Social networks are not only useful for consumer-focused online marketing programs, but are increasingly being leveraged by industrial channel marketing teams to generate opportunities their businesses.  From manufacturers of heavy equipment to suppliers of industrial commodities the benefits of generating instant responses to an online marketing campaign are continuing to make trade-focused social networking popular.

Industrial businesses that have company profiles in networks like Facebook and Twitter do not have to try to connect with the entire world, or even a mass consumer audiences to gain traction in an online social network.  Industrial channel marketing professionals can use social networking and online marketing to follow and interact with a very targeted audience list that often includes other industry professionals, customers and potential customers, experts, journalists and suppliers.

Industrial businesses have been pioneers in the use of online project management software to keep business projects and product releases on track, and now online marketing communications software is available to help improve the effectiveness and implementation of a company’s online or social network channel marketing program. 

Applicant manager software like http://applicants.wizehive.com from WizeHive can be used to collect individual customer information linked directly to responses from online marketing initiatives. Links to the software can be used in marketing material and can handle input from email, mobile devices, instant/text messages or forwarded from social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  Online application manager software allows channel marketing teams to organize incoming information, and prioritize their response to individuals or groups created from all the responses received. 

Author: Clint Garwood