea, they use live mukbang or live shows online to get VIRAL.
Virality is important, and most of us engineers get frustrated trying to go viral. I mean let’s get at least 1,000 views… or 100 likes right? The truth is sometimes we get 3 to no likes at all.
Okay, so social media is filled with much different information and may not be centrally aligned, but this doesn’t mean that it’s not an advantageous way to educate people about the information or knowledge you have.
You may have heard about this metaphor a million times before, but Imagine being in a room with 10 people that is intently listening to you talk. Then imagine being in a room with 100 people that are completely uninterested in whatever subject you’re talking about. Which opportunity would be more interested to take?
There may be different objectives. If you’re trying to increase brand awareness, you’d choose 100 people any day. But think about lead generation and conversion. And you’d choose the 10 people. Straight up quality over quantity.
Social media is an endless source of opportunities, and a perfect channel for companies to grow and develop a business, even engineering, energy, IT, architectural, OR even construction leads!
Source: CNBC
If you’ve been poking your head around marketing, you probably know about a sales funnel. The idea of a sales funnel is identifying and walking through the customer’s journey to make sure they find what they need, all at the right time. By capturing lead information, you’ll be able to walk them through the discovery phase, all the way to increase retention and recognition.
Social media marketing (SMM) is an excellent opening for an effective sales funnel.
- SMM increases visibility. Originally, no one even knew you existed.
- SMM drives traffic to your website.
- SMM helps you connect with experts and industry leaders.
- SMM allows easy and casual communication and establishes strong relationships with the audience.
- SMM allows demographic analysis. You’ll find out more about your prospects here! What they’re interested in, who or what they need, why they need it, and where they’re in!
Recent surveys have shown that LinkedIn and Facebook are the two most used social media among engineers – 81% and 80% respectively.
Source: https://www.globalspec.com/advertising/trends-wp/2019_Social_Media
Facebook has almost 2 billion active users. This should be a green light for you to consider paying more attention to this platform. Facebook offers multiple ways of boosting your page or account, to reach your target audience. With the right content and social media strategy, you can use it as a great tool for expanding your target audience, learning more about your buyer persona, and increasing your online presence.
The strong misconception about LinkedIn is that this social media platform is mainly for recruiters and job seekers. But in reality, you can use it as a great tool for marketing, networking, and R&D. LinkedIn allows you to connect with the professionals in your industry, build a valuable network of potential partners or clients and establish your brand image authority. LinkedIn, same with Facebook, has a lot of ways to assist you with your goals: you can create your engineering company’s page, join groups, connect with the right audience, etc.
If you don’t have the time and capacity to work on all this digital marketing jargon, I’d suggest hiring a marketing director or working with an agency. It’ll save you tons of headaches.
Remember, the ultimate and long-term goal is to build a life-lasting online presence that will ensure, not only leads and sales, but also generational wealth and brand reputation.
‘Once it’s online – It stays online” – this is the rule every Internet user has to remember.
Once it’s in the cloud… It’ll be there forever. Pick your poisons carefully and entrust your content creation to a person/team that truly thinks of your best interest.
To use social media at its fullest potential you also need experts and well-versed marketing professionals that are able to set out a detailed strategy, analyse, and integrate both traditional and digital marketing efforts that will best improve your business and generate sales for you.
Content is a key to a successful SMM. To know what content is most relevant for your audience you’ll have to take the time to learn the wants, needs, demands, and expectations they have.
Here are some not-so-important secrets:
- Engineers mostly use social media to read content and product/industry news.
- Watch videos.
- Search for contacts. (Short cut or stalker? We’ll never know.)
Whether you have some specific prospects you want to target or just trying to get on top of the industry, it’s time for you to level up your social media marketing game.
AR & Associates have helped IT, Engineering, Automation, and Energy companies all across Australia to generate leads, increase brand awareness, maintain reputable PR, as well as increase sales.
We focus on helping you spend less time in marketing, and more time serving your customers. Leave the matter to the respective experts. As engineers ourselves, we understand the core values and importance of marketing through trust and reliability.
We provide a full tailor-made solution that helps you build your company to the next level through digital and on-site marketing. With expertise in organic omnichannel marketing and on-site event or workshop planning, we offer a full turn-key marketing solution that gives you time, space, and freedom to focus on what you do best, which is to run your business.
Email us here or call us today at (+61) 02 8416 4442 to get more information or book a complimentary marketing consultation or strategy session.
Article inspired by forbes, CNBC, loginradius, globalspec, challis, and AR.
