In the nearly 50 years we’ve spent in manufacturing marketing, we’ve encountered situations where companies needed to make major changes to their marketing plans and brand or launch bold new initiatives. But far more often, manufacturing leaders (and other B2B company heads) are experts in communicating with markets they know like the back of their hands. What they often need from us is some help doing it more consistently and effectively with an additional creative touch. These minor changes become like a marketing lever, creating clear results from seemingly small changes.
Let’s review how we worked with a small manufacturer to get solid results they could see in their bottom line.
Freakshow HD is a Los Angeles based manufacturer of high-quality video assist equipment (including custom items) for the filmmaking, aerospace, and defense industries. It was founded by two film industry veterans, Alex Cacciarelli and Howard Van Emden. Their products are cost efficient, but are also known for being rugged and reliable. Every Freakshow HD product is designed and built right in North Hollywood by their expert crew.
When we met the Freakshow HD leadership at a Las Vegas trade show two years ago, one thing these video equipment experts could clearly see was that their marketing could be far more effective than it was. The main obstacle was that they simply didn’t have the time or staff to devote to regular marketing tasks. Together, we set out to resolve that and improve their outreach.
Their goals for their website and social media were as follows:
We took a three-pronged approach to increasing their web traffic and qualified leads.
We added regular blogs to the freakshowhd.com website. Many were success stories from satisfied customers who raved about the quality of Freakshow’s products. Some were profiles of the many harsh environments in which these products had delivered trouble-free performance. Other blog posts offered technical advice for film crews so they could make the most of their equipment. This new content boosted the site’s SEO results.
We also began regular posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The mix of posts presented more evidence of high quality and durability in tough conditions, throwback photos from various film locations, and their customer service ethic. Of course, every time a new blog was posted, it was promoted on all four platforms.
Another method we pursued was paid social media advertising across all the channels appropriate to their markets. This increased the number of followers on their social media accounts, resulting in more people seeing each organic post, as well as increasing traffic to the Freakshow HD website. This in turn led to increased orders.
All social media outreach was carefully matched to the unique tone and personality the Freakshow HD team had established over their ten-year history. This raised the profile of the blog, leading to greater perceived authority. We also included carefully selected keyword strings, so the social posts and blogs increased their appearance in organic searches.
Freakshow HD’s improved online presence has delivered more orders for their hard-working team. CFO Howard Van Emden says, “We have definitely seen the numbers on our bottom line. And we have almost all of the business we can handle. The program we have with Cain has been cost effective for us, and they’re just nice people to work with.”
Not every company has an experienced marketing department in house. And even those that do won’t always have people who follow the most up-to-date best practices for the metrics that matter. Get in touch with Cain & Company for thoughtful, strategic marketing that boosts your bottom line.
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Robin ChandlerMarketing Coordinator & Copywriter |
