by Fronetics | May 6, 2020 | Blog, Content Marketing, Covid-19, Current Events, Marketing, SEO, Strategy, Supply Chain
So much to say, so little time. Supply chain marketing during Covid-19 — leaning in is better than backing out.
Turmoil does not quite begin to describe the situation that supply chain companies have experienced lately. The Covid-19 pandemic threw in just a few weeks the finely calibrated, just-in-time supply chains into a state of disarray. In the midst of the struggle to get product from Point A to Point B — while also ensuring the health and safety of employees — many companies had little choice but to adopt an all-hands-on-deck approach.
We saw it ourselves as our clients were suddenly buried in challenges that only weeks earlier had posed no issues at all — securing electronic parts overseas, locating warehouse space, finding freight forwarders, moving product out of port, and more.
If supply chain marketing during Covid-19 had to take a backseat during the initial phase of the crisis, beware of staying quiet for too long. Letting your marketing channels sit idle for an extended period, or drastically scaling back at a time when communication matters more than ever, is not a risk-free strategy.
Let us explain why:
Covid-19 supply chain marketing: Lean in or risk losing ground
Go silent — or stay strong
In the wake of the first shockwaves of the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain companies understandably had to devote extensive resources to regain their footing. Few industries felt the impact as deeply as the supply chain. For some, the disruption opened up a flood of new business, sending the entire organization scrambling to keep up. For others, it meant every budget line item had to be scrutinized.
At the same time, we noted another challenge brewing for busy organizations: Maintaining a strong online presence during a tumultuous time. How do instill confidence in current customers and gain new leads if you say little or nothing at all?
After the first flurry of crisis-related marketing emails that many of us received (“We are here to help”), some companies — overwhelmed by the scope of work — let their social media accounts go silent and blog pages seized being updated.
The risk? Taking a break or withdrawing altogether could put your organization in a worse position later.
A McKinsey study underscores this point — conventional downturn strategies can actually hamper recovery. The performance analysis of 700 high–tech companies during two decades of market contractions showed “making obvious moves (for instance, cutting costs) as well as counterintuitive ones (such as increasing sales and marketing expenditures) quickly can improve a company’s position when the recovery begins.”
Interestingly, the best-performing companies increased their marketing and advertising spend relative to their competitors, but also compared to their own spending when times were better. However, from our perspective, the issue is far from just spend but identifying the most effective marketing channels and tactics at a time when resources may be scarce.
Weaken SEO — or make it soar
The risk of cutting back on supply chain marketing during Covid-19 also extends to search engine optimization (SEO). Rather than a one-time project, SEO needs constant attention to hum. It is the foundation of your effort to improve the quality and quantity of unpaid website traffic by increasing the visibility of your site or page to search engine users.
SEO and content go together
The completion of a well-designed website is only the beginning. If there is anything SEO demands more than anything else, it is content. You simply cannot ace one without the other. New, key-word optimized content is what makes SEO tick. Google Search has for years used a freshness algorithm to index pages. This means fresh content gets rapidly indexed and lands higher in search rankings than older content.
Backlinks — other reputable sites linking to your content — are also crucial to building SEO. When you provide up-to-date, insightful content, chances increase others will notice and link back to your site, especially during a time when so many are online searching for information. The same goes for backlinks and traffic to your site generated by social media.
So, what is the risk of going quiet?
The short of it: SEO can suffer. If content was the backbone of your marketing strategy before the pandemic hit, your organization has likely established a history of domain authority and is, as a result, in a better position to weather the storm. But not even the best of sites can escape the reality of what matters to search engines. Although you can still squeeze juice out of old keywords, lack of new content puts your organization at a disadvantage when search engines evaluate your pages in competition with countless others.
So much to say — can you find the time?
In many respects, supply chain marketing during Covid-19 comes down to this: Who would you want to do business with during a time of great uncertainty? What signals do you want to send to your audience? What do you want to tell them? As challenging as it may be, leaning in is better than backing out.
by Fronetics | Dec 12, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Our most-viewed content marketing posts indicate that marketers are seeking solutions to improve their content marketing programs.
