by Fronetics | Oct 30, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
The use of third-party logistics providers are on the rise. As many as nine out of ten 3PLs surveyed by Inbound Logistics reported their client base grew by 5 percent this year, continuing the unabated expansion of recent years.
And there’s good reason for it.
In an interesting article on SupplyChain 24/7, Adam Robinson, the marketing guru at Cerasis, lists seven reasons companies should outsource non-core transportation management functions to 3PL providers. Surprisingly, perhaps, many of the same arguments can be applied to companies debating who should be in charge of their content creation.
As the number one reason to outsource, Robinson cites “Time and Money.”
He writes:
“3PL providers are able to reduce the amount of infrastructure investments in equipment, software, facilities and personnel… These 3PLs are like having non-paid employees on your staff and allow shippers to focus resources on areas where they are the expert (i.e. manufacturing, product sales).”
Time and money – or lack thereof – are similarly common issues among companies with respect to social media. In a new Fronetics report on social media use in the supply chain and logistics industries, nearly half of the respondents cited time and budgetary constraints as their top two challenges. Such companies may, as a result, participate only sporadically or not at all.
Since consistency is crucial to online lead generation, anything but a fulltime commitment to the company blog, content curation, and social media outreach is doomed to fail. An outside provider can, just like a 3PL, take these tasks off your hands, allowing you to focus on your core competencies.
Robinson also argues:
“As shippers rely on 3PL partners to provide more strategic oversight, and help catalyze business process change within the organization, the relationship is growing more fluid, and less analytical. Service providers are becoming an extension of the enterprise.”
In short, 3PL providers should not be perceived as outsiders but as partners who know their stuff. They contract with thousands of carriers and know the fastest and most reliable routes to move product from point A to point B.
A marketing company, especially one specialized in content creation for the logistics, transportation and supply chain industries, works the same way, drawing on a wealth of industry knowledge. In essence, you hire experts equipped with the right strategic tools to leverage their market expertise to your advantage.
Finally, Robinson writes visibility of loads gives 3PLs a leg up on the competition:
“Many 3PLs are able to integrate tracking into shipper IT systems, provide integration into ERP and WMS automated notices or even real-time delivery notifications by e-mail.”
Losing track of a shipment equals chaos. 3PL providers are there to ensure it never happens. In the same vein, companies need to track the metrics of their content strategy or risk wasting resources on something that yields no results. They need to know which social media outlets work for their business and what types of content draw traffic to their site. It takes time and resources – and as our survey revealed, both tend to be in short supply.
Your content marketing partner, on the other hand, knows metrics is as important as a shipment is to a 3PL provider.
Outsourcing content creation may be your strategic advantage over your competition.
by Fronetics | Oct 30, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
The use of third-party logistics providers are on the rise. As many as nine out of ten 3PLs surveyed by Inbound Logistics reported their client base grew by 5 percent this year, continuing the unabated expansion of recent years.
And there’s good reason for it.
In an interesting article on SupplyChain 24/7, Adam Robinson, the marketing guru at Cerasis, lists seven reasons companies should outsource non-core transportation management functions to 3PL providers. Surprisingly, perhaps, many of the same arguments can be applied to companies debating who should be in charge of their content creation.
As the number one reason to outsource, Robinson cites “Time and Money.”
He writes:
“3PL providers are able to reduce the amount of infrastructure investments in equipment, software, facilities and personnel… These 3PLs are like having non-paid employees on your staff and allow shippers to focus resources on areas where they are the expert (i.e. manufacturing, product sales).”
Time and money – or lack thereof – are similarly common issues among companies with respect to social media. In a new Fronetics report on social media use in the supply chain and logistics industries, nearly half of the respondents cited time and budgetary constraints as their top two challenges. Such companies may, as a result, participate only sporadically or not at all.
Since consistency is crucial to online lead generation, anything but a fulltime commitment to the company blog, content curation, and social media outreach is doomed to fail. An outside provider can, just like a 3PL, take these tasks off your hands, allowing you to focus on your core competencies.
Robinson also argues:
“As shippers rely on 3PL partners to provide more strategic oversight, and help catalyze business process change within the organization, the relationship is growing more fluid, and less analytical. Service providers are becoming an extension of the enterprise.”
In short, 3PL providers should not be perceived as outsiders but as partners who know their stuff. They contract with thousands of carriers and know the fastest and most reliable routes to move product from point A to point B.
A marketing company, especially one specialized in content creation for the logistics, transportation and supply chain industries, works the same way, drawing on a wealth of industry knowledge. In essence, you hire experts equipped with the right strategic tools to leverage their market expertise to your advantage.
