TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why PPC for Manufacturing? | Key PPC Platforms | PPC Strategies for Manufacturers | Metrics to Track | Mistakes to Avoid
What is PPC advertising for manufacturing companies?
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is a form of internet advertising that allows manufacturing companies to reach highly targeted online audiences while only paying for the ad when someone clicks on it.
PPC has become an integral part of lead generation strategy across industries and audiences, including manufacturing. What's PPC doing for manufacturers? It allows companies with no online visibility to generate high-value leads quickly.
The pay-per-click model directly addresses common challenges in manufacturing marketing:
- First, it can shorten the lengthy sales cycle, giving you more control over the how, when, and who of your lead generation.
- Second, manufacturing PPC can reach niche audiences, reducing wasted ad spending and enhancing your results.
- Finally, PPC for manufacturers helps you be seen in a competitive marketplace and demonstrate why you're the best choice for certain customers.
Why PPC Works for Manufacturing Companies
It's not always easy to reach the right people in manufacturing. With PPC advertising, you get to choose who sees your ads through a set of audience-refining tools. You can use these tools to target people in specific geographic locations, job titles, and search intent.
With manufacturing PPC, you can customize and time the message to maximize impact — or as we call it, “Right Person, Right Time, Right Message.”
Compared to organic search, PPC is fast. You can earn instant visibility across multiple platforms and websites and start generating high-value traffic immediately.
One of the best things about PPC is how trackable it is. Some marketing methods have you wondering where the lead came from or what finally convinced them to reach out. But PPC makes the invisible visible. It can help you capture contact information for lead nurturing.
You quickly learn which ads are performing well and can make data-driven decisions to improve your PPC campaign.
Because PPC is trackable, you can clearly see your ROI. Through detailed analytics, you break it down by factors like audience, platform, time of day, search term, and ad campaign to learn which PPC campaigns and leads generate the highest ROI. Then, focus your efforts to get better results.
When used strategically, PPC can deliver a significant competitive advantage. It allows you to appear prominently above competitors in search and reach high-intention buyers before they know which company they're looking for.
Key PPC Platforms for Manufacturing Companies
While the benefits of PPC for manufacturers are many, knowing what PPC is for manufacturers is not enough. Simply launching some ads will not reap the above rewards. Certain ad platforms and types meet different marketing goals.
Google ads are best for search intent-based traffic. These could include keywords (phrases) that are branded, non-branded, or competitor. Around 90% of online searches in the U.S. start on Google, making this a prime location to reach people searching for something specific.
LinkedIn Ads, on the other hand, are more effective for targeting by industry, job role, and company size. They may or may not (usually not) be apparent in a keyword-based ad format.
LinkedIn PPC, therefore, helps you reach your audience from a slightly different angle. It refines the leads you generate, not only on LinkedIn but also on Google. That's because your ideal audience will see the ads in both places — increasing the rate at which the right people click and become leads.
Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) can also be helpful for manufacturers. These platforms are a little more laid-back, with a visual, educational, and entertaining atmosphere curated by users based on their interests.
When your audience is here, they may not be thinking about manufacturing companies at all. That's precisely why these low-stakes platforms are so effective for awareness, lead nurturing, and remarketing to those who've already engaged with your company online.
YouTube is ideal for showcasing manufacturing processes, product capabilities, and brand credibility. Demonstrate your commitment to customer success with product tutorials and troubleshooting, all while building trust you can leverage to turn leads into buyers.
Essential PPC Strategies for Manufacturers
Keyword Strategy & Search Intent
Start with industry-specific keywords such as “custom metal fabrication services” or “industrial equipment supplier.” These highly specialized keywords get you into the most relevant searches.
Balance high-intent keywords (which tend to cost more per click) with long-tail keywords for cost-effectiveness. This helps you get more out of your campaigns without breaking the budget.
Landing Page Optimization
Ads should never direct clickers to a home or contact page. Instead, align the page with the ad message to generate that lead. Every PPC campaign should have dedicated landing pages and clear calls to action (CTAs).
Optimize forms to capture high-quality leads without friction. Even if 10 fields give you more information, 2 to 3 may be ideal if they reduce abandonment.
Remove any barriers or distractions like menus, multiple CTAs, or choices. Give them one thing to do on that page and track the percentage of those who do it.
