Retour

Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Content Marketing, Engineered Podcast | TREW Marketing

Plongez dans la liste complète des épisodes de Content Marketing, Engineered Podcast | TREW Marketing. Chaque épisode est catalogué accompagné de descriptions détaillées, ce qui facilite la recherche et l'exploration de sujets spécifiques. Suivez tous les épisodes de votre podcast préféré et ne manquez aucun contenu pertinent.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 224

TitreDateDurée
2026 Marketing Trends: The Power of a Strong Differentiated Strategy11 Dec 202500:24:31

Every December, we wrap up Content Marketing, Engineered with a tradition: a trends conversation with TREW Marketing’s own Lee Chapman. This episode focuses on how Industrial Marketers can reckon with with the new age of AI and differentiate themselves among a "sea of sameness" and what marketing strategies to focus on in 2026. 

2025 was a year of massive transformation for industrial marketers. As AI tools matured and generative search became a primary gateway for technical buyers, long-standing content and inbound strategies were forced to evolve. Marketers saw firsthand how important differentiation, depth, and authentic expertise is to stand out and earn trust.

AI Has Leveled the Tactical Playing Field

According to Lee, 2024 and 2025 were years of experimentation. Marketers used AI to produce content faster than ever but this caused everyone to sound alike and create an overwhelming amount of noise. Lee says the biggest trend for 2026 is a differentiated strategy.

With AI providing instant answers to basic queries, surface-level content no longer cuts it. Technical buyers still end up on your website, and when they do, they’re looking for clarity, technical depth, and authenticity. If your content doesn’t communicate a strong value proposition and true expertise, it’s easy for prospects to bounce back to AI or head to a competitor.

Your Website Must Earn Its Keep

Lee highlighted two extremes plaguing engineering websites today:

  • The “museum” site: outdated, bloated, and difficult to navigate.
  • The “brochure” site: modern and pretty, but shallow, lacking specs, case studies, and proof points.

Both fail to meet the needs of technical buyers. Lee recommends a website and content audit using a keep/kill/create framework, elevating high-value content, and ensuring users can find what they need with minimal clicks.

Trade Shows: Substance Over Swag

Events are booming again, but many companies are “checkboxing” their presence rather than building a strategic plan around them. Lee stressed the importance of:

  • Strong booth messaging
  • Demos and SMEs
  • Pre-event outreach and partner activation
  • Thoughtful, timely post-show follow-up

Content: Go Deep, Get Specific, Prove It

Technical audiences still value white papers, webinars, case studies, and research if they contain meaningful depth. Lee emphasized developing more proof-driven assets, including unnamed case studies when needed, and turning high-performing content into webinars or videos. Voice-of-customer research and even closed-lost surveys are underrated tools for uncovering differentiators AI can’t replicate.


Resources

Comparing Research Behaviors of Career Pros and Next Gen Engineers05 Dec 202500:33:36

As industrial marketers plan out their 2026 marketing strategies, it's important to take into consideration the difference in research and buying behavior of engineers across generations. EETech's Terra Gledhill in on this week's episode to share what sources these engineers trust, and what strategies marketers should emphasize in 2026. 

In this episode Wendy Covey sat down with Terra Gledhill, Director of Marketing and Research at EETech, to unpack findings from the 2025 Engineering Insights Report (EIR). Now in its ninth year, the EIR captures responses from more than 3,000 engineers across roles, industries, and experience levels, making it a great resource for industrial marketers as they plan their 2026 marketing strategy.

A dominant theme in this year’s report is the rapid rise of AI adoption. Among millennial and Gen Z engineers, usage of AI tools (including LLMs, code generation, and simulation) jumped from 45% to 64% year over year. Even seasoned career professionals saw a significant increase, from 20% to 46%. Terra explained that while younger engineers overwhelmingly see AI as a positive accelerator, seasoned engineers remain more cautious, emphasizing the need for regulation and security.

The report also highlights major generational differences in research behavior. Communities and forums have become the top resource for Millennial and Gen Z  engineers, who seek out peer validation and authentic, real-world solutions. Career pros, however, still rely on manufacturer websites. Across all groups, engineers increasingly expect robust online tools such as CAD models, reference designs, and simulation resources directly on supplier websites.

When it comes to challenges, both groups cite staying on schedule and on budget as their top concerns. But younger engineers struggle more with skill gaps on their teams, often inheriting outdated systems and incomplete documentation. Career pros, conversely, feel the pressure of keeping pace with technology’s rapid evolution.

For marketers planning 2026 strategies, Gledhill’s advice is clear:

  • Prioritize technical depth over marketing polish.
  • Equip engineers with self-serve digital tools on your website.
  • Show up in trusted communities and authoritative third-party publications.
  • Encourage SMEs to share their expertise on technical forums like Reddit and Github.
  • Market not just to today’s decision-makers, but to the next generation.

Resources

Brand Marketing with Technical Publications — From PR to Ad Campaigns24 Jul 202500:29:18

In this episode, Morgan Norris speaks with Susan Poeton, Publisher, Owner and CEO of Industry Today Media. They discus the evolution of publishing and strategies for technical companies to effectively communicate their news. They explore the importance of understanding the audience, the role of press releases, and the current trends in manufacturing and technology. Additionally, they talk through advertising strategies, paid media opportunities, and the significance of building brand awareness in a competitive market. 

Key Takeaways

  • Smaller companies can still tell valuable stories despite budget constraints.
  • Brand awareness is key in a competitive market.
  • Paid media opportunities should be part of a broader campaign strategy.
  • Building long-term relationships with media platforms enhances exposure.



Resources


Generative AI Update - News, Tools, Prompting, Crafting A Company Policy13 Apr 202300:32:47

 Hear the latest updates on generative AI for marketing, including tools we're kicking around, features we love, and prompting best practices for creating AI-assisted technical content. 

Morgan Norris, TREW Brand and Content Strategist, is on top of how AI tools can enhance our technical content writing process (not derail it). She's been researching and piloting various tools and staying abreast of the ever-evolving legal and cultural implications of generative AI.

In this episode we cover:

  • Marketing AI news, including a statement and guidance from the U.S. Copywrite Office
  • Generative AI tools we are trying out (see full list below)
  • Generative AI functionality that benefits us most as technical marketers
  • Best practices for prompting AI tools during ideation, research and writing
  • How to create a company policy on generative AI

Morgan will host a webinar in May to take a deeper dive into many of these topics. If you have questions or topics you'd like her to cover, drop her a line on LinkedIn. 

Resources

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

GA4 is Here...It's Time to Bid UA Farewell Forever06 Apr 202300:22:15

 Learn the differences between Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Universal Analytics and find out how to transition to GA4. 

If you've logged into your Google Universal Analytics (UA) account on or after March 1, 2023, you've realized that you have a new tool: Google Analytics (GA4). In this episode, Kasey Tyring, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist at TREW Marketing, walks through the major differences between the two tools and how to get up-to-speed on GA4.

A few key points you'll hear during the episode:

  • Web visits (and a few other key metrics) are counted differently in GA4, so don't try to compare with UA data
  • Greater emphasis and deeper data are provided on-site engagement 
  • Bounces and clicks take on a different meaning in GA4
  • One of the most insightful tools is events - check this out first and get excited about this new way to view the buyer's journey!
  • After you have a handle on the changes, be sure to educate leadership about the change 

If you have a busy spring schedule and/or not super excited about learning a new Google Analytics tool, well, tough. In July 2023 UA will go away forever. So let's all embrace the change and give GA4 a big welcome hug. Happy measuring!

