Instead, today’s buyers conduct the majority of their research online before engaging with sales. In many cases, they are well into the decision-making process by the time they make first contact.
As Demand Gen Report shares, around 80% of B2B buyers only initiate contact once they are approximately 70% through their buying journey.
That shift has serious implications for manufacturers: if your digital presence doesn’t support buyers early, you risk being excluded before sales even enter the conversation.
If you’re ready to align your approach with how modern manufacturing buyers research, evaluate, and choose suppliers, these eight digital marketing strategies will help.
Build Your Strategy Around Buyer Intent
Manufacturers often organize their websites around products, departments, or capabilities – but buyers do not search that way.
Instead, engineers, procurement teams, and operations leaders tend to be focused on the challenge they’re trying to solve. They want to understand whether a supplier can meet technical requirements, reduce risk, and deliver reliably.
So, when your digital strategy mirrors that behavior, your content becomes more discoverable and more persuasive.
As a result, pages that are built around applications, industries, compliance needs, and common challenges consistently outperform generic overviews because they reflect real buying intent.
Invest in SEO to be found during research
Search engines remain the primary starting point for B2B research.
Research has found that two-thirds of a B2B buyer’s journey begins with a broad search based on problem-focused queries, not brand names.
This emphasizes the importance of solution-based content over brand-focused pages.
For manufacturers, this makes SEO a foundational channel because buyers may not know your company name, but they do know their problem.
You can be a part of the conversation from the very beginning if you invest in SEO and start appearing in search results for those early-stage queries.
SEO is also particularly effective in manufacturing because sales cycles are long, which means buyers return to search repeatedly as their requirements evolve. Each search – and website visit – reinforces familiarity and credibility, which plays a major role when shortlists are formed.
Create Educational Content
Manufacturing purchases are high-stakes decisions, so buyers rarely rely on a single source of information.
In fact, marketing stats show that buyers typically engage with around 12 pieces of content during the research process before making a decision.
If you can serve your audience with educational content, you’ll support those buyers looking for guidance. For example, content that explains how to evaluate suppliers, compare processes, or meet regulatory requirements helps reduce perceived risk. It positions your business as a knowledgeable partner rather than a vendor pushing a product.
Optimize Your Website
In many manufacturing journeys, the website replaces the early sales conversation.
That means your website must do more than describe capabilities: it needs to guide buyers, answer questions, and encourage next steps. You need clear calls to action, relevant proof points, and logical content pathways to help convert research into intent.
This kind of conversion rate optimization is all about helping buyers understand what to do next, so that engagement increases naturally and you get more requests for quotes or leads.
Try Paid Media
Paid digital advertising can be effective for manufacturers, but only when it targets genuine buying intent.
For manufacturers, this means paid campaigns should focus on specific, high-intent searches related to applications, certifications, and requirements.
When you’re starting out with paid media, precision matters more than reach. Make sure you align your paid search and paid social with buyer intent, so that this activity accelerates pipeline rather than inflates costs.
Be sure to track performance, not just on how many visits the paid campaigns drove, but how many generated genuine RFQs or enquiries.
Use LinkedIn As a Credibility Channel
LinkedIn is increasingly playing a role in supplier evaluation, as buyers use it to validate expertise, assess thought leadership, and identify potential partners.
It’s worth investing in because 65%-80% of B2B organizations have acquired customers through LinkedIn, including through organic content and advertising.
For manufacturers, this reinforces the importance of sharing practical insights rather than promotional updates.
Plan how to post consistent, informative content that builds familiarity over time. The goal is that when buyers eventually visit your website or speak to sales, your brand already feels credible.
Nurture Leads Digitally
Manufacturing sales cycles often stretch over many months. And during that time, prospects continue researching, reassessing priorities, and gathering internal consensus.
Email and marketing automation allow manufacturers to stay visible without adding pressure. By sending well-timed, relevant content, you can maintain momentum throughout the long sales cycle and ensure your business is considered when the time is right.
Spot Buyers Before Your Competitors
The vast majority of website visitors will browse your site and bounce without ever sending an enquiry or completing a form. You may only hear from a potential buyer when they send an RFQ, which they also send to all your competitors.
But with website visitor tracking, you can find out which companies are looking at your website and use behavior insights to spot buying signals. This helps you identify businesses that are preparing to buy, so your sales colleagues can reach out earlier in the sales cycle.
When 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that gets in touch first, you can’t afford to be slower than your competitors.
Not already using Lead Forensics? Book a demo and start your free trial now.
