Posted By Industrial Web Solutions Marketing Team on June 24, 2010

According to Bizreport.com’s recent post Study: Internet ‘disrupting’ trade publications a Canadian Business Press study of business information sourcing reveals that “in five of the seven sectors [retail, automotive, agricultural, travel/tourism and information technology] business to business (B2B) publications ranked second to the internet as an information source.” This means that business professionals are going to the manufacturer or supplier websites either directly or through the search engines to get the information they need.

What the study uncovered:

“80% directly search for and visit the website for a supplier/manufacturer
70% visit publication websites, including business newspapers
68% land on a manufacturer website through a link on a publication’s website
58% navigate to manufacturer websites as the result of an ad within a publication”

With business professionals now relying predominantly on the internet for information sourcing it is more important than ever to ensure you are well-represented. That means having an information-rich website that organizes information to target each audience group specifically. Support your efforts to get visitors to your website by maintaining an interesting and topical blog and a monthly newsletter. Attach links to articles and blog posts to the social networking sites like Twitter to draw readers back to your information and to let them know you are a great resource for the kind of information they are seeking. And make sure you can found in other places where your targeted groups are spending time.

Some ideas of where your target audience may be spending time:

• It’s a great idea to submit an article to a well-known publication if you feel confident enough to pitch the editor of the section into which you fit. Not only does it offer you a very valuable “inbound link” to your website but it also aligns you with the top industry sources.
• Another way to be included on the web pages of a well-known journal or information site is by placing banner and text ads. These can be costly but may prove to offer you valuable prospects in the long run.
• Check out your trade organization’s website. See what kind of advertising programs are offered that may fit your budget and objectives. There is usually a substantial discount offered to members and a variety of advertising options from which to choose.

Take advantage of the internet by actively pursuing opportunities to be found by your target audience groups. A multi-channel approach casts the widest net and still gives you the control to select where you would like to be found. Then invite your audience back to your highly focused and well organized website where the information they seek can be accessed with ease.

Categories: content targeting, industrial marketing, manufacturing, mobile web marketing, networking, newsletter marketing, Online Directories, online marketing, professional networking, Sales, search, search network, social networking, Websites
Tags: industrial marketing, information sources, internet marketing, internet promotion, manufacturers, online branding, search engines, supplier website, website promotion