Finally, Robinson writes visibility of loads gives 3PLs a leg up on the competition:
“Many 3PLs are able to integrate tracking into shipper IT systems, provide integration into ERP and WMS automated notices or even real-time delivery notifications by e-mail.”
Losing track of a shipment equals chaos. 3PL providers are there to ensure it never happens. In the same vein, companies need to track the metrics of their content strategy or risk wasting resources on something that yields no results. They need to know which social media outlets work for their business and what types of content draw traffic to their site. It takes time and resources – and as our survey revealed, both tend to be in short supply.
Your content marketing partner, on the other hand, knows metrics is as important as a shipment is to a 3PL provider.
Outsourcing content creation may be your strategic advantage over your competition.
by Fronetics | Oct 28, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
A recent survey conducted by Fronetics found that the three biggest challenges faced by companies within the logistics and supply chain industries with respect to their social media use are: time (48 percent), money (43 percent), and a lack of strategy (33 percent).
How can companies overcome these challenges? Here are some suggestions.
Overcoming time constraints
Prioritize and be data driven. Track and measure your marketing metrics. Which efforts are driving the right traffic to your website? Which efforts are resulting in lead generation? Customers? If there are areas where you are focusing time and money, but are not yielding results – either rework your strategy, or eliminate them.
Fronetics’ survey found that 77 percent of companies within the supply chain and logistics industries use Facebook. However, only 15 percent reported Facebook to be very impactful with respect to their business and only 35 percent reported it to be somewhat impactful.
If your efforts aren’t paying off – don’t waste your time. Prioritize.
Tackling the budget issue
Data and setting priorities are important here as well. Together they can make the use of time and resources more productive.
Another thing to consider is whether it might be more cost effective to find an outsource partner.
Creating (and sticking to) a strategy
Strategy is essential. A 2014 study of B2B marketers found that a strategy is a key to success. Companies with a documented strategy in place were found to be more likely to consider their efforts to be effective than companies who do not have a documented strategy in place (60 percent vs. 11 percent).
Put someone in charge of developing a strategy and give the person the authority to make sure that it is carried out. If you are struggling with the “how,” ask for help. Here’s a great eBook that walks you through how to put a strategy in place. Alternatively, find a partner who can help you design a strategy that will work for you (and the time and money you have available).
To learn more about social media and the logistics and supply chain industries, download the report.
by Fronetics | Oct 28, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
A recent survey conducted by Fronetics found that the three biggest challenges faced by companies within the logistics and supply chain industries with respect to their social media use are: time (48 percent), money (43 percent), and a lack of strategy (33 percent).
How can companies overcome these challenges? Here are some suggestions.
Overcoming time constraints
Prioritize and be data driven. Track and measure your marketing metrics. Which efforts are driving the right traffic to your website? Which efforts are resulting in lead generation? Customers? If there are areas where you are focusing time and money, but are not yielding results – either rework your strategy, or eliminate them.
Fronetics’ survey found that 77 percent of companies within the supply chain and logistics industries use Facebook. However, only 15 percent reported Facebook to be very impactful with respect to their business and only 35 percent reported it to be somewhat impactful.
If your efforts aren’t paying off – don’t waste your time. Prioritize.
Tackling the budget issue
Data and setting priorities are important here as well. Together they can make the use of time and resources more productive.
Another thing to consider is whether it might be more cost effective to find an outsource partner.
Creating (and sticking to) a strategy
Strategy is essential. A 2014 study of B2B marketers found that a strategy is a key to success. Companies with a documented strategy in place were found to be more likely to consider their efforts to be effective than companies who do not have a documented strategy in place (60 percent vs. 11 percent).
Put someone in charge of developing a strategy and give the person the authority to make sure that it is carried out. If you are struggling with the “how,” ask for help. Here’s a great eBook that walks you through how to put a strategy in place. Alternatively, find a partner who can help you design a strategy that will work for you (and the time and money you have available).
To learn more about social media and the logistics and supply chain industries, download the report.
by Fronetics | Oct 14, 2014 | Blog, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Social media is a strategic tool. The benefits companies can realize by using social media are immense. Which benefits are motivating companies within the logistics and supply chain to use social media? Even more broadly, why are companies using social media?
A recent survey conducted by Fronetics Strategic Advisors found that the predominant reasons companies within the logistics and supply chain industries use social media are to: increase the visibility of their company; to improve their brand image; establish their company as a thought leader; and to attract new leads and customers.
To learn more about the use, motivations, benefits, and challenges of social media and the logistics and supply chain industries, download our report: Social media and the logistics and supply chain industries.
