Table of Contents
1.The Digital Marketing Environment is Evolving Rapidly
Online marketing has exploded in the last year. Traditional manufacturers are realizing they have no other realistic choice and have to take part in this digital change or be left behind by their competitors. Make sure you are asking the right questions and speaking to the right people now, before you make decisions about your marketing futural.
NASA astronaut and ISS commander Chris Hadfield said: “”there is no problem so bad you can’t make it worse”.
He was referring to working in difficult situations in space, but the same is true for the current fast changes in the world of business. We need to take a step back and evaluate our options carefully before deciding on the best direction to take in this new environment.
Key Points :
- Digital marketing is now a necessity.
- Take time to study before you decide on strategy.
- A “quick fix” is not the answer.
2.Effective Digital Marketing is Now Critical for Competition
Print advertising has been dying for many years and is no longer cost effective for most businesses because people now look for their information online. That may be a good thing. We have been wasting our ad budget for years on ineffective ads in industry magazines and exhibition dailies that few people ever see.
Internet technology is now critical for your marketing just as much as you rely on it for business. You are focused on Zoom calls, chat programs and inquiries (hopefully) from your website. You now also need to learn more about digital marketing and its key concepts to drive your business forwards.
Without some basic digital marketing knowledge, you may end up with a poor solution that leaves you behind your competition. Or, even worse, you might spend a lot of money to buy exactly the same solution as your competitors, so you end up with no advantage at all.
Key Points:
- Learn some digital marketing basics
- Don’t use the same solutions as your competitors
3.Your Website is Now Your Company
Potential customers cannot visit you in person, so what they see on your business website is what they think your business is like.
Please Consider This:
Company 1
Has a template website built by a local web designer. The images look OK and it works on a cell phone. The content is not great, but it looks the same as those of all of their competitors.
Company 2
Has a website that does not work well on a cell phone, with poorly written content and images copied by a web designer from their old company catalog. It takes a long time to load for international customers as it is hosted in the wrong country.
Company 3
Has a modern website with great images and useful written content describing how great their products and services are. It is hosted in the same region as the customers and loads very fast.
If you were an international buyer looking for a new B2B supplier, which company would you be likely to contact first?
Key Points:
- Today it’s your website that represents your company – not you or your office
- Customers will decide to contact you or not because of the quality of your website
Be Open to Change
When we have been doing something in a familiar way for a long time, it becomes difficult to persuade us that it may not be the best option and that we should make a change.
This is a real danger to businesses In the current marketing and business environment. “We’ve always done it this way” is not a strategy that will get you through the next few years of international marketing.
Please take some time to have a look at the articles on this blog. I have written these to help inform B2B Manufacturers in Taiwan about some of the current marketing topics and trends that I think you need to be aware of when making decisions for your business.
If you would like to chat with us about your marketing challenges, please contact us here.