Outreach aims to strip marketing of the buzzwords that have left many companies confused and disillusioned regarding the value of marketing itself. Effective regional outreach allows companies to become engaged and active with members of their community and industry.
If your current marketing output isn’t resonating with your community, then perhaps it is time to adjust your regional outreach strategy. Essentially, outreach can be thought of as simply making a real human connection with your consumers and customers, instead of simply marketing at them.
Made in the Midlands members are able to develop a regional outreach strategy which brings marketing back to its core: building real relationships with real people and organisations.
“Building Trust Before You Pitch”
People have to trust us before they do business with us. This harsh reality is summarised by the prestiged copywriter Ray Edwards:
Prospects never read anything at first; they never believe anything at first; and they never buy anything at first.
The goals of outreach marketing can vary, from simply direct sales to larger goals such as branding. However, this quote from Edwards will still ring true for any regional outreach marketing strategy.
At its core outreach marketing is the practice of seeking out companies and individuals who have a shared interest in what your company has to offer. When done right, you will forge passionate word of mouth recommendations for your brand.
There are a variety of ways in which Made in the Midlands lays the foundations for like minded companies to build trust with one another.
Joining a Trusted Community
A person’s credibility is what lays the foundations of building trust. The nature of being a member means you have already won half the battle on this front.
One of the main points of Made in the Midlands’ company vision is uniting industry. Therefore, holding a Made in the Midlands membership certificate and proudly representing the logo will foreground your organisation as a trustworthy supporter of Midlands industry.
Attending networking events, hosting factory tours and engaging with members digitally on their microsite are some of the main ways in which companies are able to improve their regional outreach strategy with Made in the Midlands.
Gardner Aerospace joined Made in the Midlands in late 2019 and have already taken full advantage of the opportunities to reach out to its membership.
James Perry, Site Director at Gardner Aerospace Derby was a guest speaker at the recent Backing Britain event and will be hosting a breakfast meeting in March to showcase best practice at the plant. The company themselves have recently said that:
“James is confident that participation at the forthcoming MiM exhibition in July will provide a great opportunity to champion the manufacturing sector within the region and gain knowledge of other organisations and their approach to operations.”
Making Personal Connections
The often cold and impersonal nature of digital communication means that it can be very hard to build trust with your prospects through solely using the likes of social media and content marketing.
However, Made in the Midlands gives manufacturers a platform to remove the anonymity from digital platforms and engage with other professionals and organisations within the industry in a way which feels personal and engaging.
For one, members are given exclusive access to a LinkedIn Made in the Midlands group amongst other members, to promote personal communication and support digital engagement (e.g. liking and sharing each other’s content) throughout the industry.
A personalised microsite also allows you to become part of an exclusive community of manufacturers and other advocates of Midlands industry. You can follow other members from your dashboard and receive customised news and there is also the option of privately messaging members from the portal.
Amongst hundreds of other members, you will also feature on our interactive Britain to the World Map. This means that prospects and work associates will be able to pinpoint your exact location for seamless business contact.
Browse our range of membership plans today or get in touch for more info about how Made in the Midlands can help drive your company growth.