The Digital Marketing
Opportunity for 3D Printing
Service Providers
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. Marketing your service bureau in the digital age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Understand your customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Create a unique value proposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Generating online awareness of your service bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Make SEO a priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Communicate your brand through content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3. Being active across digital channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Social media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Email marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Paid advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4. Boosting sales with the right digital tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chatbots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Automated quotation tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Analytics tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Conclusion: Driving service bureau demand with digital marketing . . . . . . . . . 11
About AMFG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Introduction
The market for 3D printing services is becoming increasingly competitive.
Acquiring new customers and securing repeat business is critical, yet also an ongoing
challenge for many 3D printing service bureaus.
As a result, service providers often struggle to differentiate themselves from the competition
and generate greater awareness about their services.
One of the key tools service bureaus can use to deal with these challenges is digital marketing.
This white paper will focus on digital marketing techniques and tips that will help you:
● Define what differentiates your service bureau from the competition
● Create a digital strategy to increase visibility of your services
● Identify the digital channels you should use to boost your online presence
● Learn what tools can increase your online sales
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1. Marketing Identifying these key areas will help you create a digital
marketing strategy that considers your customers’
needs and what makes your services unique.
your service
bureau in the Create a unique value proposition
digital age
There isn’t a lot of value in being a
Understand your customers business in the middle of the road.
B2B buying behaviour has changed dramatically
over the last decade with the advent of digital Scott Dunham
channels. Online purchasing has become a dominant VP of Research at SmarTech Analysis
channel and according to a recent report, 61% of B2B
transactions begin online1.
According to an EY report, one third of companies are
Furthermore, 64% of B2B buyers check vendor expected to design and produce parts with the help of
websites prior to contacting sales representatives2. AM service providers by 20223 . This market forecast
In this digital landscape, the ability to capture leads creates an excellent opportunity to position your
online is vital to increasing sales revenue. service bureau as a specialist solutions provider.
So, how can you achieve this? Scott Dunham, VP of Research at the leading market
research firm, SmarTech Analysis, says, ‘the [service
The first step is having a clear understanding of your bureau] specialists who can cultivate unmatched
target customer. expertise in a specific area of AM are much more likely
to succeed’.4
Defining your target customer is especially important
when developing your value proposition. Defining what makes your business stand out from
other service providers on the market will be the first
You will want to have a thorough understanding of your
step in establishing your value proposition.
customer demographics and firmographics, including
company size, buying habits, the challenges they face A value proposition refers to the key benefits that
and where they spend their time online. differentiate your business from the competition and
position your company as the best possible option on
In this way, you can create representations of your
the market.
potential customers, also known as buyer personas.
One of the best ways to define your value proposition is
Two key benefits of having buyer persona profiles are:
by communicating your unique expertise. By focusing
1. They help you understand your customers and on a niche, you can show your prospects that you
their pain points. understand their problem deeply enough to solve it.
2.
They help you identify how you can improve Some examples of how you can differentiate your
your services to better appeal to your potential service bureau could include:
customers.
● In-house design or consultancy expertise;
● In-house post-processing/finishing;
1 “Make Music, Not Noise | Achieve Connected Growth With Ecosystem Orchestration”, Accenture, 2017
2 “The New B2B Buyer Experience Report”, Showpad, 2018
3. “3D printing: hype or game changer? A Global EY Report 2019”, EY, 2019
4. “State Of The 3D Printing Industry Survey 2019: AM Service Providers”, AMFG, 2019
4
● Quick order and delivery process;
For many service bureaus, the
● Specific expertise/area of focus (e.g. metal 3D
temptation is to try and be all things
printing, prototyping, end-part production)
to all people. With so many different
Metal 3D printing is an example of one area where service materials and technologies out there,
bureaus can offer specialised expertise. Due to the it’s more important to specialise in
technical complexity of the process and the high initial certain areas and deliver.
investment needed, many companies are unwilling to
adopt metal 3D printing in-house.
Jonathan Warbrick
In this scenario, a service bureau can become a preferred Business Development Manager at Graphite
supplier for these companies, offering an unrivalled area of Additive Manufacturing5
expertise for metal 3D printing.
