Reaching global customers is more than just translating sales slicks
By Christine Pietryla Wetzler
As food and beverage processors and packaging professionals , your primary focus is on the safety and efficiency of your products . As it should be .
However , from my point of view as a former packaging trade press editor , and with more than 20 years in deep B2B marketing and PR , I can tell you two things that might be hard to hear :
1 . You have to market your business online and in more places than tradeshows ( because look at 2020 – how much selling did you get done ?)
2 . If you cater to a global audience or want to sell more into a foreign market , hiring a translator to convert existing sales materials isn ’ t cutting it
There ’ s good news , though , because online marketing is more accessible than it ever was , and getting help need not be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking .
As a B2B business , you ’ re used to telling your story at tradeshows and in industry magazines . That means you ’ ve already completed the first step in marketing your company – knowing how to tell your story . Believe it or not , this first step is what trips up brands in other industries – they are so used to being closer to another side of the business that they don ’ t always know what resonates with their customers . We don ’ t see this often in B2B .
What we do see is a reticence to tell that story in a different way . We ’ ve met with clients who have been going to the same tradeshows for 30 years . That ’ s not necessarily a bad thing , but as we all shake off the effects of the pandemic , anyone can admit that the hazards of doing things the same way without innovation leave you vulnerable when things quickly change .
So , where do you start ? If you ’ ve got an internal team , you can start with Google , Bing , and LinkedIn ads for a very small investment . This is a great way to dip your toes in the water and / or get buy-in from your team . You might also think about contributing guest posts to newsletters and websites where your customers read their daily news .
Finally , are you making the most of the tools you pay for to market yourself ? If you advertise in trade magazines , they often offer content opportunities that you could be a part of or perhaps ask if they can follow your social media profiles .
Small steps can pay big dividends with this kind of mindset shift .
If you ’ re ready to do this but don ’ t have the resources , consultancies like mine often offer free strategy sessions . We are always happy to do so , even if we don ’ t end up working together .
The main takeaway is , it ’ s very likely you need to address your marketing and PR to become more competitive . Doing so doesn ’ t have to be intimidating if you know what is available to you .
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