If you’re looking to generate more leads on your website, you need to create opportunities to capture visitors and implement a strong content strategy to encourage engagement.
Lots of supply chain and logistics companies are catching on to the benefits of content marketing. And of those, many are implementing a content marketing strategy to plan and execute their marketing.
[bctt tweet=”There’s no point in pouring a bunch of time, money, and resources into a robust content marketing program if the website that you’re driving traffic to stinks.” username=”Fronetics”]
But there’s an issue a lot of supply chain and logistics companies are running into: a weak website that doesn’t encourage the generation of leads. Essentially, there’s no point in pouring a bunch of time, money, and resources into a robust content marketing program if the website that you’re driving traffic to stinks.
In a recent post, we talk about what a weak website looks like. If you think you may fall into this category, don’t fret. There is still time to generate more leads on your website.
Consistently producing quality content and making sure you’re utilizing various distribution channels — social media, a blog, etc. — will help draw your target audience to your website. Once they’re on your site, you need to make sure they have a positive user experience. And more importantly, they need ample opportunities to learn more about your products and services.
These opportunities to engage with your content help move users down the sales funnel. You’ll capture leads that have the potential to become sales.
So how do you ensure your website is a lead-generating machine? Here are five tips to generate more leads on your website.
Infographic: 5 tips to generate more leads on your website
Most importantly, remember to be prudent about the role your website plays in the lead-generation process. A strong website with quality content, great visuals, and easily identifiable calls-to-action only works to generate leads and push users down the sales funnel. You’ll still need someone to help close the deal.
Artificial intelligence is forcing change on the supply chain in many ways. But robots, autonomous vehicles, and drones are just part of the equation. Does AI pose a threat to supply chain leadership as well?
A recent Harvard Business Review article explores the idea that “in an AI age characterized by intense disruption and rapid, ambiguous change, we need to rethink the essence of effective leadership. Certain qualities — such as deep domain expertise, decisiveness, authority, and short-term task focus — are losing their cachet, while others, such as humility, adaptability, vision, and constant engagement, are likely to play a key role in more-agile types of leadership.”
Artificial intelligence is coming to your business whether you’re ready for it or not (if it hasn’t already). Why does it matter? Because AI — the ability of machines to carry out tasks in a way we consider “smart” — can boost productivity and profitability.
What AI does “extraordinarily well,” according to consulting firm McKinsey & Co., “is relentlessly chew through any amount of data and every combination of variables.”
[bctt tweet=”Today we’re experiencing a second machine age as computers take on some of our mental workload by making data-driven decisions.” username=”Fronetics”]
Some technologists draw parallels to the Industrial Revolution when machines lightened the load for humans by performing tasks that once required brute strength. Today we’re experiencing a second machine age as computers take on some of our mental workload by making data-driven decisions.
The glass-half-empty crowd is worried that machines will replace humans and take our jobs. But the glass-half-full team sees new opportunities to unburden ourselves from repetitive tasks so we can focus on bigger strategic issues that need the nuanced emotional intelligence only we humans possess.
Traditional vs. AI-ready skills
“At some point in our evolution… leadership acumen transitioned from physical to cognitive skills, putting a premium on intelligence and expertise at the expense of force and strength,” writes HBR article authors Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Michael Wade, and Jennifer Jordan.
Offloading repetitive cognitive tasks to machines frees up time to develop new leadership skills. According to the authors, tomorrow’s leaders will be more empathetic, more agile, and more connected to people around them. The authors describe four specific qualities that will define leaders of the future:
Humility
Valuable intelligence won’t be delivered from the top down and may not come from the most experienced people on the team. It will come from every direction. Leaders should be open to suggestions and input from people using data at every level inside and outside the organization.
Adaptability
Changing your mind is a good thing in the age of AI. Learning organizations should expect to revise plans and iterate quickly. Managers should be confident enough to propose a change of course based on new data and not feel the need to defend their decision.
Vision
Operations can feel like shifting sands in an AI environment. An organization that continuously adapts to capitalize on new opportunities can leave employees feeling like they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing from one day (or minute) to the next. Successful leaders will emphasize long-term goals, encourage questions, and provide clear, thoughtful, consistent answers.
Engagement
Successful leaders will come out of their executive suites and connect with customers, partners, and employees. You can’t wait for reports and meetings when fast-paced data-driven decisions are happening all around you. “Agile leaders need to stay engaged… and find ways to keep their teams engaged, particularly when the going gets rough and the path gets challenging,” according to Chamorro-Premuzic, Wade, and Jordan.
So will AI change supply chain leadership?
Learning and applying new skills won’t come easily for many businesses. Some managers might not be comfortable asking employees to demonstrate humility, adaptability, and vision. These are hard skills to measure and haven’t always been rewarded.
Real digital leadership will require a blend of human and machine learning and a new way of understanding how things get done. Any company stands to gain by adopting these new ideas.
Logistics companies, at the nexus of operations for so many industries, can lead the way into the AI age by modeling new skills and applying them to their own businesses.
Machine-learning expert Jeremy Howard sums it up nicely in a McKinsey & Company report: “There is no organization that shouldn’t be thinking about leveraging these approaches, because either you do — in which case you’ll probably surpass the competition — or somebody else will.”
What ways do you think AI will change supply chain leadership?
Tesla has been long-favored to lead the charge in the mass adoption of EVs, but recent challenges have halted production. Can the Tesla become the next Honda Accord before they run out of money?
Plug-in electric passenger cars achieved a market share of only 1.16% of all car sales in 2017. That’s tiny. Some predicted 2018 might be the “year of the electric car,” but sales aren’t expected to break 2% this year.
[bctt tweet=”The auto industry is betting billions that electric vehicles will soon be as “cheap and ubiquitous as conventional cars.”” username=”Fronetics”]
Nearly all experts believe, however, that change is indeed coming. The auto industry is betting billions that electric vehicles (EVs) will soon be as “cheap and ubiquitous as conventional cars.” Some projections put electric vehicle sales over 20% by 2025. Others are more cautious and predict a slightly delayed rise to 25% by 2030. If the industry hits those numbers, it will be a boon to the electronics industry, as the number of cars with electronic components and the number of electronic components in each car grows by leaps and bounds.
Tesla has been long-favored to lead the charge in the mass adoption of EVs. But production of the company’s Model 3, the carmaker’s attempt at a mass-market sedan, has had major challenges, including issues with its supply chain. Can Tesla beat the ticking clock before the massive influx of money dries up?
Tesla’s ticking clock
Tesla is racing to overcome obstacles that have slowed the Model 3 progress, and the company’s make-or-break moment is fast approaching. The carmaker must boost production of the Model 3, or they will run out of money by the end of the year.
Since going public in 2010, Tesla has burned through an estimated $10 billion. Last year alone, Tesla spent more than $3.4 billion in cash — almost $1 billion a quarter — largely to bring production and sales of the Model 3 to sustainable levels.
Earlier this month, Tesla revealed that it nearly hit its target to manufacture 5,000 Model 3s a week, a production goal that is necessary to generating enough cash in house to sustain its own operations. Without it, the automaker will need to raise even more capital from outside investors.
Everyone expects that Tesla could, in fact, raise more funds if necessary. But proving it can build Model 3s at the thrice-promised target rate would go a long way in securing it.
The issues working against EVs
Even without its production issues, Tesla and other electric-vehicle manufacturers have their fair share of roadblocks.
The biggest logistical issue? There are currently not enough places to re-charge.
Where exactly will we charge all those electric cars we plan on buying? Experts say that simply duplicating the existing refueling system, where motorists “charge up” like they “gas up” today would likely require dozens of new power plants or massive new investments in solar and wind farms.