Resources

  • Webinar on April 12th: Measuring Marketing Success with GA4
  • Blog Post: Preparing for GA4 -- The Next Generation of Analytics
  • CME Podcast Episode from July 2022: Moving to GA4 with Keith Mooring
  • Kasey Tyring on LinkedIn

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

Daily Videos Part of a Robust Content Marketing Strategy For Optics Manufacturer23 Mar 202300:27:34

Learn how a leading optics manufacturer uses daily videos and other content marketing tools to differentiate from their competitors.

Cory Boone, Technical Marketing Manager at Edmund Optics, is a big believer in content marketing for engineering companies, as you'll hear in this episode. He has found that through content, the company builds trust and credibility and stays top-of-mind with prospects and customers. 

Edmund Optics' multi-faceted content strategy includes daily videos which range from broad and basic, such as how optics are used in the world around us, to technical challenges where optics and photonics can be applied. Videos are leveraged across multiple platforms including TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. TikTok is not where the company expects to find and convert near-term leads, rather it supports long-term awareness and branding goals. 

In Cory's role as a Technical Marketing Manager, he acts as a bridge between engineering and marketing communications, which he finds helps to lend greater credibility to marketing as a whole. He also writes technical content where he draws from his optical engineering education and seeks time from deep subject-matter experts within the company. Cory oversees the Edmund Optics Knowledge Center, where visitors can search or filter by topic.

Cory and his team have experimented with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, and have found their best use to be for brainstorming and outlining. Cory advises taking great caution when using data sourced by these tools. It is important to determine and cite the source of the data to make sure it is accurate, recent, and not from your competition. This is a big challenge for niche technical subjects.  

Resources

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

Heard at ERA: Recap of the 2023 Electronics Representatives Association Conference09 Mar 202300:40:49

Hear the latest electronic components industry and marketing trends presented at the 2023 ERA conference. 

TREW Marketing Senior Brand and Content Strategist, Morgan Norris joined me for the 2023 Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) conference, held in TREW's hometown of Austin, Texas. In this episode, we share some of the trending topics we heard in keynotes and sessions as well as share highlights from our presentation, Transforming Your Brand Into a Trusted Resource.

Some of our marketing takeaways include:

  • Many of the rep firms are lacking differentiated messaging and their websites don't portray them as a knowledgeable technical resource for design engineers
  • Video is very popular with design engineers; sales reps can use video to share their expertise and build credibility; brands can use video to add interest to (potentially dry) electronic component content topics
  • Don't overthink social sharing; use content created by your marketing department, your partners or your network and add your point of view
  • Generative AI and ChatGPT are great content brainstorming tools, but when it comes to creating highly technical content, they won't do the heavy lifting for you
  • Enewsletters are still quite popular with design engineers; one sales rep firm consistently achieves a 70% open rate through hyper-personalization 
  • Sales rep firms and distributors can leverage and extend a manufacturer's marketing campaign, creating a channel win-win-win amplifier
  • Manufacturers are open to collaborative marketing campaigns and offering co-op funding, but sales reps need to first have a strategic approach to marketing and pitch thoughtful campaign ideas

Some of our industry takeaways from a fascinating closing keynote by Michael Knight, President and CEO of Endries International, include:

  • As more sensors are added to our cars (and other parts of our daily lives), the demand for data storage will be massive
  • Look for more household and work tasks to be automated through robotics and applied AI; examples include robots delivering food to your table at a restaurant, picking strawberries in the field on a farm, and assisting with diagnosis and surgery 
  • Renewable, unlimited energy from solar will be more attainable with battery storage technology advances
  • The commercialization of space will continue, especially to mine precious minerals 
  • The demand for electronics will continue to be strong!

Resources

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

Generative AI For Industrial Content Development: a ChatGPT, Writer, and Jasper Showdown23 Feb 202300:36:31

 Can AI tools help to develop content targeted to engineers and technical buyers? 

The landscape is exploding with generative AI tools for content marketing. But when it comes to creating B2B marketing content, especially pieces targeted to engineers and technical buyers, are these tools actually helpful? This is what TREW Marketing set out to find through research and writing experiments.

The episode kicked off with Morgan Norris, TREW Sr. Brand and Content Strategist, walking us through the variety of tools that aim to help marketers across content strategy, SEO, and content development. As we honed in specifically on content development, the team narrowed their focus to two primary tools, Writer and Jasper. They also explained instances when ChatGPT might helpful, and made mention of other content tools which you'll note in the resources section below.

Jamie Tokarz, TREW Sr. Content Manager, and Hannah Schulze, TREW Content Specialist, walked through their experiments using the tools and what they found most and least beneficial. On the whole, the scales weighed heavily towards the negative, but all involved saw some benefit and think there is a positive outlook for gains as the tools mature.

The best experiences centered upon headline generation and branding rule enforcement. The tools also provided a nice starting point to overcome "blank page syndrome." The worst experiences were around long-form technical content and any piece of content where you'd like to reinforce your brand messaging and SEO terminology in an authentic manner. 

The team put together an AI for B2B Content Generation guide based on their research and experiments to date, including before/AI-generated/writer-edited live content snapshots which really drive home their lessons learned. This guide will be continuously updated as TREW learns and experiments more. 

Resources

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

The Path to Achieving Corporate Thought Leadership10 Feb 202300:28:20

 We're in a world where everyone wants to be a thought leader. But what does it look like for your company to gain thought leadership?  

Lisa Gately from Forrester meets with us to discuss thought leadership – what it is, what it isn’t, and how to create a thought leadership campaign. 

According to Lisa, “Thought leadership is a social dialogue. It is an intentional exercise of knowledge, skills, and expertise to build awareness, elevate perception, and drive preference related to key issues that audiences care about.” 

Thought leadership is brand equity – but it’s not easy to achieve. Most thought leadership misses the mark because it doesn't provide a unique perspective on an issue, it's not prioritized with internal resources, and it's ultimately self-serving -- it's product or solution marketing -- not industry leadership.

Lisa discusses how to diverge from our traditional way of thinking about thought leadership and build a thought leadership plan that's strategic, resourced, and meaningful.

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Enjoy Better Conversations and Unlock Possibilities with Patti DeNucci26 Jan 202300:35:55

Find out why conversations are so important to our health, careers, and personal growth, and learn practical tips to becoming a better conversationalist. 

Two-time book author and former technology marcom professional Patti DeNucci wants to inspire you to improve (and enjoy!) conversations, whether those take place in a social or professional setting. I couldn't think of a better time to spend some mental energy on this topic, with a post-pandemic re-emergence into face-to-face gatherings, or for some, hesitation to even engage IRL. 

In Patti's new book, More Than Just Talk: An Essential Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Enjoy Better Conversations, you'll learn why conversations are so important to our health, careers, and personal growth. She walks you through barriers and obstacles to good conversations and calls us out on some excuses we've probably all used to avoid social situations. 

In the episode, you'll hear how setting intentions and preparation will provide focus and confidence. We also touch on several concepts from Patti's "Conversation Toolkit" including my favorite, becoming a "Possibilitaritan." 

Having better conversations includes a healthy dose of listening, and Patti explains what prevents people from actively listening and how to improve this key skill.

One of my favorite tips comes at the very end of the episode where Patti tells us how to perform the "sniff test" and warns us to make sure this is done in private. Be sure to listen for that nugget!

More Than Just Talk follows on the heels of Patti's first book, The Intentional Networker.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

From Marketing Book Group To Corporate Cohesion06 Jan 202300:30:52

 Learn how the Ansys product marketing team shifted from siloed activity to a unified marketing language and became one of the company's most respected groups. 

Rich Goldman, Ansys Director of Product Marketing, has enjoyed a storied career journey in semiconductor, photonics, and electronics design. It seems that wherever he goes, he creatively and effectively solves challenges. He's helped the country of Armenia recruit tech businesses by establishing a presidential award in engineering. He's co-authored a book amongst the likes of famous scientists and astronauts on the symbiotic relationship of the space and technology industries. And in his latest role, he's inspired a large marketing organization to adopt a common framework and processes to be more strategic in their content marketing efforts.

