Knowledge Base

For years, manufacturers have been marketing their products with sales representatives, trade show booths and product catalogs.  More recently a strong web presence and social media sites are being added to the mix.  The blog is an online marketing tool that can tie it all together, giving manufacturers an efficient way to tell the marketplace about their company and products.

For a manufacturer's web presence, I advocate a lean web methodology that focuses on three important functions:

1. Adding value to customers
2. Providing a rewarding online experience for target audiences
3. Presenting your company as a professional organization and an industry leader

The company blog is the one component of a manufacture's website that helps provide all three.  The blog is where customers can learn about product updates, new product announcements, and company initiatives.  Over time the blog becomes the manufacturer's knowledge base for customers, with a treasure trove of information all in one place.

Many times, manufacturers have valuable information just sitting there, but cannot get it out to customers efficiently.  The blog is an effective, lean solution to this problem.  It is also a great communication tool for manufacturers to take all the topics of conversations each sales and customer service representative has with individual customers, and immediately make all customers aware of them at the same time.

The manufacturer's web portal is the place where customers login to find specific information such as their pricing, order history, spare parts, warranties, RMAs, etc.  The blog, however, is the place for all customers to find common information such as troubleshooting advice, demonstration videos, and answers to frequent questions about products.  Manufacturers can address these once and have the information immediately available to all customers to find any time of the day.

Manufacturers are adding social media by creating Facebook and Twitter accounts, urging customers to "like" or "follow" their company.  Followers gather on the social media sites, which is nice; but, there is not much value for the customer until there are important, timely updates about the products, the manufacturer and the industry to discover.

Twitter and Facebook become valuable tools for a manufacturer, when they lead customers to the most recent news and updates found in the manufacturer's blog.  Customers have another way to interact with the manufacturer and provide feedback.  The conversations on the social media sites center on the manufacturer, the products and benefits for customers - all topics that help attract new customers.

Of course, adding value to customers and selling more products is always a business goal.  The most successful blogs, however, are those viewed as collections of information that benefit everyone in the industry; not a blog just perceived to be run by a company trying to sell products.  This is taking the blog to another level that demonstrates the manufacturers' thought leadership and innovation, distinguishing the manufacturer above the competition.

The blog not only informs customers about products, it is viewed as a forum for ideas, trends and the exchange of information that benefits the manufacturer's industry.  Customers visit the manufacturer's website blog on a regular basis to find product information and to learn about their industry, not just when they need to find out how to solve a problem.  The manufacturer is seen as a trusted, integral partner for customers and suppliers, and as an industry leader.