The biggest issue to the American consumer? Battery-powered cars still cost more. Until that changes, consumers will still have a reason — a big reason — to go for more traditional gas-powered vehicles.
Could the Model 3 become the next Honda Accord?
So, even with all these current issues, could the Model 3 still be the highest-selling car of the next 40 years?
Tesla may still have a fighting chance if:
they can solve their production issues;
the battery market can find alternatives to its raw-materials shortage;
the American public can feel confident that their batteries won’t die on the highway;
the cost of EVs can rival that of traditional vehicles
Admittedly, that is a lot of “ifs,” but somehow no one is REALLY doubting that Tesla will pull it all off. But, not yet. A study last year found that 70% of millennials don’t yet want an electric car. Huh. Electric cars have mystique but simply don’t yet have widespread appeal.
Even taking these surprising stats into consideration, that still means 30% of young buyers consider an electric vehicle even now. So, by 2025 or 2030, when all the kinks are ironed out, they just may be as vanilla as Honda Accords. Except that the Model 3 is gorgeous, and electric, and made by Tesla. So maybe more like vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.
Looking for blog post ideas? Try using these resources to create topics that are original, relevant, trendy, and — most of all — relevant to your business.
That’s all very well and good, but what happens when you have no idea what to write about?
As usual, the internet is coming to your rescue. Here are four of our favorite online tools to help you generate blog topic ideas.
4 online tools to generate blog post ideas
1) HubSpot’s Blog Ideas Generator
Remember Mad Libs? Give HubSpot three nouns, and its Blog Ideas Generator will give you blog ideas.
While not exactly a Mad Lib, this tool is a great way to focus on topics where you want to cultivate your authority. It’s an excellent way to generate blog post ideas for a topic cluster, in line with existing pillar content.
2) Alltop
Co-created by legendary business advisor and author Guy Kawasaki, Alltop describes its goal as helping you to answer the question “what’s happening” in topics that pertain to your business.
Essentially, it’s a list of recent posts from the most trusted blogs on each topic. Select your topic, and you’ll get posts relating to that topic from the top blog in each industry. It’s gives you a great “in” on the most important conversations going on among thought leaders in the supply chain — and your goal is to become one of them.
3) Ubersuggest
It may not be the best tool for coming up with actual post titles, but Ubersuggest is a great way to generate general topic ideas for new posts. Enter a word or phrase, and Ubersuggest produces a long list of results containing the word or phrase followed by related phrases.
4) Twitter
[bctt tweet=”Yes, you read that right. Twitter can actually be a great way to generate blog post ideas.” username=”Fronetics”]
Try running a Twitter search using your keyword proceeded by a hashtag (#procurement, for example) to get a list of tweets containing your keyword. Twitter also has the bonus of being likely the most up-to-date conversation you can find on the web.
If your supply chain company isn’t active on social media, know that your competitors are. Here are three ways social media can help the supply chain, improving processes and expanding your audiences.
I remember my first supply chain job after college. My boss was stuck on the word “social” and didn’t see any value in social media at the time. He believed that you came to work to be productive and that social media was counterproductive. There was no need for a crossroads between social media and the supply chain.
Fast forward a few years — ok, maybe more than a few — and there are still plenty of supply chain companies that aren’t utilizing social media to help grow their brands. Social networking isn’t about being social; it is about facilitating communication and collaboration, distributing content, and engaging with target audiences. It’s about making processes more efficient using innovative technologies, like automation tools.
[bctt tweet=”Social networking isn’t about being social; it is about facilitating communication and collaboration, distributing content, and engaging with target audiences.” username=”Fronetics”]
As part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy, social media can actually help your supply chain company meet ROI benchmarks. Utilizing social media increases your brand’s visibility and promotes transparency. The distribution of high-quality, thought provoking content will help your target audience see you as an industry leader, which will help you boost sales and increase customer engagement.