During the episode, you'll hear how each business silo was using its own planning framework and vernacular for content marketing, making collaboration difficult and overwhelming corporate marketing resources. To solve this, Rich and Ansys CMO Scott Richardson held an organization-wide, 12-week workshop group based on the book Content Marketing, Engineered. The timing was perfect with marketing planning held directly after the conclusion of the workshop.

Through this approach, the product marketing and corporate marketing teams are now aligned on foundational marketing principles, including a planning framework, vernacular, and metrics. Planning is now conducted in a rolling 12-month quarterly calendar, helping teams to prepare by looking ahead while still being nimble with shifting business needs. Not only did this effort lead to revenue growth, but the product marketing organization is also now recognized as a strongly performing group.

Rich also shares details about the company's writing process, rolling 12-month planning approach, and a big 2023 focus on measurement and attribution.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

eCommerce for All Manufacturers15 Dec 202200:30:36

eCommerce is not just for large, transactional manufacturers. Learn how to take friction out of the buyer's journey with helpful digital assets.

When you think of eCommerce in manufacturing, you may instantly envision a store experience where visitors can purchase low-cost widgets. In reality, eCommerce is much broader and includes numerous diverse digital tactics.

Curt Anderson, Founder of B2B Tail, has experienced the evolution of eCommerce, starting from the dot.com boom which he jumped into with both feet.  He helps small and medium-sized manufacturing companies identify how eCommerce strategies can help remove friction from the buying process, help buyers make informed decisions, and create a more efficient sales process.

During the episode, Curt expands the view of eCommerce beyond the store, including product configurators, ROI calculators, essentially all digital experiences that help the buyer specific and purchase. He also explains how with today's enabling technology, many of the more sophisticated eCommerce tactics of the past are affordable and within reach for smaller manufacturers.

Curt is a passionate educator and resource for manufacturers. He co-hosts a weekly LinkedIn Live show called Manufacturing eCommerce Success with Damon Pistulka. He also supports the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) by producing member webinar series on marketing and digital transformation topics.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Why Does Keysight Have a Resident Geek?01 Dec 202200:31:03

Learn how Keysight connects with engineers through owned and external communities.

Daniel Bogdnoff is a technical content marketing leader best known as the Resident Geek at Keysight. Leveraging his EE education from Texas A&M University (whoop!), innate curiosity for all things electrical, and enthusiastic personality, Daniel turned a small pilot video series into a corporate-wide channel with over 105,000 views.

During the episode, you'll learn the history behind Keysight Labs and how video has helped the company to grow, engage and educate their community through the channel. We also touch on the popularity of webinars and the shift in format, from talking heads with PowerPoint recordings to live streams where attendees can tap an expert in real time. 

Daniel is also the host of Moore's Lobby, a podcast produced by EE Tech. This is one of many ways Keysight gains exposure to communities outside its own. They also successfully partner with creators who have their own YouTube channels and podcasts, and this is especially interesting when pairing a niche application show with a similarly-niched product. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Extending your Corporate Message Successfully as your Brand Grows10 Jul 202500:32:21

As your company grows and changes, whether through acquisitions, new products, or expansion into new markets, it's important your messaging evolves, too. Learn how to evolve your messaging and align both internal and external stakeholders along the way. 

In this episode of Content Marketing Engineered, Morgan Norris speaks with Chris Zmijewski, VP of Marketing at SAM, about the evolution of brand marketing and the transition of SAM into a data-driven solutions provider. They discuss Chris's journey in the company, the importance of internal messaging, leadership support, and the need for consistent communication across platforms, especially while acquiring multiple brands and entering new sectors. 

Key Takeaways

  • The integration of new technologies requires clear communication.
  • Internal messaging is critical during acquisitions.
  • Leadership support is vital for effective internal communication.
  • Consistent messaging across platforms enhances brand recognition.
  • Engaging staff at all levels fosters learning and innovation.

Resources


Trends at TREW Marketing10 Nov 202200:12:22

 Learn which major projects and areas of investments are leading to the best results for TREW Marketing clients. 

Most of us are deep into marketing planning for 2023, and to help, we’ve been running a trend series to provide you with helpful information as you decide where to investment and make those important budgetary tradeoffs. (If you missed the previous trend blogs and podcast epiosde, you can find those through the links below).

On this episode I share 5 major areas of investment for TREW Marketing’s clients. You’ll hear specific tactics being used and most importantly what is producing the best results. These areas include:

  • Persona-based content marketing campaigns
  • Corporate brand refresh
  • Shifting from owned community to external industry communities
  • Return of "big splash" product launches
  • Helping sales overcome objections with a strong value proposition
2022 Fall Marketing Conference Round-Up20 Oct 202200:53:25

Learn what topics were trending and TREW's big takeaways from INBOUND, Content Marketing World, MozCon, The Martech Conference, and the PMM Summit.

In this episode, I'm joined by several senior members of the TREW Crew to share the big trends and takeaways from conferences we each attended in Fall 2022. These included:

Here are just a few of the topics we covered during the episode:

Lee Chapman, TREW President, shared a key INBOUND theme of connectedness. Emerging from the isolated Covid times, marketers (and humans in general) are seeking ways to feel connected. One has a sense of this at in-person conferences, where people are more eager than ever to talk to the stranger in the next chair over, and online, where new communities are springing up as gathering places for learning and connecting. Lee's favorite presenter was Dale Bertrand from Spark and Fire who provided in-depth advice on how to diagnose and improve SEO performance. 

Morgan Norris, TREW Senior Brand Strategist, reports that pillar pages are still a thing! Demonstrate your expertise and help your buyers by publishing long-scrolling web pages packed with relevant, connected content. You can score high marks with Google AND with prospective buyers through this strategy. While at CMW, Morgan tried out several AI tools for content marketing, nabbed the top score at a content-themed whack-a-mole game, performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (sort of), and presented with yours truly during the CMW Industrial Marketing Summit. Morgan's favorite presenter was Lisa Gately from Forrester who covered thought leadership – what it is, what it isn’t, and how to create a thought leadership campaign.

Erin Moore, TREW Account Director, was the overachiever that fit in two conferences: MozCon and The Martech Conference. A big focus at MozCon (and INBOUND and CMW!) was Google's greater emphasis on EAT: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Partly in response to the misinformation of today's times, brands need to do more to build their authority. This might be niching further down, creating even MORE content on a subject (and tying it together with that pillar page), and publishing author bios along with blogs and articles. Erin's favorite presenter, Lily Ray from Amsive Digital, went into the background on EAT, the Google patents that she thinks went into it, and a lot of fantastic examples to showcase how Google can piece together an entity's authority.

Collaboration and AI-assisted content marketing and SEO were also big topics at The Martch Conference. During the episode you'll hear Erin share an easy "hack" for figuring out trending keywords used by your target personas, so be sure to listen for that. 

Rounding out the five events, I attended the Product Marketing Manager Summit along with TREW client Rich Goldman from Ansys, who presented a content marketing collaboration between our two teams on a GIANT movie theater screen. About half of the sessions were themed around positioning and messaging, along with how to do content marketing at scale and ways to support sales. I had two favorite quotes, one of which “The Gartner buyer’s journey is REAL, y’all” refers to just how much of a slog the long B2B technology buyer's journey can be, and pivotal ways marketing can help. 

For show links and more, visit the Co

Influencer Marketing in Electronics and Semiconductor06 Oct 202200:25:53

When it comes to influencer marketing, there are remarkable differences between the B2C and highly technical B2B worlds. Find out why. 

 Stuart Cording is a reformed electrical engineer turned technical writer who studies and educates about the electronics and semiconductor industry. In short, he is a B2B technical influencer.

