How to Market Your Job Shop

You’ve got the highest quality parts, the best machinery and an airtight business model. Only one question remains, how do you bring in the customers?Knowing how to market is a key aspect of any business but marketing job shops provide its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. The global job shop market is vast with machining valued at $354.92 billion in 2022. For job shop owners to get a piece of this pie it’s crucial that know what and how to communicate to their potential customers.Here we explore tricks of the trade when it comes to marketing your job shop.[spacer height="50px"]

Marketing Manufacturing

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Image courtesy of Jeshoots on Unsplash[/caption][spacer height="50px"]When it comes to marketing there’s no “one size fits all” strategy. Each job shop has its own niche and speciality. As Katana points out, “the manufacturing sector is still mainly B2B (business-to-business), meaning that companies market their products and services to other businesses rather than to individual consumers. This distinction means that the target audience for manufacturing marketing is typically narrower than for consumer marketing, instead of trying to reach a mass market, manufacturers typically only need to focus on reaching a few key decision-makers within each potential customer company.”When it comes to job shops, this target audience can be even smaller as every job shop has its own niche and specialist services from specialized machining, quick turnarounds, or precision work in a specific material such as composites. Job shops may also specialize in servicing specific industries e.g. aerospace, automotive or medical devices.These niche customers call for a niche approach. So before you start your job shop’s TikTok account, it’s important to identify who your customers are, where they are and what you want your marketing to achieve.Moreover, operating within a niche can also be an opportunity to emphasize your company’s expertise and experience.[spacer height="50px"]

Content Marketing

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Image Courtesy of ThisIsEngineering on Unsplash[/caption][spacer height="50px"]Blog posts, news articles, case studies, videos or images - sharing content is an effective way to get people talking about your business.To take one example, releasing an article about the best coolants is a form of educational content marketing. This strategy can help to position your job shop as an authority on the issues shaping the industry. For inspiration, look no further than DMG Mori who leverages its position as a manufacturer of machine tools to publish machinery-specific articles. All customers want to feel like they’re in safe hands, case studies are a valuable way to prove that with your job shop, they are. Your case studies can outline how you effectively met the needs of your current or previous customers with a high-quality product and a high-quality service.Remember to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think about what they might be interested to hear about. You never know, your next article might just go viral. [spacer height="50px"]

Industry events

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Image courtesy of IMTS[/caption][spacer height="50px"]AMFG has written extensively about upcoming major trade shows in manufacturing from IMTS in Chicago to Japan’s JIMTOF. As well as staying abreast of major advances in manufacturing technology and industry talking points, these trade shows are a great way to get your job shop’s name out there.Exhibiting at a show gives you access to your audience face-to-face and offers them an up-close-and-personal experience with your product. Moreover, offering workshops or presentations at these events can further establish your authority and provide direct engagement with potential clients.Furthermore, before the event itself, there are many opportunities to start promoting early, give potential visitors a taste of what they can expect and generate anticipation ahead of the event.Manufacturing quality management software company HighQA has been adept at this, building anticipation for the show with regular posts reminding people to save the date and outlining how they’ll be participating.[spacer height="50px"]

Social Media

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Image courtesy of Swello on Unsplash[/caption][spacer height="50px"]When you hear the term social media marketing you might think of young Instagram influencers, it seems a world away from job shops and manufacturing. However, done well, social media marketing is an easy and cost-effective way to boost your company's profile.From sharing your blog posts and articles to shooting purpose-built footage social media offers access to the communities within your industry. Social media can also help to bring your company’s personality to life. Share behind-the-scenes looks at your processes, new equipment, and completed projects.The key thing is choosing the right social media platform. 1 in 4 TikTok users are under 20 years old and over half of Snapchat users are GenZ. Perhaps not the target audience for high-volume precision engineering products.However, platforms such as LinkedIn, which is used by 30% of adults, are ideal for reaching out to your target audience.We sat down with job shop owner Jesse Casto from BetterCNC who uses social media as part of his marketing strategy. As Jesse points out, “Nobody else does it, I want to make sure that stays part of our brand.”[spacer height="50px"]

Publications

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Image courtesy of The Record[/caption][spacer height="50px"]Advertising in so-called traditional media via avenues such as trade publications is another great way to get eyes on your brand. From a traditional advertisement to a collaboration, there are many opportunities to publicize your company. After all, manufacturing and machining-specific publications already have a connection with your audience.Industry giants such as Modern Machine Shop or Practical Machinist are a great place to start. To take one example, Rebecca Wolfinger is both an owner of machine job Mil-Spec Manufacturing as well as being a content contributor to Practical Machinist.Another great route is through the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) which releases its publication The Record monthly featuring insights from its members on all things machining.[spacer height="50px"]

Awards and Certifications

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Image courtesy of A to Z Machine via Modern Machine Shop[/caption][spacer height="50px"]Visitors of the IMTS 2024 can expect a variety of offerings including thousands of exhibitors, talks from industry experts and demonstrations from the biggest names in machining. In all of the excitement, a lucky few job shops will hope to be crowned a Top Job by Modern Machine Shop.As well as recognising the hard work of these businesses, the Top Shop label is also a great marketing tool. As Sarah Lindey points out, “A manufacturing industry or regional award win or shortlist will increase your sales because customers are far more likely to invest in products that have been highly rated. They are an inexpensive way to increase the visibility and credibility of your manufacturing business.”As well as the Top Job Shop, job shops can consider a multitude of awards including the NTMA Awards or for European Job shops the European Association of Manufacturing Technologies (CECIMO) Machine Tool Industry (MTI) Awards.[spacer height="50px"]

Conclusions

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Image courtesy of Practical Machinist[/caption][spacer height="50px"]Your marketing strategy should be as unique as your job shop.Effective marketing for job shops requires a combination of digital strategies, content marketing, networking, and client engagement. By leveraging your unique strengths, building a professional online presence, and continuously refining your approach, you can attract new clients and grow your business. While it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to marketing your job shop, we hope that some of these ideas can help you get your message out there. Ultimately, in the competitive market of machining, the key is to showcase what makes your job shop special and to communicate this clearly to your target audience.