Sarah is a sales & marketing content writer, with ten years of experience within the engineering & manufacturing industry. Working both at Qimtek and on a freelance basis, she can usually be found hammering away at a keyboard or with her head in a pile of engineering drawings.
Social media is a great way to reach new customers and grow your brand awareness. Businesses from all industries use social media as a successful marketing tool and engineering is no exception. In fact, the visual nature of engineering makes it a great fit with social media, as there are plenty of great content ideas that you can use to promote your company.
If you're looking for inspiration, then here are five different content ideas to attract more views, more followers and ultimately, more customers:
Post Your Plant List:
Your plant list makes great social media content, as it allows prospective customers to see exactly what you can offer. Many engineering businesses feature their plant list on their company website, but it's also worthwhile to post it periodically on your social media channels to ensure that it's seen as widely as possible.
An alternative method is to post a capacity list every month. There will always be customers who need a job completed urgently - especially as the UK continues to navigate its way through post-Brexit complications and the COVID-19 pandemic. With many suppliers currently working their way through a backlog of orders, posting a capacity list can be a great way to fill gaps in your production schedule. Some buyers may also go on to place bigger (and less urgent!) orders with you if they're happy with the quality of your work.
READ: Using Facebook to Grow Your Engineering Business
Film a Company Video:
Social media users tend to love videos - and that includes your prospective customers! Posting company videos is a great way to draw attention to your social media presence and attract new followers. They also help to keep your audience engaged, as they often make for interesting viewing by your target audience.
There are no rules as to what you can and cannot post as a company video, but many engineering companies have had a lot of success with posting videos of their machines in action. These types of videos are usually shared by other users, meaning that they often attract a high number of views. Colin Furze's video showing him machining biscuits to fit in his morning cuppa has received almost 3.5million views to date - now that's exposure!
However, there are lots of alternative ideas you can try. Instructional or tutorial videos are another way to drive sharing amongst other users, whilst promotional videos showing your shop floor are always a great way to show off your capabilities.
Remember - the more 'fun' you can make your video, the better chance it has of being liked and shared, so try to keep them lighthearted wherever possible.
READ: Using Youtube To Grow Your Engineering Business
Get Testimonials From Your Customers:
Testimonials are always a great promotional tool, whether on social media, your website, or elsewhere. Customer testimonials help to establish trust with new customers and alleviate some of the uncertainty they may feel about placing an order with an unknown supplier. Therefore, it goes without saying that you should always broadcast customer testimonials across your social media channels to ensure that they're seen by as many people as possible.
If you've recently completed a project for a customer and they're happy with your work, then it's always worth asking for a testimonial. Many companies will be happy to provide you with one and they truly are worth their weight in gold when it comes to establishing credibility and trust. Remember to check with your customer whether they are happy for their name and company name to appear alongside their testimonial, no matter where you plan on posting it.
READ: Using Instagram to Grow Your Engineering Business
Post Photos Of Previous Jobs:
Any previous jobs you've completed for your customers serve as your company's portfolio and showcase your capabilities to prospective new customers. Photos of your work serve as great social media content thanks to their visual nature. Much like company videos, photos of complex or unusual parts have a good chance of being shared by your followers, which will serve to increase your follower base and build brand awareness overall.
Using relevant hashtags will increase your chances of people finding your posts and therefore, drive more traffic to your social media profiles. On sites such as Twitter, engineering accounts will often share your post automatically if you use a certain hashtag - for example, #UKEngineering or #UKManufacturing. If you don't use hashtags, then your posts are unlikely to reach much farther than your existing followers, so it's always worth including them wherever possible.
If you do post photos of previous projects, then it's worth asking your client's permission beforehand. You don't want to breach any confidentiality agreements or otherwise get yourself in hot water!
READ: Using Twitter to Grow Your Engineering Business
Post Your Company News:
Social media was created so that people could keep up to date with their friends and family's news, so it makes sense to broadcast any company updates across your social media channels. Perhaps you've bought a new machine, hired a new staff member, or moved premises - either way, this kind of content is bread-and-butter for social media use.
Social media can also be used to celebrate your staff members' achievements and birthdays. These types of posts will also allow existing and prospective customers to get to know the structure of your business better and introduce a more personal angle. It's always good for clients to know the people within your business, instead of just the company itself.
As well as using social media, you can also share your company updates using Qimtek's news platform. We'll even share your news with our thousands of followers on social media, allowing you to reach more contacts within the industry at large. Simply visit www.qimtek.co.uk to register for a free account and get started.