Marketing Metrics, Messaging, and Madness

Justifying Blog Exposure with Engineering Contacts

Anyone marketing a manufacturing company that is expanding their blog exposure probably faces this conversation with upper management: but is it really worth it? We're just starting our big push toward getting into the top technology blogs, and I'm already facing the question. Once you move away from the traditional marketing avenues, it can be difficult for management to see the benefits of (in our case) lending a $8,000+ piece of equipment to a blog in exchange for a review and some exposure.

For me, the justification that has made the biggest impact is demonstrating the engineering contacts we make through the technology blogs. The people contacting us aren't just the at-home internet searcher that wants to start a business (who we also want to reach), or the technology geek (I can say that - I'm one) that has $8,000 to spare, but also our gold star leads - engineers for large manufacturing companies that want to buy multiple systems.

Blogs give us something that trade shows and trade publications can't - a one-on-one conversation from a source the reader trusts. When we provide a system for the blogger to play with, it's going to someone with no experience on the laser that can demonstrate how easy they are to use, as well as how many different uses there are for the machine. We're not surrounded by booths with other people clamoring for their attention or ads for competing products - they are reading a review of our product and able to come to their own conclusions of how the system can meet their needs. You really can't ask for a more intimate way to reach a possible buyer. 

Misuse of Corporate Blogs

My marcom specialist has been a big proponent of building a corporate blog for our company. While I agree that if we can design a site with enough valuable information and are able to consistenly update the blog, I'd be behind it, I've just seen too many misuses of corporate blogs to be completely behind the idea.

I ran into the worst offender yesterday. A Chinese laser company created a blog about laser engraving that does not reference their company, but they take content directly from my company's website. There is even a press release for our new machine talking about all of the developments that we've put into the system, but every link is off of words such as laser engraver linking to the Chinese laser system.

After years of finding our sample photos put on competitor's sites, stolen engraving files, and hidden references to our company throughout company's sites, I'm tired of chasing after the offenders. If we were a big company, I'd have a legal team to send after the competitors, but does the expense of chasing these people make it cost-effective to us as a medium sized company?