When you hear the word influencer, you might conjure a celebrity promoting designer clothes on Twitter or a teenager trying 40 different shades of lipstick on Instagram. While some of the same channels might be leveraged, Stuart explains how being an influencer in a technical B2B industry is a bit unique.

For one, the influencer needs to have enough expertise to understand how a product works and where it might be best used. They may not always get their hands physically on a product, given constraints such as pricing or size. They also don't need the massive reach of a B2C influencer, rather a deep niche focus will produce more traction. These are some of the reasons why there are not as many influencers in the electronics and semiconductor space today. 

During the episode Stuart and I debate the differences between industry trade press editors and influencers, and he covers the types of services that technical B2B influencers provide. 


For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Edgy Authenticity in Cybersecurity22 Sep 202200:45:47

Two cybersecurity experts having an authentic conversation leads to business growth and chart-topping podcast listenership.

When you fire up a Zoom call for a conversation with NuHarbor CEO Justin Fimlaid and VP of Product and Engineering Jack Danahay, you soon discover that these two have distinct chemistry and philosophical alignment on most things in the cybersecurity world. Given this, it was not very surprising to me to learn that their podcast, PWNED (that's pronounced "poh-nd" to us non-cybersecurity people) has a massive following, breaking the top 100 in both the U.S. and UK. 

During the episode, Justin and Jack share their story, from how they met and discovered their aligned views, NuHarbor's "respectfully edgy" brand personality, and how at the heart of it all is walking the walk with their audience. They fully understand the needs and frustrations of their buyers, including piecemeal solutions and oversimplified value propositions that overpromise. 

Through NuHarbor's content marketing, with PWNED playing a key role, they've discovered that adopting an authentic voice and helpful, specific advice has attracted the professionals they most want to work with, those that look at the cybersecurity world through a similar lens and are aligned with NuHarbor's approach.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


Lasso Your Content Chaos08 Sep 202200:28:13

 Learn how to take a strategic and proactive approach to content planning. 

Jennifer Dawkins, Vice President of Account Services at TREW Marketing, is an expert in content planning for both start-ups and enterprise companies. When it comes to the latter, she's seen her share of Content Managers who are overwhelmed with requests and have no formal process for planning and prioritizing content projects. This leads to random acts of content, lack of insight into performance, and a ton of aging content which can be detrimental to the brand.

During the episode, Jennifer shares key steps in developing a content plan. It starts well before the first content brainstorming session, as all content should tie back to a campaign with identified personas and success metrics. She walks us through how to conduct a content brainstorming session using a content topic cluster framework, and shares who should (and should not) be in the room. 

We also cover accountability, measurement, how to handle ad-hoc content requests, and an approach to auditing aged content.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Gratitude Culture as a Competitive Differentiator25 Aug 202200:28:37

 Creating and promoting a company culture of gratitude leads to higher recruitment and retention success rates.

Lisa Ryan has the unusual title of Chief Appreciation Strategist for her company, Grategy. She's also the author of Thank You Very Much: Gratitude Strategies to Create a Workplace Culture that Rocks! You can quickly tell that Lisa has a strong opinion about gratitude and its impact on a company's growth. Gratitude starts with listening. What do employees like most about their jobs? What would they change? A short "stay" pulse interview (as opposed to the traditional "exit" interview) can provide valuable insights for both managers and marketing. 

Listening alone isn't enough, of course. Managers need to have the resources and authority to act upon feedback. Marketing has the opportunity to use internal feedback to inform brand messaging for both internal and external campaigns.

During the episode, you'll hear Lisa and I bat around ideas of how leadership, HR and marketing can all work together to better define a gratitude culture and craft messaging that will not only reinforce this culture internally but be used externally for recruiting. She also discusses her take on the Great Resignation and how individual priorities and expectations from their work culture have permanently shifted across generational lines. 

When Lisa is not on the keynote stage or consulting with manufacturing companies, she is in the host seat of her podcast, The Manufacturers' Network. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


2022 Content Marketing World Industrial Summit Preview11 Aug 202200:27:12

Take a sneak peek at the speakers and topics included at the 2022 Industrial Marketing Summit, a one-day event held as part of Content Marketing World.

On this episode I'm joined by Adam Beck, Director of Marketing for CADENAS PARTsolutions, and Joe Sullivan, Thinker and Founder at Gorilla 76, to take a sneak peek at this year's Industrial Marketing Summit event which will be held on September 15, 2022.

As the event sponsor representing CADENAS PARTsolutions, Adam has put together a stellar line-up of industry marketing leaders to share inspirational ideas and practical advice for industrial marketing professionals. Adam tapped Joe as the event host and panel facilitator. He will not only introduce speakers, he'll also help to pull out relevant points of value for the audience. 

Here is the line-up for the day:

Panel: Marketing for Manufacturers: Creating content to power direct AND channel sales 

Presenters: 

Session: Inside the Mind of the Technical Buyer: Create the Content your Prospects Actually Want

Presenters: 

Session: Earning a Seat at the Exec Table: A Field Guide for Marketers in Traditional Industries

Presenter:

Session: Meeting the Customer where they are: Content Delivery in the Digital Environment

Presenters: 

  • Ashley Quinlan, Vice President of Global Distribution and Marketing Strategy at Samtec Inc

  • Daniel Williams, Chief Information Officer at Samtec Inc

For more information about the 2022 Industrial Marketing Summit, visit the event page on the CADENAS PartSolution website. There you'll find more in-depth information on each session, and links to a registration page for Content Marketing World. You can also visit the Content Marketing World page directly if you are ready to register now. Reach out to Adam, Joe, or myself for a registration discount code before you take that last step! We look forward to seeing you in Cleveland on September 15th.

 
For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


Nimble Event Strategy with Garrett Burnett28 Jul 202200:30:11
 With travel and supply chain uncertainty, it's more important than ever to adopt a nimble, adaptive approach to events. 

Garrett Burnett, Head of Global Events at Silicon Labs, says that one of the most important traits of an events professional is adaptability. It's not IF something will go not according to the plan, it's WHAT. An effective events person is ready with plan B and C without skipping a beat.

Never has this trait been more important (and more put to the test) than in these early post-Covid times. Between airline staffing shortages, new Covid outbreaks and supply chain issues, there are a lot of external forces impacting events as normal. There's also lots of room for learning, growing and retooling. 

During the episode, Garrett walks us through SI Labs approach to industry events in 2022-2023, their user conference WorksWith, and innovative approaches to webinars and workshops. You'll hear the outcome of his recent trip to Embedded World in Germany, and how SI Labs is bringing live and interactive elements to their virtual developer conference. We also debate event success metrics, how to extract more value from event content, and basically geek out on all things events -- one of my favorite marketing topics. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Maximizing Membership in an Industry Association14 Jul 202200:19:11

Learn about the types of benefits that industry associations provide to their members, and why marketers should think beyond the logo on the website and invest time to explore all the ways association membership can help meet corporate marketing goals.

Stephanie Tierney, Director of Marketing Communications for the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), is keenly focused on engaging members and helping them find their passion within the organization. From serving on standards boards to supporting industry studies, there is a long list of ways companies can get involved and maximize the value of their membership in ECIA.

Stephanie utilizes many channels to stay top-of-mind with members, including enewsletters and LinkedIn. Part of her role includes leading a committee to plan the annual ECIA Executive conference, which is back in person this year (after a two-year pandemic-related hiatus) with the theme "Bucking Normal." ECIA also has a podcast, The Channel Channel, which focuses on industry trends and association news.

It was clear from our interview that there is no "one way" to maximize membership in an industry association, rather Stephanie encourages members to forge their own paths based on business needs and individual motivators. For some, this may come in the form of shaping industry guidelines and for another, it might be leveraging association analyst research for a thought leadership content campaign. Regardless, she reminds us that when it comes to membership, you get out what you put in....so get involved!

