Social Media “Is An Invaluable Sales Tool”

Edmund Bird, Regional Sales Director, F. C. Phillips Inc.

This week’s EASTEC blog comes to us from Edmund Bird, Regional Sales Director at F. C. Phillips Inc. Edmund has been attending EASTEC for a number of years and has embraced social media through LinkedIn. He even created his own group, Get It Made! that always has new content and discussions about manufacturing. We asked Edmund a few questions about his social media experiences and found out what he is looking forward to at EASTEC this year.

You started Get It Made! in January 2009. Why did you start using social media?

Purchasing agents at the companies I visit have been given more responsibilities (more hats to wear), this means they have less time for face to face meetings. It takes much less time to check an email, read a post, or see a tweet online, and it does not require a direct answer. It’s a much less intrusive method of sales.

What effect do you think social media is going to have on manufacturing?

It offers buyers information about resources that they would not otherwise be aware of, and in a timely fashion. I have already made connections and fielded RFQ’s from five companies, three of which have become customers. It’s an invaluable sales tool, and because most of the online networking is free, it’s very cost effective!

Manufacturing Experts Provide Keys to Success at EASTEC 2011 Resource Center Presentations

EASTEC 2011 Exhibitor Mastercam Discusses Social Media

CNC Software, Inc., an EASTEC 2011 exhibitor that provides state-of-the-art software tools for CAD/CAM manufacturing markets, intends to let its resellers, customers, and prospects know about its plans for the event. While that may seem no different than what the 500-plus other exhibitors will do, the fact that CNC Software, Inc. will use social media to connect to its audience is different. “We post basically anything that is new,” said Graham Hargreaves, marketing coordinator at CNC Software, Inc. “Social media has definitely lead to business. Every time we post something, there are orders within minutes.” Read more at http://ht.ly/4jE6j

Be Professional, But Don’t Be Afraid To Be “Social” On Social Media Sites

Interview With Heule Tool Corporation Marketing and Sales Coordinator

Emilie Nerl, Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Heule Tool Corporation

We recently posted an interview with Graham Hargreaves, Marketing Coordinator at CNC Software, Inc. about why and how his company uses social media. That post was so popular we wanted to feature another manufacturing company participating in the social space.  We asked Emilie Nerl, Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Heule Tool Corporation, about her company’s use of the social media platforms, Facebook and YouTube. Both articles include tips on how to use social media, but we want to know how you are using social media in your company. Let us know by commenting below!

1. Why did you start using social media?

Heule Tool Corporation began using social media in 2008 with YouTube as a means to showcase product videos. This format allowed the easy-to-integrate video that we required for our website and increased our search result success with keywords on the YouTube site. With social media gaining popularity in the business environment, Heule recognized the opportunity to showcase our products, videos, catalogs and increase interaction with our customers by utilizing other social media sites as well. Facebook has quickly become a great tool for marketing products as well as collaborating with customers and professional organizations. The ability to keep such close contact with those interested in Heule products is a significant milestone for our marketing.

Manufacturers and Social Media: Where To Start The Journey

“Social Media are confusing and deceptive to manufacturers. I know it. Other communications and marketing cats know it. And in those quiet moments when you allow yourself the luxury, so do you. You’re no more good at keeping up with the evolving and emerging communications and Social Media channels today than I am at programming a Fanuc on a 5-axis Mori or setting up a tombstone.

But it’s OK. It doesn’t have to be hard. It ain’t easy, but with a little bit of that savvy you bring to the shopfloor you can capitalize and improve the likelihood that you’ll get more attention – and business – from manufacturers looking for the services your business can give ‘em. You can – and should – do something.”

Read the rest of A.J. Sweatt’s post 9 Rules For Manufacturers Beginning A Social Media Journey.

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.