The projected revenues of metal AM service providers across different industries. Medical and automotive are expected
to be the two key revenue-generating sectors. [Image credit: SmarTech Analysis]
Developing a distinguishable brand is difficult and takes time. However, aligning your services with your business’s
area of expertise, will put your service bureau in an excellent position to succeed.
5 “Expert Interview: Graphite Additive Manufacturing’s Jonathan Warbrick on Achieving Success with 3D Printing”, AMFG
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2. Generating Tip: You can use free tools like Google
Keyword Planner and Google Trends
online or paid tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush
to generate lists of potential target
awareness of
keywords. Look for keywords that have
low competition, but relatively high
search volume, as these will deliver the
your service best results.
Since search engines pay special attention
bureau to the words in your headings and title
tags to determine what a page is about, it’s
a good opportunity for you to include the
One you have established your value proposition, the main keyword or keywords you’re targeting
next step will be to enable your potential customers to for that page. That makes it clear to a
discover your services.
search engine that this page is relevant for
The vast majority of queries relating to 3D printing anyone searching for that specific term.
services begin online, and 71% of all B2B queries begin
as generic search terms in search engines like Google.
This means that when people are searching for 3D The majority of respondents reported that a significant
printing services, they are most likely searching using proportion of their customers have only a limited
general terms and not a specific company name. understanding of the capabilities and limitations of 3D
printing technologies.
As a result, for you to capture those prospects, your
business must be visible in their search results. Evidently, there is still a strong need for more
education about AM — and service bureaus are in a
unique position to offer greater knowledge about the
Make SEO a priority technology.
Ideally, your website should pop up as the first page on Therefore, creating and distributing educational
Google and other search engines when queries relating content is one strategy a service bureau can implement
to 3D printing services are made. The best way to achieve to establish authority and thought leadership in the
this is through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). market.
SEO is the process of optimising your website to get While it may be tempting to write content to sell your
organic, unpaid traffic from search engines. services, your primary aim should be to educate your
prospects and customers, thereby increasing their trust
To boost the performance of your website in organic
in and engagement with your business.
search results, you’ll need to identify the keywords and
phrases you would like to rank for. The keywords will Content marketing works as a more subtle way to win
coincide with what you have identified as the needs and new business — by raising awareness and trust in
wants of your target audience. your brand, while making your website more visible to
search engines.
Once you have identified the keywords and phrases
relating to your business, you will be able to implement A few examples of content you can produce include:
them strategically throughout your website.
● Informative blog posts
● Engaging videos
Communicate your brand through ●
Case studies highlighting how your services
content solved a customer’s pain point
● White papers delving more deeply into specific
AMFG’s 2019 survey of AM service providers identified
topics of interest to your customers
a lack of 3D printing knowledge as being one of the
biggest challenges facing service providers today.6
6 “State Of The 3D Printing Industry Survey 2019: AM Service Providers”, AMFG, 2019
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3. Being active Email marketing
Another powerful digital channel is email — and 77%
across digital of B2B companies use e-newsletters as part of their
marketing.
channels Email marketing can be used to nurture customers
and prospects by providing relevant, useful content.
Such content can convert prospects into customers
and generate more revenue from existing clients.
An active online presence is the sum total of everything
that your current and potential customers can find While the benefits of email marketing are well
about your business on the Internet. This can include understood, service bureaus may not be using
everything from your website to your social media this channel to its fullest potential. One of the key
profiles. challenges to using email marketing is building a
mailing list.
The key to success will be to select the right digital
channels for your business, and to integrate these Email list building can be done in various ways,
channels as part of a clear digital marketing strategy. including strategically placed newsletter sign-ups,
calls to action or maintaining relationships with
current customers.
Social media
Ultimately, a successful email marketing strategy
Social media can be a powerful way to boost your
will give your prospects and customers a way to stay
online presence, especially when coupled with
connected to your brand. With the power of email you
consistent content. The equation is simple: the more
have the opportunity to provide value, build a strong
quality content you create, the more material you will
customer relationship and take your business to the
have to share on your social media channels, which
next level.
aids in raising awareness about your business.