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


The Scrappy Solo Tech Marketer30 Jun 202200:20:00

 Executive buy-in, fractional investor support, and intern talent help a solo tech marketer succeed. 

Diana Van Dusen, Marketing Manager at Azumo, has worked in both enterprise companies as part of a large marketing team and served as a marketing department of one. She enjoys the fast-paced, streamlined decision-making of smaller companies and is very resourceful at securing help to accomplish big marketing goals.

Azumo recently underwent a full re-brand, from their name and visual identity to their messaging and website. To pull this off, Diana relied heavily on help from an experienced marketing pro engaged by the investment group that has a stake in Azumo. Diana also engages agency support and interns with a talent for design and writing -- areas that complement Diana's skills as a holistic marketing strategist.  

Diana has worked at both software and hardware companies, and the most remarkable difference she noted was in the length of the buying cycle. A SAAS product might be an eight-week decision whereas the cycle for Azumo's front-end displays can be as long as 18 months, if not more. This difference translates to varied marketing strategies and, in the case of longer sales cycles, less insight into marketing attribution to the sale. 

Diana recommends that other solo tech marketers look to industry blogs, social networking, peer feedback, and trusty Google when learning and growing as a professional. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


How to Create Kick-Ass PR Campaigns for Engineering Companies09 Jul 202500:41:41

 As AI-generated content becomes more common, technical buyers and engineers are turning to more vetted sources than just company blog articles. Trusted technical and trade publications are gaining influence, and a strong PR strategy can help your brand break into these outlets—and boost visibility in AI-driven search results. Here's how to build a successful PR campaign. 

In this episode, Morgan Norris, Senior Brand Strategist at TREW Marketing, discusses the evolving landscape of public relations (PR) and its significance in today's marketing strategies. The conversation covers the barriers marketers face in implementing effective PR campaigns, the importance of identifying newsworthy content, and the best practices for executing successful PR strategies. Morgan shares insights from a recent successful PR campaign for Path Robotics, illustrating the impact of a well-structured PR approach. The episode concludes with practical advice for marketers looking to enhance their PR efforts.

 

Key Takeaways

  • PR is experiencing a renaissance 
  • Identifying newsworthy content is crucial for effective PR
  • PR campaigns should focus on brand awareness, not immediate sales
  • Contributed articles can enhance the reach of a PR campaign
  • Building a targeted media list is essential for successful outreach
  • Effective PR requires follow-up and engagement with media contacts
  • Visual content can greatly enhance PR announcements



Resources


Video Marketing with Friends in Manufacturing16 Jun 202200:27:54

 Learn how a machine tools company uses video and podcasting paired with co-marketing and an action-oriented agile process to grow awareness. 

Eddie Saunders Jr., Head of Demand Generation for Flex Machine Tools, is a highly energetic and action-oriented marketer. He and a team of five colleagues collaborate closely to quickly assess marketing ideas and get them accomplished. This agile process has led them to be early to market with new platforms such as LinkedIn live, and they are not afraid to take risks with fun, humorous educational content that many larger manufacturing companies tend to shy away from.

One of the biggest game-changers in their marketing program was what Eddie coined "buddy marketing" where Flex Machine Tools pairs with complementary manufacturers and distributors to expand their reach by tapping each other's networks and defray costs. Some examples include advertising and tailored videos.

Where Eddie seemed most passionate was when talking about the Flex and Friends video podcast, which he hosts. He is thrilled to give others in the industry a platform to tell their stories and learns something new from every interview. Each interview is repurposed in numerous ways to extend the content investment.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


Ramping Up in a New B2B Marketing Role02 Jun 202200:24:29

 Starting a new marketing position at a technical B2B can be a daunting time. How can you ramp up and add value quickly? 

Alicia Keene, Inbound Marketing Specialist at TREW Marketing, has been the new marketer on the scene many times over. Through her experiences at an electronic components manufacturer and multi-client work at an agency, she quickly figured out that devoting time to learn and absorb in the early months will lead to higher quality and impactful work.

During the episode, Alicia walks through 8 key steps for a new marketer to follow when ramping up with a new technical B2B company. They include:

  1. Hear a company overview presentation
  2. Study the marketing plan and review key content and branding assets
  3. Review historical marketing content and collateral
  4. Research the industry and competition
  5. Research keywords and perform a content gap analysis
  6. Meet with technical subject matter experts (SMEs)
  7. Shadow your colleagues
  8. Be a sponge! Absorb information and ask questions

Be sure to catch the end of the episode with Alicia's advice for Marketing Managers who are planning to onboard new marketing staff.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


Moving to Google Analytics 419 May 202200:23:46

 Learn why GA4 is replacing Google's Universal Analytics platform, and what actions you need to take by July 1st to capture key reporting data. 

Keith Moehring, CEO of L2 Digital, is a marketing operations guru. When Google Analytics Version 4 (GA4) first released, I'm guessing Keith was first in the proverbial line to get his hands on the Beta. It made him the perfect guest to discuss why Google rebuilt its analytics platform and walk through key differences between Universal Analytics and GA4. 

One of the most exciting benefits we discussed was for content marketers. With GA4 you'll be able to measure how far someone scrolls on blog posts, long web pages, even video. This helps inform content/page length and where your call-to-action button should be placed.

Keith highly encourages marketers to add GA4 code to their site before July 1, 2022 so that they have a full year of data by July 1, 2023 -- the date that Google turns Universal Analytics off for good and everyone is on GA4. Otherwise your year-over-year data will look more like a "we used to measure X and now we measure Y but we didn't have Y last year so I don't know how we are doing" sort of thing. 

During the episode he walks through which specific actions to take now, and which ones can wait until closer to that 2023 date. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

How Manufacturing Marketers Impact Rep Growth with Ellen Albright05 May 202200:31:22

 Learn how manufacturing companies can better support their channel sales reps through content, marketing programs, and the martech stack. 

Ellen Albright, Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Circuit Breakers, is a resourceful North American marketer of one, backed by a corporate marketing team out of their company headquarters in Germany. 

Marketing plans start with new product introductions which are then supported by industry/application campaigns specific to regional needs. Every campaign has an element of sales support, whether through content assets, multi-touch email workflows, or other downstream activities. Automation is key for Ellen in areas such as lead scoring, lead routing, and targeted email workflows.

During the episode Ellen shares how the pandemic offered an opportunity for her to plan a more active role in training channel sales reps on digital marketing and selling, and creating new programs for them to leverage. One of these was a multi-touch email campaign personalized to the rep company utilizing content from E-T-A. This was a win-win, as Ellen had more control over the message, the rep leveraged marketing automation functionality not found in-house, and both could gain a fuller picture of which prospects were engaging and more likely to convert to customers. 

 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

 

Company Culture Communication with Lee Chapman21 Apr 202200:30:52

 Learn how companies define, reinforce and promote their culture to recruit and retain talent. 
Lee Chapman, TREW Marketing President and brand guru, knows that it is one thing to define company values, but the behaviors and actions of employees shape a company's culture. When the two are aligned and differentiated, great things can happen!

During the episode Lee gives many examples of company culture in action, from keg deck parties and family picnics to service events and Trello wedding planning boards. We examine who is responsible for defining and owning culture, ways to communicate and promote culture, and opportunities to uncover and tackle culture issues. 

Employee onboarding, six-month reviews, and exit interviews are all good touchpoints to seek out culture feedback. Is there alignment between the company's core values and the culture? Misalignment may be the catalyst for an operational change, such as adopting a new software tool, or an outdated notion of values, such as evolving workforce needs. 

