The best technical marketing tools to consider
Many of our customers have technical engineering solutions, products and messages that need to be effectively communicated to the target customer base quickly. With a current drive for digital marketing, this short article looks at some of the best technical marketing tools to consider when highlighting your technical solution or product to your target customer base.
1) Engineering infographics and iconography – infographics are diagrams that tell a story or describe a solution visually. Your target audience is undoubtedly busy, so you need to educate them or enable them towards your product quickly. Consider life cycles, visual use examples and highlight the key stats and facts. Mix photography with graphic design, and don’t forget the human element.
Iconography is an extravagant word for icons. If an infographic is overkill, maybe a set of icons can help the viewer understand faster, or help them understand how to engage.
2) Technical Animations – We have been encouraging our customers to utilise their CAD files not just for engineering purposes but for marketing also, maximising the use of your design investment. If you have designed something in a 3D modelling system you likely have .STEP files and this means we can quickly get your files into a form of animation. By adding text, graphical visuals and working up the model to be even more lifelike, we can produce a short animation to highlight your product innovation online. You can see an example here >
3) Explainer videos (educate quickly) – In a time when networking or factory tours are a challenge, videos can allow you to get more personal and give your target audience a greater experience. Consider highlighting your manufacturing expertise, your impressive facilities with a drone, your products in action, interview your head of engineering to highlight your thought leadership, virtual product launches, or many other options. We have a COVID practised team to be able to do this effectively.
For one Motion Marketing customer, we created a series of educational videos and training for the installation of their products. Each product also had QR codes that led to the correct videos, so even if the customer was onsite, they could check installation techniques. See the videos here >
4) Product and site photography – Don’t underestimate the power of good photography. If the product imagery on your website is poor-quality, your target audience may presume the same quality applies to your products. This works in both directions, you can increase the perceived value of your products through high-quality photography.
Showing your products visually speeds up the process of learning. But don’t just consider your products, introduce a personal connection by getting your team into photography. We can be clever with distancing to get team shots and working environments. For case studies or example use, onsite photography (and videography) works well. COVID must be considered and animation or infographics may be an alternative.
5) Case studies by video – Face to face case studies are hard to create right now. But in some ways, COVID has relaxed our perception of video and how it can be used. You could interview a customer across Microsoft Teams (or Zoom etc) and record it. Some simple editing and the application of subtitles (for those watching with no sound) is quick to achieve, and a very genuine interview could work well. See more about successful case study options here >
6) Solution presentations – the trusty PPT… yes it has been done many times. But it is simple and effective, it can visually explain solutions and highlight key facts. Face to face video fatigue can be a pressured environment, bringing up a visual presentation can break up a video meeting and allow people to relax. Of course, use infographics and iconography, not too much text, use images/photos, 3D model images, intelligent transition, and even an embedded video or animation. Remember to stop sharing screen from time to time to keep the personal engagement.
7) Educational downloads – Last here but by no means the least important, downloadable tools that target customers can quickly enable themselves with are still very much useful. Good content is key, focus on education, customer issues, thought leadership, enabling the customer quickly. Just like the presentations above utilise quality imagery, infographics etc
Don’t forget important strategies to utilise these technical marketing tools, such as effective website journeys and engagement, LinkedIn marketing, educational focused email marketing, virtual events and more. Don’t just invest in the tools, share them effectively.
Please reach out if you have a solution, project or product we can advise on. We work across a multitude of engineering and technology-based industries that gives us a big industry picture.
Download the 9 reasons to invest in marketing guide here >
To see some engineering project case studies please go here >
