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ChatGPT and artificial intelligence (AI) have taken the world by storm in 2023 and it is being applied across countless platforms. While on the surface it can create content, that is actually not where the power will be found. In fact, if used purely to create content AI could have long-term detrimental SEO effects. AI is changing the way people search for answers to their questions so it could disrupt search engine marketing and a lot of the things we do.

Content marketing plays a critical role in credit union marketing. It engages the target audience, builds trust, and contributes towards the credit union brand as an authority in the financial services industry.

Producing content about your products and services is the most effective way to leverage organic search through an inbound marketing strategy (also known as content marketing). People such as engineers and plant managers searching for manufacturing equipment, typically experience a buyer’s journey that includes three phases: awareness, consideration, and decision. To leverage the power of inbound marketing for manufacturing equipment, content should be created or optimized for each of these stages in order to attract, engage and delight customers. 

If you work in B2B manufacturing marketing, you put a lot of thought into how to reach prospective customers including what marketing channels are best and the messages to resonate with your target audience. Your sales team is actively engaging customers and leads at tradeshows and through regular contacts but that only engages the leads you know about. 

Effective websites attract visitors to your pages over competitors’ but a poorly designed or non maintained website can actually drive away prospects. Your website is the face of your business and if done well, is the primary tool for capturing the attention of prospective customers.

The internet has the farthest reach of any advertising medium so if you want to get to the farthest corners of your market, generate good content about your products so those potential buyers can find you. We often hear that a manufacturers’ products are so niched that the best way to reach a target market is through networking and at tradeshows. Networking with current and prospective customers in-person will never be wrong, but remember that your prospects and customers ARE on the internet, searching for solutions to their daily manufacturing problems. Nearly 70% of engineers say they use supplier websites to research products and services (Trew Marketing & Global Spec 2022 Survey). Just like you, they read emails and social posts from leaders in their industry to learn about the latest innovations and market trends. They are searching for ways to improve production, reduce costs and impress their boss with the newest industry information. In addition to your networking efforts, your website is a 24/7 research tool; that if set up well, with robust content, will provide answers that put you in the spotlight as the subject matter expert. However, if your site does not answer product questions, or worse, is not ranked for the key search words and phrases, then your competition could snag your leads. In our 2021 survey of equipment manufacturers, content marketing ranked by far the digital marketing tactic that they were having the most success with.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a recommended strategy for all companies, including manufacturing businesses. With SEO strategies in place, you can gain more organic traffic, quality leads, brand awareness, and, ultimately, an increase in revenue.

We spend a lot of time researching and trying out tools to improve the results of our clients' marketing efforts, to measure those results, and to simply make our time more productive.  Last year, our broadcast about our favorite DIY digital marketing tools was a big hit. Many small and medium sized businesses are looking for user-friendly and inexpensive solutions to make their marketing more effective, and we are happy to share what we've learned! Because the digital world moves so quickly, and we had many more to share, we decided to put out a new show with an updated list of tools to consider adding to your marketing technology stack.

In 2016, WebStrategies acquired Impression Marketing. One of Impression’s partners, Anne Moss, left the agency world following the suicide of her son the prior year.