Content plays a significant role in defining and reinforcing culture, both internally and with external stakeholders such as prospective customers and new hires. Communicate about your culture through the "about us" company page, employee videos, blogs and social posts (just to name a few). 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



ABM Readiness, Measurement, and Winning Tactics with Joe Quinn07 Apr 202200:44:55

 Award-winning ABM strategist shares his decade-long journey with ABM and advice for getting started or improving your programs. 

Joe Quinn, Senior Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Manager at Salesforce-Tableau and former ABM Leader at NI (National Instruments) has spent the past decade learning, inventing, measuring, and improving on all things ABM. Joe and his team at NI were recognized with an ABM Program of the Year award by the Flip my Funnel organization, and he's tasked with scaling ABM marketing efforts at Salesforce-Tableau.

Many companies may think they need to be doing ABM given how buzzy it is in our marketing world, but here are a few criteria Joe suggests using to assess whether or not your organization is ready for ABM:

  • Are there dedicated sales resources to named accounts? Are those accounts tiered?
  • Is executive leadership on board with ABM? 
  • Is there a salesperson (or salespeople) willing to devote time and energy as a partner with marketing?
  • Does the company recognize and support resource tradeoffs between volume-based lead generation versus strategic relationship development?

If all signs look positive, Joe suggests a multi-phase ABM framework with associated metrics, including account research and prioritization, content development, tailored tactical execution, and closed-loop reporting.

During the episode Joe shares some of his award-winning ABM tactics, including case study briefs, customized LinkedIn introductions from Account Managers, and contact acquisition. We also touch on the role of technology to help enhance, automate and measure ABM initiatives -- and when these should and should not integrate into the CRM or other platforms in use.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



A Technical Leader's Inbound Marketing Journey with Matt Eurich24 Mar 202200:22:06

 Coming up through the technical ranks to leading a business, how do executives ramp up and keep up with inbound marketing? 

Matt Eurich, COO of Genuen and former President of WTI, is an engineer with a business mind. As he moved up the ranks from engineering to business leadership, he knew that the company's approach to marketing had some gaps.He thought that perhaps those gaps would be addressed by a once-every-three-year website project. He laughs now at the old him who just didn't know what he didn't know, and credits his trusted partnership with TREW for bringing him and the organization along to where they are today.

During the episode you'll hear how, over a decade, WTI went from a trade show and brochure website approach to a holistic inbound marketing model where content investment made the greatest impact. He describes some of his a-ha moments and tools that were most helpful to keep things on track, such as a marketing scorecard and content editorial calendar. 

You'll also learn that WTI's high-performing marketing program helped raised its valuation when seeking to be acquired and what happened next to the WTI brand and other entities that were acquired. 

His advice to other technical leaders? Find a strategic marketing partner and trust them and their process. Even if some of what they bring to the table sounds odd at first (you'll hear him poke fun at persona development), trust in your marketing partner and their proven experience. (Spoiler alert: he now thinks personas are one of the best things that has ever come out of marketing planning). 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Evolve Your Google Adwords Strategy with Glenn Schmelzle10 Mar 202200:36:40

 The Google Adwords platform has grown tremendously in sophistication. Are you keeping up? 

Glenn Schmelzle, Founder and VP of Lead Generation for Marketing What's New, is laser focused on helping B2B companies get the most out of Google Adwords. He sees marketers make the same mistakes over and over, and one of those is a lack of focus on content. By not creating quality content both in your ad itself and on your website, even the most thoughtful execution of an Adwords campaign will fall flat.  He also encourages marketers to plan their content along the funnel, and consider where their ad falls along the buyers journey in order to inform content and calls-to-action.

By applying AI, Google continues to make significant changes to which advertising campaigns are accepted, how ads appear, who they appear for, and what the ad says. During the episode, Glenn fills us in on how the platform has evolved and big changes that are afoot for 2022. Some of these changes have introduced more complexity for the marketer, but also better performing ads through context and relevancy. 

Glenn is the podcast host of The Funnel Reboot, a show that shares strategies from leading marketers. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Communicating Through Body Language With David Schneer24 Feb 202200:37:28

David Schneer is a Ph.D., CEO, and Body Language Master Trainer at The Merrill Institute. Through conducting qualitative focus groups in the electronics industry for 30 years, he recognizes that each and every one of us are surrounded by communications contradictions. David became passionate about helping business professionals and other interested folks (hello parents of teenagers!) discern someone's truth through body language. 

During the episode, David quizzes me about common body language myths, such as reading someone from an expression or a handshake, and figuring out when someone is lying. He also provides practical advice on how to facilitate effective communications in the workplace, such as creating a comfortable environment. We also discuss how to read body language via Zoom, when only a portion of someone's body is in view.  

Viewer note: our Zoom video feed cuts out around 18 minutes into the episode, but the audio file sounds great. Our apologies for this technology hiccup.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



Manufacturing Marketing Research Findings with Lisa Beets11 Feb 202200:17:53

 Learn where to invest and pitfalls to avoid when crafting your 2022 marketing plan. 

Lisa Beets, Research Director for the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), conducts seven primary research studies annually, and one of her favorite focuses in manufacturing. This is in part to her days with Penton Media focused in HVAC, but also recognizing the need for data in this unique industry. 

During the episode, Lisa walks me through CMI's Manufacturing Marketing report and we discuss several datapoints that jumped out to us both, such as:

  • 51% are challenged by overcoming a traditional sales and marketing mindset
  • 51% struggle with creating valuable content as opposed to sales-oriented content
  • 75% were asked to do more with the same resources in 2021
  • 65% expect their 2022 content marketing budget to increase over 2021
  • Marketers cited videos produced the best results for content marketing, with 53% citing how-to videos as the leading format
  • When it comes to organic social platforms, LinkedIn came out on top as both the most popular at 93% and best at producing results.
  • Facebook was the top paid social platform used at 76%, though LinkedIn produced the best results beating out Facebook by 8%
  • The top ways to measure content performance were web-centric, including 73% citing website traffic and 69% citing website engagement

We concluded that there was a close synergy between the CMI Manufacturing Marketing Report and the TREW Marketing & Global Spec State of Marketing to Engineers report, and that both are helpful for marketers to educate and advocate for content marketing with internal leadership.

A Technical Editor-in-Chief's Perspective on PR Best Practices01 Jul 202500:28:23

Ever wonder if wiring and pitching press releases to technical publications is worth the effort? We spoke to the Editor-in-Chief of R&D World to uncover how marketers should be communicating and developing relationships with journalists to get the most out of their PR efforts. 

In this episode, Morgan Norris, Senior Brand and Content Strategist at TREW Marketing, talks with Brian Buntz, the Editor-in-Chief of R&D World at WTWH Media. They discuss the evolving landscape of public relations, content marketing, and journalism, particularly in the context of technical publications. They explore how news consumption has changed over the years, the impact of AI on content creation and journalism, and the importance of press releases. Brian shares insights on best practices for brands to engage with media effectively.


Key Takeaways

  • Trade publications are key sources for technical audiences.
  • The voice of the customer is essential for effective storytelling.
  • Press releases should include customer perspectives and data-driven insights.
  • Engaging with media requires flexibility and adaptability.
  • SEO strategies are evolving due to AI and changing search behaviors.
  • Technical brands should focus on building relationships with journalists.

Resources

2022 State of Marketing to Engineers Research Highlights with Christian Haight27 Jan 202200:26:41

The 2022 State of Marketing for Engineers Research Report summarizes the survey results of more than 800 engineers and technical professionals from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, energy, electronic components, semiconductor, and aerospace/defense. 

