Why should you talk to a Materials Engineer about Marketing?

When you think about starting your marketing journey, the recommendation to contact an Engineer feels wrong. Engineers are professionals who are trained to apply scientific principles and mathematical concepts to solve complex problems. Marketing doesn’t fit that narrative. There are marketing agencies that specialize in creating effective campaigns and visually appealing graphics.

Yet, the claim stands: talk to a Materials Engineer about Marketing. Not any Materials Engineer, talk to the author of this article.

What should be the outcome of your marketing campaign?

The foundry industry is relatively small compared to other sectors. Castings are no products that are bought by consumers directly. The foundry industry is a business-to-business operation and has very specific requirements for its customers. For decades, foundries relied on their customers to design the castings and post them on portals, allowing them to bid on RFQs. However, the capacity is now running out, and new products are being introduced at unbelievably low prices. So, where do you find new customers?

When you don’t know where your next products are coming from, how should a marketing agency understand who to target? How do drone shots of your production hall attract any customers?

The short answer: they don’t! These image videos are professionally produced and bring people from your organization together who have never talked before the shoot. The production costs you days of preparation and shooting, and at the end, what is the impact of that video?

Also, in marketing, one of the key factors is consistency. All platforms aim to promote active contributors, as they help keep the platform relevant and engaging. So, what do you publish a week after the company image video is released?

Content Marketing is the (only) way forward!

When you want to reach new industries and generate a market for yourself, you need to find your voice and talk about what benefits you bring with your castings. You need to engage and educate your potential new customers about what you do. They need to see how you can solve their problems, and you build the trust to contact you.

That doesn’t happen in a single video, press release, or article. Building trust takes time and constant effort. According to Google’s ZOMT study, it takes between 7 and 11 contact points across a minimum of four content types. How are you planning to get them?

The only way is to develop a system that allows you to upload content constantly, which is relevant to your target group. You need to break down your processes and assess how they help your ideal customer to reach the required result. You need to start conversations to understand what is actually required. No marketing agency can do that for you!

Join the Marketing Accelerator

Constantly posting interesting and relevant content is a challenge, but let me tell you, it’s incredibly rewarding! You cannot predict what comes out of it; nevertheless, you will notice when it works! However, until it works, it costs you time and dedication to get that far, as it can take years!

That is why I started the Marketing Accelerator. It is a community from the foundry industry for the foundry industry, helping us become more visible and attract the customers we want.

This community helps you stay focused, keeps you motivated to upload, and helps you improve your marketing skills. It is a community for sharing experiences and supporting one another in a new discipline.

Join the Marketing Accelerator; it just costs you an hour of your time every two weeks! Just complete the form on the website.