Graham’s “Jump In With Both Feet” Approach to Social Media

Interview with Mastercam’s Marketing Coordinator

Graham Hargreaves, Marketing Coordinator at CNC Software, Inc

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) is becoming one of the best ways for manufacturing companies to connect with consumers.  We interviewed Graham Hargreaves, Marketing Coordinator at CNC Software, Inc. about why and how his company uses social media. We also asked for his advice on how other manufacturers can get started with social media.  Here is what Graham had to say.

1. Why did you start using social media?

At CNC Software, Inc., we started using social media with the introduction of our blog in November 2006 as a way to connect to our software’s end users and the upcoming generation of machinists and engineers. As the developers of Mastercam, our corporate office is strictly B2B. CNC Software has a network of Resellers throughout the world who deliver the product to our end users. We were seeking a way to connect with the shops that use our software, not only as a way to spread news, but to give our business a more personal feeling, get critical feedback on the software’s functions to focus our development in the correct areas , and to seek out success stories and other marketing-related opportunities. Before we introduced our blog, we never had a good way to communicate with the people on the shop floor other than our printed customer newsletter. Not to mention, our social media content is free advertising! Since 2006, seeing the success of web 2.0 social media platforms, we have a Twitter page, a Facebook page, a Flickr account, and a YouTube page. We have experienced great success with word-of-mouth marketing and social media marketing.

2. Which platforms meet your objectives the best and why?

Each social media platform we use has its own unique set of advantages. No one strategy really works the best, but with all of them combined, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Our blog works well because we can go more in-depth on certain subjects such as tips and tricks, new functionality in the software, etc. Typically, based on character limits, we write a post up for the blog and then shorten and repurpose it for Twitter and Facebook, which links back to the blog article. We really like Facebook for showing promotions and inspiring feedback from our fans. For example, a few weeks ago, we posted “What color do you set as the background when you’re running Mastercam?” It received the best response we’ve ever gotten, with over 50 comments and likes. This type of content brings the corporate office down to a personal level, and adds a human element to what we do. With YouTube, we address the ever-changing dynamic of how people like to receive their information. We’re drifting more and more towards being a watching society than a reading society. Why read about something that sounds “salesy” when you can just go to our YouTube page and see Mastercam in action? A similar line of thought is behind the Flickr site. All of these pieces together help build our audience. As for posting, we have a Social Media Group at CNC Software, Inc., and a month in advance we schedule out topics, assignments, and who will monitor our sites on certain days. We schedule three articles a week, and do our best to stick to that.

3) How do you handle the concerns (ROI, time, etc.) some have about use of social media in business?

As always with change, there is resistance. The decision to have a social media presence was initially met with some negativity. However, since these sites are free and satisfy our goal of reaching the end users, the cost of time for the group was quickly justified and our strategy was developed. The cross-functional Social Media group is uniquely equipped to easily create quality content. The Technical Services people can write articles very quickly without interfering with any other work. Furthermore, our Technical Documentation Group at CNC Software has already written most of the technical content. We feel that the benefits of a good customer connection far outweigh the costs of participating in social media in these ways.

4) What is the best way for a manufacturer to start using social media?

The best way to get into social media for the manufacturing (or any) industry is to just jump in with both feet. You won’t learn or reap the benefits of social media without getting out there and giving it a try. Once you choose the platforms that you will use, start mentioning those platforms in your regular marketing. Setting up a group is also a good idea. A group that meets once or twice a month to go over topics and schedule posts and monitors will help you really get the most out of social media. Since it is free, it doesn’t hurt to get out there and try it.