The Pulse360: Industrial marketers look toward the future as coronavirus continues to impact plans, Part 2
June 12, 2020
With all the coronavirus-related changes in the first half of the year, industrial marketers are only mildly optimistic about their plans. When asked how confident they are in their marketing plan from 1-10, the average answer is 6.3. Given such uncertainty and unprecedented economic and social changes, it is not surprising that marketers are wary about what the second half of the year might bring.
What are industrial marketers still confident about? When asked to predict what their most successful 2020 marketing channel will be, 36% chose content marketing. Organic website traffic and webinars were also popular choices, with 11% each. Other popular answers were e-newsletter advertising and email to in-house lists.
What else are industrial marketers thinking about? Here’s a selection of their commentary:
We're focusing on radiating internally within our existing customers to consolidate opportunities as they emerge. Like everyone else, we know that things look good on the other side of the pandemic, but we have to survive to get there.
There is still much left unknown, but we are working as fluidly, creatively, and cost-effectively as we can while remaining relevant and delivering timely content to our audience across predominantly digital platforms.
People are distracted. Customers' budgets are being cut to conserve cash. New projects may have a very hard time moving forward no matter the ROI.
We are ramping up certain areas of our marketing frequency, revising strategies, and planning for when customers fully reopen.
So, what should industrial marketers do to help increase their chances of success in 2020? Many are already on the right track. Without tradeshows and in-person events to connect with prospects, look to webinars to replicate that experience. Webinars offer you the same chance to demonstrate your products and answer questions in real-time.
Remember, while engineers have also had their workflow disrupted, they are still in need of technical information. Continue to create relevant content and stay tuned in to your audience’s needs.