Supply chain and logistics marketers are increasingly seeing the value of content marketing. It is the most cost-effective method to earn leads and sales because it takes into account the way modern B2B buyers are making purchasing decisions (evaluating content they find on the internet).
Looking at our most-viewed content marketing posts this year, I see a trend: marketers are looking for solutions to improve their content marketing programs. I am currently working on our content calendar for 2018, so if there is anything specific you would like to know about, please feel free to email me with suggestions!
Top 10 content marketing posts
1) 4 Ways to Measure Brand Awareness
Building brand awareness is one of the key benefits of content marketing, but it’s notoriously difficult to measure. These four metrics can indicate that you are successfully drawing the public’s attention to — and heightening their knowledge of — your business. That will ultimately generate leads that turn into sales, which is the end marketing objective. Read full post
2) How to Write Better Headlines for LinkedIn Content in 2017
A study of 2016’s most popular content on LinkedIn used data to measure the most popular headlines and topics. The results are really interesting and say a lot about what content resonates with the general LinkedIn community. Tis post summarizes the most popular headline phrases and the most impactful headline words and topics, and suggests ow to use this knowledge to write more successful headlines for your LinkedIn content. Read full post
3) 4 Steps to Building a Successful DIY Content Marketing Strategy
Setting your content marketing strategy is a crucial first step in trying to reach your target audience. Before you begin writing blogs and posting tweets, you need to set goals. A content marketing strategy outlines the methods by which you will target, reach, and engage your audience. Here are four steps, outlined in the guide, to creating a successful foundation to your content marketing strategy. Read full post
4) Want More Leads? Write Better Content
All too often, marketers fall into the trap of sacrificing quality for quantity in their content writing efforts. It’s an easy mistake to make — the pressure to produce a constant stream of content can naturally lead to a drop in quality. But if you’re not writing high-quality, substantive content, you’re wasting time and energy. If you’re wondering whether your content might not measure up, ask yourself these six questions. Read full post
5) 7 Marketing Tasks Supply Chain and Logistics Companies Should Consider Outsourcing
Everyone needs a little help sometimes. In fact, 52% of B2B marketers attribute stagnancy in success to not having enough time devoted to their marketing programs, and 49% attribute stagnation to content creation challenges. Outsourcing marketing allows you to focus on insourcing your core competencies while delegating specialized tasks to external experts. And it’s important to note that you don’t have to outsource ALL of your marketing. Choosing several areas beyond your staff’s expertise or that are particularly time-consuming can help you improve your marketing efforts and take stress off an overworked internal marketing team. Read full post
6) 10 Stats You Should Know about the B2B Buyer’s Journey
Marketers need to be aware of the ways in which the B2B buyer’s journey has changed over the last decade. The vast amount of information available on the internet has afforded buyers a level of self-sufficiency that renders traditional sales models moot. It drives the need for new strategies, like content marketing and social media marketing. The latest B2B Buyer’s Survey offers insight into how B2B buyers are finding vendors, engaging with them, and — ultimately — deciding to work with one. Read full post
7) 3 Tools for Measuring Your Content Marketing ROI
Analyzing the right metrics is crucial to determining whether you are achieving content marketing ROI. According to our Social Media Use Report, 81% of respondents wanted a tracking and measuring tool to prove their ROI. Your resources are limited, so it’s crucial to evaluate your efforts with meaningful numbers that illustrate their effect on your bottom line. So what are they best metrics to use? Here are three of our favorite tools. Read full post
8) 3 Content Marketing Challenges Large B2B Enterprises Face
B2B enterprises with 1000+ employees face unique content marketing challenges that can hinder a program’s overall success. The Content Marketing Institute’s 2017 B2B Enterprise Content Marketing Report brings many of these issues to light. For example, pressure to produce results quickly is a death sentence for content marketing. And being forced to create content for a brand, rather than a specific audience, can be detrimental to content marketing results. Yes, challenges facing these enterprise marketers are often as large as the companies for which they work. This post looks at some of the reasons why that is, and a few solutions for solving them. Read full post
9) How Word of Mouth Can Work for You
Buyers value the opinions of peers and colleagues. In fact, B2B buyers rank it among their top three resources for information. And, in general, 82% of Americans seek recommendations when making a purchase of any kind. Make their chatter work for you. Here are three tips to turn word-of-mouth marketing into leads. Read full post
10) 3 Quick SEO Tips to Improve Your Blog Right Now
Content marketing aims to draw potential buyers who are searching the internet for products and services like yours to your website. The strategic distribution of content helps search engines understand what your website is all about and direct relevant parties to it. You can help the search engines’ algorithms more effectively link searchers and your content by doing these 3 easy things. Read full post
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by Fronetics | Nov 21, 2017 | Blog, Current Events, Marketing
These 10 podcasts for marketers discuss the latest news and trends in the marketing world relevant to the supply chain and logistics industries.
