Teaching Manufacturers How to Fish

Helping manufacturers understand e-commerce.

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As the famous saying goes, “teach a manufacturer how to fish with e-commerce, and that manufacturer will dominate their market.” Well, it’s something like that.

After conducting dozens of e-commerce webinars around the county, with numerous Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) this past year, I discovered a glaring gap with manufacturers.

In particular, it’s the uphill battle that manufacturers face while attempting to make the digital transformation with e-commerce. 

To capture a slice of the exploding e-commerce market, entrepreneurs and manufacturers typically have two options: 

  1. Do the work themselves (DIY) while hoping to figure it out as they go along and staring at a huge learning curve. 
  2. Hire a marketing firm to do the work for them (DFY). 

Unfortunately, many manufacturers fall into a trap by outsourcing marketing services to a firm that lacks a clear understanding of the company’s business model and selling process. 

Therefore, a great deal of time, energy and resources are wasted due to misaligned goals. As a result, both parties become frustrated, leading to a failed marriage. 

In one case, following a webinar at an MEP in the Midwest, a manufacturer reached out to share his frustration regarding the marketing firm managing his company’s Google Ads campaign. 

The manufacturer spent $4,000 per month with this marketing agency to manage their pay-per-click (PPC) ads. The results? Zero sales without even a single lead.

After conducting an audit on the Google Ads account, it was quickly discovered that the campaign was loaded with keywords that had no relevance to the company whatsoever. Thus, the entire effort was a colossal waste of time and money for the manufacturer. 

While working with several MEPs to combat this issue for manufacturers, an alternative option presented itself: Team with a seasoned and trusted guide to enter the world of e-commerce successfully. Lo and behold, the Do It With You (DWY) e-commerce training concept was born to help manufacturers prevent these financial blunders. 

What is DWY? 

Do It With You (DWY) e-commerce training was created by the seasoned team at eCommerceMGMTThe intention is to teach the manufacturers “How to Fish” in the treacherous waters of e-commerce. 

The goal is to help manufacturers better understand e-commerce by equipping them with the proper tools and resources to win new business. 

Manufacturers from all over the country are currently participating in DWY e-commerce training because speaking the right language to the right buyer plays a critical role in manufacturing e-commerce success. 

Personally, it’s a thrill to witness the drastic improvements. One manufacturer told me, “The program exposed me to so much more than what I was aware of.” Another entrepreneur said, “It was life-changing for us.” 

In October, the team at eCommerceMGMT is offering DWY Cohort Model training weekly, every Wednesday at 3:00 EST/12:00 PST. 

Thanks to partnerships created with several Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs), Manufacturing.net and GenAlpha, eCommerceMGMT DWY Training sessions are available to manufacturers at no cost for October. 

The training sessions are also accredited courses at Governors State University in Chicago. 

Register for the DWY training sessions at eCommerceMGMT.com. For questions, email [email protected].

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