Here are three ways social media can help the supply chain improve communication, increase information sharing, and engage with new (and current) customers.
Video: 3 ways social media can help the supply chain
Recommendations
Still apprehensive about diving into social media? Try not to focus on the ‘social’ aspect. Instead, focus on using the tools available through social media platforms as a means to get things done.
Looking to increase leads? Increase engagement with potential customers through content? Find innovative ways to grow your target audiences? Find ways to support these goals through social media.
And if you’re not comfortable in the social media world (we think you need to be), find younger professionals on your team that are. Encourage these employees to find new and exciting opportunities to increase visibility and engagement through social media.
What ways do you think social media can help the supply chain?
Most agree the supply chain is integral to our economy. But what, exactly, comprises the U.S. supply chain economy?
Ask a random sampling of 10 people on the street whether or not the supply chain is an integral part of the U.S. economy, and, more than likely, you’ll get at least 8 affirmative responses. But ask that same random sampling to talk in detail about the supply chain economy, the jobs it contains, and how it pertains to innovation, and you’ll most likely hear crickets.
While most Americans recognize the value of the supply chain, the details remain fuzzy. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, economists Mercedes Delgado and Karen Mills attempt to clear things up. They identify the industries that comprise the supply chain economy, quantify the number and quality of jobs it contains, and assess how much it matters for innovation. Here’s a summary of their findings.
What is the supply chain today?
First off, Delgado and Mills define the nature and scope of the supply chain industry, making the key distinction that supply chain industries are B2B, meaning that they sell to businesses and the government, rather than B2C, or business-to-consumer.
Industries that comprise the supply chain include traditional suppliers, like “metal stampers or plastic injection molders — businesses that manufacture parts to be used in a final good.” The authors, however, point out that thinking of the supply chain purely as a manufacturing sector is a flawed model.
In fact, “only 10% of employment in the [U.S. supply chain] economy is in manufacturing, and 90% is in services.” Jobs in this 90% include “many different labor occupations, from operation managers, to computer programmers, to truck drivers.”
Delgado and Mills take their analysis a step further, identifying the subcategory of “supply chain traded services – i.e., those that are sold across regions like engineering, design, software publishing, cloud computing, and logistics services.”
It’s worth noting that supply chain traded services have the highest wages in the supply chain economy, averaging at $80,800 annually — 3 times higher than traditional “service” jobs.
[bctt tweet=”The U.S. supply chain accounts for 37% of domestic jobs, employing some 44 million people at “significantly higher than average wages.”” username=”Fronetics”]
The U.S. supply chain accounts for 37% of domestic jobs, employing some 44 million people at “significantly higher than average wages.” The supply chain also accounts for a high proportion of the innovative activity in the economy as a whole, with STEM jobs, “a proxy for innovation potential,” at “almost five times higher in the supply chain economy than in the B2C economy.”
The authors point out that the prevalence of higher-paying jobs and innovation is a result of the fact that “supply chain industries have downstream linkages to multiple industries, which allows the innovations they create to cascade and diffuse across the economy, potentially increasing the value of those innovations.”
Policy recommendations
After defining and discussing the modern U.S. supply chain economy, Delgado and Mills move toward policy implications.
“Our supply chain economy framework leads to a more optimistic view of the economy,” they write. “If we were to focus on supporting supply chain services, particularly those in traded industries, the result might be more innovation and more well-paying jobs in the United States.”
They make three key recommendations for national economic policy, focused on improving suppliers’ access to skilled labor, buyers, and capital:
Invest in skilled labor.
Support regional industry clusters.
Ensure that suppliers have access to capital.
The bottom line: the supply chain industry is robust and dynamic, with “a crucial role in driving innovation and creating well-paying jobs.”
The idea of “bringing manufacturing back” is stale and reactionary. Delgado and Mills instead suggest that “we must shift our policy solutions to focus on cultivating the supply chain service jobs that will drive America’s economy forward.”