Podcasts have surged in popularity over the past few years. At least 112 million Americans have listened to podcasts, a figure up 11% from last year, with 67 million listening at least monthly. So why are they so popular?
Podcasts are a series of digital audio files that listeners can subscribe to. With the flexibility to listen at their convenience, followers are drawn to the ease and mobility of podcasts. And the available topics are endless.
For supply chain and logistics marketers, podcasts provide the latest digital marketing news, as well as innovative trends that are new to your industry. Here are 10 podcasts that deliver the most up-to-date news in marketing for supply chain and logistics companies.
10 supply chain and logistics marketing podcasts
Millions of dollars are being left on the table right now by supply chain companies because of poor marketing! Supply Chain Gold delivers actionable marketing strategies and information to logistics and 3PL companies, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers to help bring in more sales and increase profit margins. The Supply Chain Gold podcast warehouses internet marketing secrets that your company can leverage to lower customer acquisition costs, grow revenue, increase net profits, drive brand recognition, and dominate your industry.
- #AskGaryVee
Gary Vaynerchuk — author, speaker, and owner of multi-million dollar marketing company VaynerMedia — uses his podcast to answer questions about marketing, social media, and general entrepreneurial topics that his followers ask on social media. If you’re looking for a high-intensity host whose responses are no-fluff, honest, and a tad explicit from time to time, Gary might be just the straight-talking expert you need.
The Marketing Book podcast helps business owners and marketers keep up with the smartest thinking in the quickly changing field of modern marketing. Each episode interviews authors and marketers to give you actionable marketing insights, tips, tactics and resources to help grow your business.
Social Media Examiner’s weekly podcast is hosted by Michael Stelzner and other members of SME’s team. Each podcast focuses on new social media features and strategies, providing listeners with actionable tips they can use to improve their social media results.
Copyblogger FM is a weekly, short-form broadcast hosted by Sonia Simone. Each week she and a team of rotating experts discuss the week’s news and updates in the field of content marketing, email marketing, copywriting, conversion optimization, and more.
John J. Wall and Christopher S. Penn host a 20-minute, weekly show recorded in a local coffee shop. The podcast is designed to be casual and conversational. They share tips on social marketing, SEO, search marketing, copywriting, affiliate marketing, and more. They also take listener questions.
Industry experts Eric Siu and Neil Patel offer users unconventional marketing wisdom that will make you want to kick some of your traditional strategies to the curb. Their goal is to bring valuable, actionable marketing tips in just 10 minutes.
Buffer’s blog is highly successful, so no wonder its podcast is equally informative. The content will appeal to anyone who practices social media marketing, whether you’re brand new to marketing or you’re a social media practitioner. They regularly have industry leaders on the show, including Mari Smith and Neil Patel.
Know Your Audience is a weekly podcast that interviews journalists, bloggers, data scientists, and analytics/audience development professionals. The goal is to start a meaningful conversation about what it takes to create engaging content and learn from the people who are shaping the future of media.
Listen and learn from interviews with social business leaders representing top brands and agencies. Host Bernie Borges leads an educational format as guests share their experiences and insights on social business topics including marketing, selling, customer service, employee advocacy, recruiting and commerce to fuel your social business journey.
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by Fronetics | May 16, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Supply Chain
Dear companies in the logistics and supply chain industries,
You have leveraged technology and innovation so that two-day shipping is becoming more of the norm rather than the exception. You have developed processes and standards for IT Asset Disposal (ITAD), which mitigate asset recovery management and increase data security. You have leveraged 3-D printing — disrupting the status quo.
Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., puts it well: “Products can be made, money can be invested, ideas can be brought to fruition, but without the supply chain everything stops. The supply chain provides routes to market; everything hinges on an effective supply chain.”
In short, logistics and supply chain — you are pretty damn awesome.
Given your awesomeness, I wonder why marketing firms have taken to courting your business by promoting that they do “content marketing for boring industries.” You are not boring (in the least). Why would you choose to partner with someone that finds you boring?
Content marketing can be an effective tool for your business. When aligned with your business objectives, content marketing can:
- Build brand awareness
- Position your company as a thought leader within the industry
- Increase engagement with customers, partners, and stakeholders
- Educate and inform customers, partners, and stakeholders
- Build trust
- Allow you to manage your reputation
- Generate leads
Given the impact a successful content marketing strategy can have on your business, doesn’t it just make sense to find a marketing firm that recognizes the value of your industry and of your company; a firm that recognizes your awesomeness?
I lead the digital and content marketing arm of Fronetics Strategic Advisors. Our firm focuses on companies within the logistics and supply chain industries. Why do we do this? We do this because we have deep expertise in these industries, and because we believe in these industries. We stay up to date on industry trends. Phrases like: “Can you believe the capabilities of company x’s new forklifts?” and “Wow, the reverse logistics implications of that are going to be significant,” are daily conversations for us.
I am not saying that you need to choose our firm as your marketing firm, but, please, choose a firm that believes in you. When choosing an outsource partner, evaluate not just the firm’s marketing capabilities, but also their knowledge of your industry.
You do incredible work. Find a partner who recognizes this, not one who finds you boring.
by Fronetics | Jan 26, 2016 | Blog
Employees are much more than people you employ — they can be your best brand ambassadors.
A friend shared a story recently. He was chatting with a woman at a party years ago. While they were exchanging pleasantries and engaging in small talk, he asked where she worked. She told him that she worked for a certain bank, which happened to be his bank. He felt valued by the company and loyal to it, as it was where he opened his very first bank account when he was just starting college. When he cheerily told her that he was a customer, she promptly and dryly responded, “Oh, have we ripped you off yet?”
Soon after he changed banks.
Some companies are overlooking their greatest marketing tool: their employees. That woman made a big impression on my friend and actually effected change. Though not the ideal outcome and desired action that the bank would have wanted, it illustrates an interesting point. According to the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer, “employees rank higher in public trust than a firm’s PR department, CEO, or founder. 41% of us believe that employees are the most credible source of information regarding their business.”
Employee influence is huge. They can be, in fact, your most influential brand ambassadors.
The hope is, of course, that employees share the positive aspects of the business and become vocal champions, providing current and potential customers an interesting perspective that can’t be found in traditional ads and other marketing tools. Employees as assets, not people who punch in, work, and punch out. They can represent and reflect the best aspects of a company.
How can companies introduce and integrate this concept of brand ambassadors into their practices?
Communication
To grow a culture of brand ambassadors, it’s critical to communicate your vision, repeatedly, to your employees, your consumers, and the general public. It’s no longer a question of whether employees will share their experiences about working at your company, but rather whether they’re saying the things you’d prefer them to say.
By companies posting positive stories on Facebook and Twitter, employees can then share those inspiring posts in their own circles. One “I love working here!” post can deeply influence potential consumers. It may be the best marketing power out there.
When a company has a mishap, it’s easy fodder for conversation, but it won’t be the focus of loyal employees, who can redirect the attention to something more positive.
Choose a leader
Choose an employee who can act as a community organizer amongst peers. The leader should be: well-liked, diplomatic, encouraging, responsible, collaborative, and reliable. This is not someone who is demanding and barks orders, but someone who understands the nuances (think: your go-to star who possesses tact and grace).
The leader has many roles, least of which is a guide and role model. She can coach others on best practices and responsible strategies, suggest and review social media content, brainstorm new storylines to promote the company’s message. Sometimes, a simple reminder to update LinkedIn or suggestion to write an article about a positive aspect of the business can get the ball rolling and create regular posting habits.
Remember that the people who work for you are much more than hired help, much more than people you employ. They’re talent. Allow them the opportunity to stretch and use their talent to showcase your brand in new ways. Brand ambassador is not a bad title!
