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The chemical industry is not immune to weakening market conditions. In the current environment of low growth, generating quality leads is even more important for chemical suppliers, producers, and distributors. However, acquiring leads for chemical sales is no longer a linear process but a multi-faceted endeavor that requires strategic planning and the implementation of modern technology tools.
In the modern era, suppliers have an array of channels at their disposal for generating new leads, from digital marketing and sales channels, and industry events to referrals and word-of-mouth.
As a leading provider of digital commerce solutions to the chemical industry, we know the different avenues chemical suppliers choose to find new customers. To help you cover your bases, here are the top five most effective channels for chemical suppliers to generate new leads:
For years, chemical suppliers have taken their corporate websites for granted. Not anymore! Your website is the first point of contact for potential customers, so it needs to be up-to-date and user-friendly. In order to get more conversions from your website, it needs to be customer-focused. Most chemical suppliers’ websites cater to multiple stakeholders - employees, customers, investors, partners, and society in general. If you want to attract new customers and engage them, your website needs to be customer-centric. It must stand out from your competition, carry valuable content that answers frequently asked questions about your chemical products and position your company as an expert in the industry.
You can also implement features such as live chat and lead forms to capture visitor information for outreach efforts.
As covered in our blog, Top 5 Ways Chemical Companies Can Increase Website Conversion Rates, optimizing your website for lead generation will significantly impact your ability to generate new leads.
Chemical suppliers have an abundance of information available at their fingertips. However, most of it is still in spreadsheets, PDFs, offline catalogs, other documents, and in their minds.
By converting this static information into a powerful searchable, filterable online product catalogs, you will not only your customers to find the right product in just a couple of clicks, you will also be able to attract new prospects.Key benefits of searchable, filterable online product catalogs on your website include:
Moreover, giving customers a place to engage with you, access your product information, and request quotes or samples helps build trust and relationships with potential customers.
Informative and engaging content offers an opportunity to show customers the value of your products and services. This includes valuable information on your products and portolio via blog posts, white papers, case studies, infographics, video tutorials, and more.
They should be written from your brand's perspective and provide real-world solutions to common customer challenges related to your products or market. Use this content to share your expertise with potential customers and win their trust.
Creating compelling content also helps improve your website's visibility in search engine rankings, giving another method for chemical suppliers to generate leads online.
Once you have your website and content in place, the next step is to focus on outreach efforts through social media and paid digital marketing campaigns.
From Google Ads and social media advertising to email marketing and automated personalization strategies, there are many cost-effective ways to reach out to potential customers online.
Social media marketing is essential for chemical suppliers to reach potential leads. To maximize your efforts, stay consistent and build a presence online through regular posts and updates. Posting often ensures that customers remember you when they require your chemical products or services.
Today, B2B Sales professionals who use social selling close 40-50% more new business than those who don’t, and according to LinkedIn, 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions.
Paid advertising campaigns are another great way to drive leads organically. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to target your message to prospects that fit your ideal customer profile while helping you build brand awareness.
These ads can be set up with an automated bidding system, which will help save time and money by ensuring that you only target quality prospects and do not waste your budget on irrelevant clicks.
Paid ad campaigns, examples include:
Leveraging the platforms where your target customers hang out is a top-tier strategy to successful lead generation. Paid advertising campaigns are a great way to reach new prospects and keep your company top of mind.
If you’re looking for fresh leads, consider using industry-specific directories and marketplaces such as ThomasNet, UL Prospector, and SpecialChem. They offer extensive listings of suppliers and buyers, making it easy for you to connect with potential customers.
While they are great for connecting with buyers, there is often a fee associated with being listed in the directory, and the marketplace may control your brand and product information along with the customer experience.
However, it is a low-cost entry into digitalization and is a great way to increase leads and build your presence in the industry.
Trade shows is the age-old customer acquisition channel. Tade shows and industry events are a great way for chemical suppliers to showcase their products, services, and capabilities and attract new customers
Physical interaction is still the most effective way to build trust with prospects and allow you to demonstrate the value of your offering. It gives potential customers a chance to interact more closely with your brand.
Trade shows and industry events can generate many leads, as they offer prospects the opportunity to get to know you better and possibly even sign contracts on-site. There are industry events for every type of market, such as The K-Show in Germany and Supplier's Day in New York City or American Coatings Show.
Plus, depending on the trade show or event you attend, you’ll be able to meet other vendors in the chemical industry who may be willing to refer you more leads.
Referrals, or word-of-mouth marketing, are of the most impactful ways for chemical suppliers to generate leads. People trust the opinions of their friends, family, peers, and colleagues more than any other form of advertising or promotion.
Today, in B2B, 91% of every sale is influenced by word of mouth in some way. This means that happy clients are your best advertisement! Those who have had a good experience with your business or brand will likely recommend you to their contacts or even post about it online, which helps generate more leads and build your credibility in the industry.
Focusing on quality products and customer service increases the likelihood of referrals. Consider offering incentives like discounts to people who refer your business or thank them with a gift card or other token of appreciation.
Leveraging social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials, is also effective to strengthen your word-of-mouth marketing efforts. Once your customer is satisfied with your product or services, ask them to write a review on your Google My Business profile, which supports SEO to help you generate more leads over the long run.
Now that you know the five key lead generation channels for chemical suppliers, start planning and implementing a strategy to capture more customers.
It’s important to remember that lead generation is an ongoing process, so don’t expect an overnight success. It takes time and effort to craft an effective campaign that resonates with your target market. Work on one channel at a time until you’ve developed a comprehensive lead generation strategy.
Once you have established a successful method for generating leads, mix it up with other channels to focus more on increasing brand awareness and driving sales. By making the necessary adjustments, you'll maximize your ROI and generate more quality leads in the future.
At Agilis, we provide chemical companies with digital tools to reach their target audience and convert leads into customers. Our team of chemical and technology veterans has developed an all-in-one digital customer engagement solution to expedite your digital adoption - from lead generation to transactions and online payments.
By digitizing product data, customer engagement, and the ability to digitize your payment process, chemical companies will quickly generate more leads while delivering an amazing customer experience.
Want to learn more about what a partnership with Agilis looks like when creating your own robust customer portal? Contact us today to get started.
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