Most B2B social media advice wasn’t written with manufacturers in mind—and it shows.
Yes, your buyers may be on LinkedIn—but that doesn’t mean they’re listening there. Especially if you sell to small contract manufacturers, job shops, or regional suppliers who spend more time on the floor than they do online.
That doesn’t mean social media isn’t worth your time. It means the way you use it—and how you define success—needs to evolve.
In this new era of declining search traffic, shifting buyer behavior, and AI-dominated answers, social content (especially video content) may be your most powerful tool. But only if you use it strategically.
The Myth of the "Ideal Platform"
Too many manufacturing marketers waste months chasing performance on the wrong platforms. They think if they just post enough charts on LinkedIn or set up a Facebook ad funnel, the leads will come pouring in.
The problem? Your ideal customer may not even be there. Or if they are, they’re not looking for a new stamping partner or stainless steel slitting house between conference selfies and motivational quotes.
Instead of defaulting to LinkedIn because it "feels B2B," you need to reverse engineer your strategy around two things:
- Where your buyers get their information
- Where your influencers spend their time
For many manufacturers, the real audience isn’t just the buyer—it’s the engineer, the machinist, the quality lead, the technician, or the trusted partner they call when exploring a new project. These are the people who talk to your customers before your sales team ever gets the chance.
They might not be on LinkedIn. But they’re watching YouTube. They’re scrolling TikTok. They’re trading videos on WhatsApp. They’re sharing short clips with coworkers in the breakroom.
Why Search is Slowing, and What That Means for Manufacturers
For the first time in decades, search traffic is in decline.
AI-powered search, zero-click results, and behavioral shifts mean fewer people are finding your website through Google. That’s not speculation—it’s already showing up in analytics.
Organic discovery is changing. Instead of finding answers through typed queries, people are discovering companies through content in their feeds.
And more often than not, that content is video.
Social Video is the Future of Discovery
Buyers want to see the people behind the capabilities. They want to hear your engineers explain how your process works. They want to feel like they know who they’re working with before they ever fill out a contact form.
That’s why video content—especially short-form and search-optimized long-form video—needs to become a core pillar of your marketing strategy.
Here’s what that might look like:
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YouTube: Your technical blog posts now have companion videos, shot with your engineers, walking through real challenges and solutions. Think: 5-minute explainers, material selection guides, press performance breakdowns.
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TikTok: Yes, TikTok. If you think your buyers aren’t on it, you might be right—but their kids, their coworkers, their competitors, and their content curators are. Short clips showing your process, your shop culture, or your biggest screw-ups (and how you fixed them) go further than you think.
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Instagram Reels or Shorts: Showcase your machines in motion. Highlight team members. Break down industry misconceptions. Keep it light, tight, and repeatable.
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LinkedIn: Still useful—but think of it as a distribution channel, not the end goal. Reuse your videos here, but always link back to your YouTube, your article, or your sales enablement library.
Content Alone Isn’t Enough. It Needs a Face.
A voiceover from a faceless narrator doesn’t build trust. A static PDF about your process doesn’t make you memorable.
If you want to earn attention, shorten the sales cycle, and differentiate from the dozens of other "custom metal solutions" companies out there, you need to show the humans behind the brand.
- Put your engineers on camera.
- Let your founder explain how the company started.
- Show a team member walking through the shop floor.
- Film a lunch-and-learn with your quality team.
You don’t need an expensive video agency. You need a phone, a light, and a little courage.
The Bottom Line
The old playbook isn’t broken—it’s just not enough.
Search won’t save you. LinkedIn won’t deliver miracles. Your website isn’t a lead magnet unless people find it and trust you when they get there.
But if you start showing up in places your buyers (and their influencers) already spend time—and you do it with content that’s both useful and human—you’ll build trust long before the RFQ.
That’s what the next generation of social media strategy looks like for manufacturers.
And if you want help building a system that makes it scalable, not stressful—we’re here.