TREW Marketing and GlobalSpec recently released our 5th annual study of how engineers and technical buyers seek and consume information to make purchase decisions. In this episode, Christian Haight joins host Wendy Covey to walk through some of the major findings from the report, including:

  • Engineers value a company's technical expertise and responsiveness over price and company values 
  • 83 percent of engineers are willing to fill out a form in exchange for technical content
  • 73 percent of engineers listen to work-related podcasts throughout their week, a 33% YOY increase
  • Engineers prefer YouTube and LinkedIn over other social platforms

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


Context Matters: Writing for Engineers with Adam Kimmel13 Jan 202200:25:08

Understanding the context of why and who makes all the difference when writing for engineers and technical buyers.

Adam Kimmel, Principal Technical Content Writer at ASK Consulting, spends his days boiling down highly technical information into consumable content targeted to specific audience personas. During this episode, we covered a ton of ground -- from what behaviors make a technical writer successful to how to extract the right information from subject-matter experts. 

Aside from the numerous nuggets of advice, what struck me most about this episode is one word that kept creeping in throughout our discussion: context.

When interviewing a subject-matter expert (SME), it's important to contextualize why a solution is significant and where it fits into the broader market landscape. Data is great, but the context of why the data is significant (e.g. competitive comparisons, etc.) helps to demonstrate value and build preference. 

Your audience needs to first care about a topic, then be enticed to go deeper and learn more. Understanding the context of where your content piece fits into the buyer's journey helps you to position the material at the right technical level and build upon information served elsewhere. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

2021 Wrap Up and Look Ahead to 202230 Dec 202100:11:54

 Shifting strategy, LinkedIn, media and advice from technical marketers in the trenches were all highlights of our 2021 podcast season. 

Content Marketing, Engineered is almost two years old now! It's evolved and improved, but the focus remains steadfast on helping leaders and marketers reach highly technical audiences through content and digital marketing. In case you missed some of our episodes, here is a walkthrough of what we covered in 2021.

  • Virtualizing the field sales role with Michael Knight, President of TTI's Semiconductor Group
  • LinkedIn Miniseries featuring 5 guests, each with a unique perspective on how to leverage the platform, including:

    • Advertising - AJ Wilcox, B2Linked
    • Writing - John Espirian, Technical Copywriter
    • Sales - Nick Capozzi, Sales Pitching
    • Sales - Susan Tatum, The Conversion Company
    • Measuring engagement - Scott Ingram, Relationship One
    • Lead gen and spokesperson branding - Erin Moore, TREW Marketing
    • New platform features - Julia Fellows, TREW Marketing
  • Practical advice to improve your content marketing, including 
    • Video - Bryan Fittin from GoRougeX
    • SEO - Kyle Roof from High Voltage SEO
    • Technical writing process - Morgan Norris, TREW Marketing
    • Newsjacking - Lance Looper, TREW Marketing
    • Why HubSpot - Andre Leonard, TREW Marketing
    • High Performing Websites - Erin Moore, TREW Marketing and Jamie Tokarz, TREW Marketing
  • Honing your digital marketing strategy 
    • 2021 State of Marketing to Engineers report - Jenn Corcoran, GlobalSpec
    • Digital Customer Engagement Maturity Model - Richard Barnett, Supplyframe
    • Getting started with digital transformation - Douglas Karr, Martech Zone
    • Takeaways from 346 marketing & sales books - Douglas Burdett, Marketing Book Podcast
    • 2022 marketing planning - Jennifer Dawkins, TREW Marketing
  • Stories from executives, marketers and salespeople working in highly technical industries 
    • Sabrina Veylder-Pahwa, R2Sonic
    • Chad Pasho, Mechanical Solutions
    • Sam Morgan, Morgan Polymer Seals
    • Matt Judge, Vizseek
    • Chris Grainger, EECO
    • Jackie Mattox, Women in Engineering
    • Sandy Williams, Access Biomedical Solutions
  • Acquisition rebranding with Genuen leaders Jeff Gray and Tood VanGilder along with Lee Chapman from TREW Marketing
  • Media Miniseries with guest host Morgan Norris and 6 experts covering both paid and earned opportunities  
    • Gary Lerude, Microwave Journal
    • Lee Douglas, Aspencore
    • Erik Jansen, Elektor
    • Patrick Carmody, Endeavor Group
    • Lisa Peterson, Lisa Peterson PR
    • Glenn Frates, Cision Media

A huge thank you to all of these guests for sharing their wisdom and experiences on Content Marketing, Engineered!

We have an exciting line-up for the start of 20

Media Miniseries | Successfully Pitching Media with Lisa Peterson16 Dec 202100:30:00

 In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. Today, we're learning how to pitch media successfully, and what goes into a successful media relations campaign.

Through this Media Miniseries we've learned that a lot goes into securing coverage in publications (whether paid placements or editorial coverage.

In today's episode, Lisa Peterson, owner of Lisa Peterson PR, has spent decades pitching reporters, building relationships, and securing coverage on behalf of her clients. She believes that you need a strong message, an integrated approach, and a determination to identify and pitch the right journalists.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Media Miniseries | Using Newswires in Your Media Strategy with Glenn Frates14 Dec 202100:27:23

 In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. Today, we're breaking down news wiring services and covering -- what they are, when to use them, and how to use them to get your message across as effectively as possible.

Through this Media Miniseries we've learned that there's a host of ways to get your information in front of your prospects. Newswires allow you to pay to wire content that you write over a public news line, so it can be picked up and syndicated by other outlets.

In today's episode, Glenn Frates, VP of Cision Media, gives us all of the "how-to" information we need to wire news. Glenn talks about frequency of releasing news, what topics are relevant, and what you need to include in your release for it to be successful...down to the character count of your headline. This episode is incredibly practical. One of my favorite messages that Glenn shares is that a news release isn't a standalone strategy, you need additional marketing activities and content that supports an overall campaign.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Media Miniseries | Connecting Via Online Communities with Erik Jansen09 Dec 202100:27:50

 In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. Today, we're exploring opportunities to connect with prospects via online communities

From our research, we know that engineers look to content written by other engineers. For this reason, engineers look to content that has technical depth and a tone that's relatable. When writing content for your website or writing gated content like white papers and ebooks, writers leverage SME knowledge, customer interviews, research, and additional knowledge to create content. If engineers are looking for content off your site, forums or communities are a great resource.

In today's episode, Erik Jansen from Elektor Media shares how to connect with engineers using online communities as a media channel. Elektor is a magazine that also has a strong community forum called Elektor Labs where users can test hardware, tinker with new technologies and share what they've created. If you have customers experimenting with your products or platforms you think Elektor would be interested in sharing your hardware with their community, this is a great example of an additional media channel you can use to connect with prospects.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Media Miniseries | Match Your Marketing Goals to Advertising Products with Patrick Carmody07 Dec 202100:35:08

 In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. Today, we're diving deeper into advertising -- and in particular how to align your marketing goals with the right advertising products to support your business. 

Last week, we gave a comprehensive introduction to advertising with technical trade publications, and this week, we're diving in deeper with advertising to really discuss marketing goals and how to achieve them with different advertising products.

In today's episode, Patrick Carmody, Area Sales Manager at Endeavor Business Media which owns publications like Electronic Design and Machine Design, will talk to us about some of the detailed products that we can use to build brand awareness, generate leads, and grow sales. From sponsored content to podcasts to email marketing, Endeavor brings many different forms of advertising to the table. And like other publishing houses, Endeavor owns a host of publications, so you can target your specific, niche audience exactly where they go to find information. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Media Miniseries | Intro to Advertising for Technical B2B Companies with Lee Douglas02 Dec 202100:38:25

In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. Today, we're exploring advertising -- how to think about it, what goals are reasonable, and where to focus your spend. 

Content marketing typically involves writing and publishing content on your own site, and attracting visitors to that content. But -- external channels can still be extremely helpful to broaden your potential audience. By paying for advertising in trade publications, you can capture your audience in another channel and direct them back to your site.

