We Need Marketing Ideas

Marketing a Metal Coatings Business

You're heavily invested in the success of your metal coatings business and failure isn't an option. That means you'll also need to invest yourself in the strategies and techniques it takes to effectively market your brand in the marketplace.

Need to improve the effectiveness of your marketing channels for your metal coatings business? That's becoming a common theme these days, especially in this market sector.

Simplistic promotional techniques can't penetrate the clutter of the current marketplace. Effective marketing now means translating market learnings into techniques and tactics that are relevant to your business.

Public Relations Strategies

Public relations is more subtle, but no less powerful than a full-blown marketing push. When metal coatings businesses leverage PR, they tell thought-provoking stories about their brand and products. In the process, they establish themselves as thought leaders and encourage the marketplace to give them a second look. The key to effective PR is to use nuanced messaging to attract the attention of reporters and media representatives. If reporters smell promotional content, they will back off from the story or create their own narrative.

Social Media Monitoring

Social media has become a prominent fixture in marketing. For small businesses, an aggressive social media campaign can level the playing field by generating online buzz that competes with corporate marketing initiatives. Social media can quickly go negative, turning brand advocacy into "badvocacy", a scenario in which consumers and users create content deriding your company and your products. All metal coatings businesses are especially vulnerable to negative exposure through social media. Social media monitoring can be as simple as periodical Google searches or as complex as the application of sophisticated monitoring software. Either way, it's essential to develop a system for regularly monitoring your company's presence in social media, followed by positive customer engagements.

Industry Resources

Lone rangers don't survive long in a metal coatings business. Most leaders are oblivious to the fact that the marketplace shows no favoritism - for every marketing challenge your business faces, there are hundreds of other businesses and leaders struggling to solve the same problem. Trade associations, business networks, and other venues usually offer resources to help you improve your marketing skills. If possible, establish a mentoring relationship with an experienced industry veteran.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary