Question

Topic: Social Media

Marketing To Several Markets

Posted by jgumbert on 8/12/2016 at 9:46 AM ET 25 Points
I am the Marketing Coordinator at a small raw materials company in the Composite/Textile industry. Our marketing goes out to many different target markets. Our direct customers buy our fiber to put into their fabrics, then the fabrics are bought by those who make the products with them, which are then sold to end users. As a small company, we are trying to get the word out about our product and entice every part of the supply chain to want to use/ buy a product with our fiber in it. I would love some advice on creating content on social media to hit every part of the supply chain effectively.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/12/2016 at 11:42 AM Member
    Does your fabric have a trademarked name? Is that name known to the entire supply chain? What makes YOUR fabric better than the competition's? How/why are people searching for the fabric?
  • Posted by jgumbert on 8/12/2016 at 12:40 PM Author
    We make Innegra fiber. It is not as well known as say Kevlar is, but serious composite engineers know it. My goal is to make it a household name like Kevlar, knowing this takes time. Our fiber has many benefits that makes products better by itself and working with other composite materials. Like I mentioned above, the three target markets are direct customers(weavers), indirect customers (those using the fabrics made with Innegra) and the end users.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 8/12/2016 at 12:41 PM Moderator
    As an ingredient manufacturer you have an almost-insurmountable challenge ... to create downstream demand for products made with your ingredient. It's going to require lots of money and time. Think about how much has been required to make Lycra and Kevlar recognized brand names.

    Doing what you need done using social media may make it easier than it would have been 20 years ago, but it's still going to take time and money. Make sure the view is worth the climb. It will depend on how compelling the benefit is for your product.

    (I've been there as a marketing consultant in the fiber/fabric/end-use application world, and I have the dents in my helmet to prove it.)
  • Posted by jgumbert on 8/12/2016 at 12:46 PM Author
    Innegra can help you with those dents... or we can make you a new helmet to prevent them from happening again! :) Thank you for this advice. Do you have any insight on how best to use social media for this climb. I have attempted promoting events, benefits, showing customer products using it... and still I am not seeing a large engagement or improvement on visibility. I have even gone through the process of remaking our website (my first month on the job).
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 8/13/2016 at 7:28 AM Accepted
    Use video to show those markets you're aiming at what your product does and how it can help. Share these videos via social media. Encourage interaction. Create odd new ways your product can be used, then show those ways off as well. Keep things plastic, keep things evolving.
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