Marketing like engineers
Marketers can often assume engineers are an easy audience because they value data and logic. In reality though, this can make it one of the toughest groups to engage. Engineers are famously cynical and likely already seen every marketing trick in the book. Marketers also tend to gravitate toward excitement and creative wording which can be an immediate red flag for engineers. Specialist industrial communicators don’t see this gap as a challenge, rather an advantage that should set the tone for campaigns of all sizes and focuses.
In the consumer space, marketers have to fight for attention in a matter of seconds, using click bait content, big claims and celebrities to drive engagement. Reaching engineers is an entirely different process, requiring a commitment to accuracy and expertise to earn their trust over the long term. With that in mind, what can we do as marketers to mirror how engineers think and interact with content?
- Problem first, product second
Engineers are problem solvers. Innovations like open automation have redefined how brand loyalty works in the industrial space as software can be decoupled completed from hardware. This means any marketing campaign must be structured around the challenge first, benefits second, and corporate messaging third only when that trust has been earned.
Building trust takes time and doing so sometimes means omitting the product completely. Thought leadership should be part of any marketing campaign, enabling spokespeople to build their credibility in a specific space before any promotional messaging is introduced. Engineers will be far more likely to interact with longform content if it meets their high-level technical understanding. It is crucial to demonstrate competence first, to shift the conversation from ‘what we sell’ to ‘what we know’. - Following the automation leader (design content like a system)
Engineers, system integrators, and OEMs all build systems where every component serves a defined purpose, so marketing to them should work the same way. Creating content for engineers means defining the topic early, whether that is the industry sector, physical environment, regulations, or working practices associated with a process. That definition outlines what is important for the entirety of the campaign, informing engineers on why they should take notice before any product features are introduced.
Any asset produced from an extensively researched whitepaper to social media post should be part of an ecosystem of information. Rather than viewing marketing campaigns as a one off activity, they should be seen as modular messages where every piece supports the next. Ultimately this will help engineers navigate logically through messages across multiple formats. - Using the right channels
Engineers see a broad mix of media channels from wide reaching horizontal titles that cover important industry topics, all the way to highly specialised vertical publications which home in on singular processes or product areas. Marketers can utilise both horizontal and vertical publications to reach engineers at various stages of an interaction journey. Whether a system integrator is comparing product options or learning about the sector they serve, it provides multiple opportunities for marketers to place targeted messaging. The industrial media also operates from a position of trust with their readers, having already built it over a long relationship. Achieving coverage within these titles proves to readers that content has been seen by expert editors, displaying only useful and factual information.
Marketers who want to succeed in reaching engineers must follow how they think. It’s up to communicators to present campaigns that speak to engineers’ unrivalled understanding of the space, focus on solving real problems, and work closely with trusted media. Industrial PR is not about simplifying the complex, it’s about celebrating it.
