3 Compelling Manufacturing Lead Generation Calls-to-Action

“Call-to-actions don’t apply to us.  We are a manufacturer.  We don’t have promotions we can offer on our home page”.   – Quote from a president of a mid-sized manufacturing company. 

While this statement may seem logical at first, it will cost your manufacturing company greatly in missed lead generation opportunities.  While manufacturers may not be able to shout ‘buy now’ like retailers, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you don't have anything other than products to offer prospective customers.  A creative manufacturer has many other options. 

Do you want more leads? Here are some ideas for call-to-actions that will get your manufacturing prospects to raise their hand, share their information, and turn into leads for your business.

3 Compelling Manufacturing Lead Generation Calls-to-Action

1. Request a Quote or Ask a Question

Is your main call-to action a "Contact Us" link buried deep in the header or footer of your website?  If so, you are missing the opportunities to maximize the number of visitors to your website that become leads.  This is because "Contact Us" forms aren't the best types of calls-to-action.

In contrast, Admet, a maker of tensile testing machines, gives prospects a clear and specific reason to contact them . Front-and-center and in bold colors, Admet promotes: Request a Quote, Ask an Engineer, or contact Customer Support.  These are all backed by forms that collect lead information in exchange for Admet fulfilling the request.  Simple, actionable, and specific, these calls-to-action are easy to implement and can have a positive impact on increasing lead conversion.  

2. Downloadable Catalog

For prospects who aren’t ready to request a quote, create other calls-to-action related to your products and services.  For instance, use a product catalog to encourage your prospects to engage with you.  MDI, a molded foam manufacturer, does exactly this.  Notice how MDI highlights the benefits of downloading their catalog right below the call-to-action button.  To download the product catalog, the user is required to enter contact information, including the nature of the project on which they are working.  Isn’t this the type of information you would want to know about your prospects?

3. An Ebook or Whitepaper

Many prospects who visit your site might not be close to downloading product information or requesting a quote – in fact they might only be researching.  They are early in the buying process, but they are still great prospects. It is in your interest to engage them now, understand who they are and what they are looking for, and start to build a relationship with them.  To target these prospects, use an early stage call-to-action.    

Modative, a Los Angeles-based modern architecture firm, has created downloadable ebooks specifically targeted to early stage buyers.  Manufacturing buyers salivate over detailed process or buying guides.  Check out how Modative increased their lead flow from less than 20 a month to over 70 a month using this type of downloadable content.

If you are a manufacturer, don’t mistakenly believe that calls-to-action don’t apply to you.  If you want to generate leads from your website, using different and effective calls-to-action will be the key to doing so.

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