The printed trade publications of the 80s and 90s were full of advertising content (if you were around then, I'm sure you remember seeing who secured that back cover ad each month). With the rise of digital content, those print ads gave way to clunky banner ads in the early oughts and for many of us, the advertising knowledge stops there. 

But, advertising has evolved a ton. In today's episode, Lee Douglas, an Account Director from Aspencore which owns publications like EE Times, EDN, embedded.com, and Planet Analog, will talk us through all of the available advertising options and how to find advertising opportunities that help you meet your marketing goals. The opportunities range from optimized banners to sponsored podcasts to even retargeted ads that your prospects can engage with when they're on a site other than yours or a publication's.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Media Miniseries | Engaging Technical Editors with Gary Lerude30 Nov 202100:38:04

 In the Content Marketing, Engineered Media Miniseries, where we’re learning from media experts about how working with external news outlets and trade publications fits into your content marketing strategy. In today’s episode, we cover working with technical B2B trade publications from an editorial perspective.  

Content marketing typically involves writing and publishing content on your own site, and attracting visitors to that content. But -- external channels can still be extremely helpful to broaden your potential audience. By securing content in trade publications, companies can catch the attention of new prospects and draw them back to the company's website.

There are dozens of reputable B2C technical publications but a few rise to the top. Microwave Journal is one of those few. Today, Microwave Journal editor Gary Lerude will talk to us about how you can use trade publications to share your news, grow your audience, and build your brand. This content is particularly relevant with the recent advancements in 5G mmwave -- Gary notes that while there are a handful of significant test and measurement providers who have relationships with editors, industries like communications and medical are full of smaller companies and startups with niche technologies who can benefit from the brand awareness that comes with editorial coverage.

On this episode you'll hear details of exactly how and when to engage with technical editors as well as what editors are looking for, what's helpful to them, and what to expect to have prepared when you reach out. 

 For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Your 2022 Marketing Planning Guide, Jennifer Dawkins22 Nov 202100:29:43

 Learn where to invest and pitfalls to avoid when crafting your 2022 marketing plan. 

Jennifer Dawkins, TREW Marketing VP of Account Services, has spent two decades crafting marketing plans for technical companies. In that time she's seen companies fall into some common traps when approaching planning, which leads to wasted budget, poor results, and a negative reflection on marketing as a whole. Being tactically driven, planning in a silo, and focusing on vanity metrics rather than business impact are among those typical mistakes marketers make.

During the episode, Jennifer walks through key elements of her marketing planning approach. She advises on what and how to analyze your current performance, the competitive landscape, and how to set meaningful goals. Persona development, a messaging audit, and campaign plans are all part of the marketing plan. Jennifer describes how she measures success and the importance of quarterly evaluation and plan update meetings with your core marketing committee.  

We then shift gears to touch on trends for 2022, including tried-and-true tactics that are waning in effectiveness in addition to new areas of investment. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

Lessons from the Automate 2025 Show Floor22 May 202500:26:14

In this episode, Kasey Tyring and the host discuss their experiences at the Automate Show, highlighting innovative demos, engaging booth strategies, and effective marketing practices. They explore the historical context of the show, share insights on attendee engagement, and emphasize the importance of follow-up strategies post-event. The conversation also touches on networking opportunities and the excitement surrounding future events in the industry.

 

Key Takeaways

  • Engaging demos are crucial for attracting attention at trade shows.
  • Interactive booths create memorable experiences for attendees.
  • Staffing strategies significantly impact booth engagement and success.
  • Post-show follow-up is essential for nurturing leads and maintaining momentum.
  • Networking is a valuable aspect of attending trade shows.
  • Fun and creative booth themes can enhance brand visibility.
  • Content marketing should leverage insights gained from conversations at the show.



Resources


Misconceptions About Engineering & Scientific Buyers with Sandy Williams18 Nov 202100:42:07

Too many marketing and sales professionals are targeting technical buyers with approaches that are either too aggressive, too fluffy, or too dry. 

Sandy Williams, Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. and President of Access Biomedical Solutions, has seen too many marketing and sales efforts fail due to misconceptions about the technical buyer leading to ineffective tactics. Buyer personas are helpful, but overreliance on these can be dangerous. Sandy reminds us that these buyers are often innovating -- looking for new ways of doing things or solving new problems -- and by acknowledging and appreciating their uniqueness companies can build trust and gain more insights to influence the sale.

Fluffy content is a big trust-breaker. Sandy recommends quality over quantity, saying that technical buyers tend to lurk more than share, absorbing information incognito until late in the buyer's journey. Marketing attribution can be difficult with this type of behavior, with engagement metrics not telling the full picture.  

During the episode, Sandy shares a list of "don'ts" for technical marketing and sales professionals and provides greater insight into the minds of the engineer and scientific buyer.

 
For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog 

https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast



Learn more about TREW Marketing

https://www.trewmarketing.com



Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

 

Using a Data-Driven SEO Approach with Kyle Roof04 Nov 202100:32:07

Analysis and testing are key on-page SEO tactics that can significantly lift search engine rankings. 

Kyle Roof, SEO consultant, patent-holder, product developer and trainer, is here to dispel a myth. People may believe that high-ranking pages in Google equate to the best content, but in reality, the Google algorithm boils down to math -- without human intervention. So it isn't necessarily the best content that wins, it's the most optimized-for-Google content that wins. (Case in point - check out the presentation link below in which Kyle presents how he boosted a site to a page one ranking using mostly lorem ipsum text). 

This of course doesn't mean that fresh, quality content isn't important to converting prospects to customers. But it is clearly a call-to-action for marketers to spend time analyzing and testing SEO tactics on key pages. 

Kyle points to four key areas within a page that Google scans to determine ranking for a keyword or phrase. By just focusing here, companies may see a significant boost. Throughout the episode, he also provides pointers on how to research competitors and use SEO analysis software tools for more insight and direction. 

When looking to supplement some of the popular SEO tools with specifics for page optimization, Kyle and his team developed their own algorithm which has evolved into the software tool PageOptimizer Pro. They also offer SEO training through a program called Internet Marketing Gold.


For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog 

https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast



Learn more about TREW Marketing

https://www.trewmarketing.com



Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

 

INBOUND 2021 Recap with Julia Fellows21 Oct 202100:22:34

 Did you miss INBOUND 2021? Never fear, we have you covered with this recap episode. 

Julia Fellows, TREW Account Manager, joined me to recap trending topics and hot sessions from INBOUND 2021, an annual marketing and sales conference hosted by HubSpot. The event was held virtually again this year, and the emphasis weighed heavily towards marketing best practices, with a lighter touch on new product announcements by HubSpot. 

Email marketing has been hugely important to fill the face-to-face void during these COVID days, so it's not a surprise that this was a hot INBOUND topic. Speaker Jay Schwedelson from Subjectline.com shared insights into what's really working now. He broke down two specific ways to improve open rates: personalize the sender name, and use special characters in the subject line. 

Also popular were the ABM sessions, such as the presentation by Terminus' Justin Keller. He emphasized the importance of sales and marketing alignment for ABM to gain traction, and encouraged companies new to ABM to start with content and personalization 

There was also buzz around RevOps, no doubt a focus since HubSpot's product announcements were mostly tied to this topic. The idea is to make the customer's experience with your brand as streamlined and frictionless as possibly, and to accomplish this, you need organizational alignment, data and connected systems. HubSpot Co-Founder Darmesh Shah gave some powerful examples from his own car shopping experience to prove the point that customers expect consistency, but companies are siloed and struggle to deliver a consistent experience. 

While these are a few highlights, Julia shares even more during the episode. Also, look for a TREW Marketing blog post on HubSpot's new product announcements coming early next week. 


For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog 

https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast



Learn more about TREW Marketing

https://www.trewmarketing.com



Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

© My Podcast Data