Social media marketing for manufacturing companies is growing.

Many manufacturing businesses may be known to be cutting edge, but not where marketing is concerned. That’s not really surprising, since companies that manufacture physical products concentrate on the production process, and marketing is usually little more than the sales department.

While this may be a generalization, social media marketing can give manufacturing companies exposure to a larger potential customer base. Since most manufacturers sell most of their products to a pipeline of a few regular customers, marketing and sales are generally thought of as one and the same.

Some manufacturers sell their products to the consumer market but most sell to other manufacturers who use them in their own products. Because the nature of markets and globalization has impacted every industry, manufacturers that rely on stable sales to a regular customer base are particularly vulnerable to market shifts and sentiments. In the information age, social media marketing for manufacturing companies is crucial. Social media marketing lets manufacturers know the dynamics of the market that may affect their business.

Manufacturers who sell to other manufacturers may not know, for example, the consumer thinking of their customers’ customers. This information is most easily garnered by marketing on the social media networks, so manufacturers need to market on those networks, even if they do not sell directly to consumers.

Manufacturers whose products are sold directly to consumers have a more obvious need to market on social media networks. Firstly, they realize the tremendous reach of social networks. They also know that social media marketing is an extremely efficient way to market to consumers, reaching a wider audience for a lower cost than other forms of marketing. They also want to seek information about their products, their industry, and even their competitors directly from consumers.

Every manufacturer should have an active presence on the social networks, and use social media to market on those networks. Many manufacturers have come to the realization that they need to actively market themselves on social media and look upon social media marketing as an integral part of their businesses. Because social media marketing is a highly specialized function, manufacturers should give serious consideration to hire social marketing consultants.