Ad Copy & Creative Best Practices
Write clear, technical, and value-driven ad copy that entices people to click, almost without thinking. Each time you can get a person to take a small action, they're becoming invested in your message and company.
Use powerful product visuals, videos, and customer testimonials to build trust quickly and invoke emotional responses that can lead to conversions.
Remarketing & Retargeting
Remarketing and retargeting are manufacturing advertising strategies that help those who leave your website without converting return to finish what they started. The Internet is a distracting place. Often, people meant to continue and left.
Retargeting ads are a cost-effective solution. Once set up, these ads will appear around the Internet reminding people of your company. They can then click them and return to complete the form, and you generate a lead. Display ads and LinkedIn retargeting are two highly effective ways to do this.
Remarketing is a little different. It involves giving people who may have abandoned the process more information to help them decide to move forward. Depending on the contact information you have, you might send these through more direct channels like text, email, or messages.
Whitepapers, case studies, or communicating the value of consultations can speed up the sales cycle by giving the lead what they need to move forward. Schedule and automate the delivery of this lead-nurturing content to streamline lead nurturing and keep your sales funnel moving.
Budgeting & Bidding Strategies
Marketing to buyers in niche industries requires highly strategic marketing with a clear understanding of how this audience engages with companies like yours online. So, blanket best practices and influencer recommendations may simply not apply to your niche. And you'll probably need to get creative to meet your goals.
For these reasons, it's essential to set a realistic budget for niches. When a product or service doesn't appeal to the masses, you may be paying more per lead, but that lead is also much more likely to become a paying customer.
To help you become more strategic, we recommend you use automated bidding strategies that maximize your conversions and the value of those conversions.
Automation can improve your cost per acquisition (CPA) through machine learning that refines your campaign's relevance and audience based on click-through and conversion rates.
Measuring Success: Key PPC Metrics for Manufacturers
What is PPC advertising for manufacturing companies if not supremely measurable? But it's easy to get distracted by all the data.
To stay focused, it's vital to measure success with the most relevant PPC metrics for the manufacturing industry. These include:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) – which answers the question: Are ads compelling enough?
- Cost Per Click (CPC) – which answers: How much do I pay for potential customers to interact with my offer?
- Cost Per Acquisition – represents how much you're spending to acquire a customer. It can include several cost-per-clicks. Together with CPC, CPA answers the question: Am I generating leads efficiently and cost-effectively?
- Conversion Rate – Are leads turning into inquiries or sales?
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) – Are campaigns delivering a profitable return?
Common PPC Mistakes to Avoid in Manufacturing Marketing
Several mistakes can slow your progress and lead to overspending. It's important to use the above metrics to determine if one of these mistakes may be holding you back from manufacturing advertising success:
- Targeting broad or irrelevant keywords will drain the budget. Ad platforms will constantly recommend adding more words because it makes them more money, not you. Prioritize quality over quantity.
- Ignoring negative keywords and wasting money on unqualified clicks. Entering negative keywords ensures you don't show up in irrelevant searches like “(free, used, learn, sample, DIY, cheap, repair) metal fabrication.” Appearing in irrelevant searches increases your CPC while diminishing ROAS.
- Poorly optimized landing pages leading to high bounce rates. Every campaign has a dedicated page. It's a seamless extension of the ad.
- Failing to track conversions and adjust campaigns based on performance. As your quality and performance go down, ad platforms will increase your ad costs while reducing your visibility because they see your ad as irrelevant and annoying to their users.
- Relying only on PPC without also leveraging inbound marketing. This is a critical damage mistake. Ads are expensive as a long-term strategy. Use them strategically with inbound techniques like SEO, events, permission-based email, and social media marketing to reduce your advertising costs over time while also getting better results with your ads.
PPC Done Right: Compete, Convert, and Grow
When done right, PPC helps companies like yours reach niche audiences effectively to compete against industry giants with limitless budgets. It gives you instant visibility to generate leads and can drastically shorten manufacturing's notoriously long sales cycle.
That said, PPC can also break your budget. If you're seeing your CPC and CPA rising, there's a reason. It's important to audit your current PPC strategy and get expert guidance on how to increase your ROAS.
To get guidance from manufacturing PPC experts, schedule a consultation today or download our free guide, “The Ultimate Marketing Guide for Manufacturers.”