Furthermore, social media can play a crucial role in
helping your sales process. B2B customers typically
do research before they buy, with 55% stating that they
look for information on social media (MediaBistro).
However, since not every social media channel will be Tip: Explore geotargeting. This lets
relevant to your business, it is good practice to identify you target your ads to only appear to
where your potential customers spend the most time. customers in a certain location, or set
Choosing the right platform will make it easier for your of locations, specified by you. With
target audience to discover your business on social geotargeting, you’ll increase the chances
media. that the people clicking on your ads are
For example, if you’re a small service bureau focusing actually eligible to receive your services.
on prototyping, creating jewellery moulds and design Also explore using a specialist agency to
projects, then Instagram and Facebook are great help execute your ad campaigns.
platforms to explore. For service providers specialising
in industrial AM applications, professional social
platforms like LinkedIn can be a better choice.
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Paid advertising Retargeting
Testing paid ads, like Google Ads, can be a great tool Thanks to your digital marketing efforts, people are
to complement your SEO efforts. According to a recent starting to come to your website. But what if they aren’t
survey, 63% of people said they’d click on a Google ad.7 ready to order from you yet?
Unlike content and email marketing, which are usually
This is where retargeting comes in.
have longer-term results, a paid ad campaign can bring
results in the short-term. Retargeting is a type of advert that helps you convert
website visitors into customers after they’ve left your
To launch a paid ad campaign, you’ll need to have a
website.
short but relevant ad copy, describing benefits and
USPs of your services. Once someone visits your site, they’ll start to see your
ads while browsing the Internet or social media. Your
Make sure to create a separate landing page that
ads will remind them of the services you provide and
includes messages that are specifically designed for
bring them back to your site when they’ve decided to
advertising campaigns and target a specific customer
place an order.
segment. Having a relevant landing page increases the
likelihood that people who clicked on the ad, if they are
the right audience, will act.
7 “What makes people click on search ads?”, Search Engine Land, 2019
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4. Boosting experience. Moreover, nearly 90% of buyers prefer to
complete transactions via self-service rather than any
other method.9
sales with the And it’s clear why. A web quotation platform allows
customers to receive quotes instantly and without
right digital the need to send emails and make calls. It also helps
them to place orders at any time (even outside of your
tools
working hours) and complete the buying process
intuitively and in a matter of minutes, in the vast
majority of cases.
While social media, email marketing and paid ads With speed being at the top of modern customer
can help you to enhance your online presence, your expectations, the ability to provide quotes
website remains the key piece of the puzzle. automatically and within seconds can become your
competitive advantage.
Your website acts as a gateway to attracting more
visitors and, if optimised correctly, is also your 24/7 Furthermore, implementing MES software isn’t only
sales tool. beneficial for your customers – it’s also one of the
best things you can do for your team. Being able
Ease of purchase is regarded as one of the top to automate important yet manual tasks, such as
selling points for B2B customers, alongside vendor quoting, allows your team to focus on activities that
reputation, price and customer loyalty.8 This means bring in more revenue.
that optimising your website, to make it easier for your
customers to order from you online, can make the In one example, UK service bureau, Graphite Additive
difference between making a sale and losing a lead. Manufacturing, implemented AMFG’s web quotation
tool in part to manage an increasing volume of orders.
This has helped the company reduce the time needed
Chatbots to process orders and be able to respond to and serve
their customers more quickly.
One way you can simplify an ordering process, while
increasing your online presence, is with the help of a The increased level of automation achieved with
chatbot. A chatbot is a computer program which uses the AMFG’s software has ultimately helped Graphite
the chat interface to communicate with the website translate better customer service into more sales.
visitors.
To ease the purchasing process for the customer,
your chatbot can pop up on any website page to offer
additional information about your services or even a
discount code. ‘Our turnover has increased by 20%+
year-on-year over the last three years. In
the last year alone, we’ve generated over
Automated quotation tools
£50,000 revenue just through [AMFG’s]
An online quotation and ordering platform, embedded quotation tool...This allows us to deal
in your website, can help you boost sales. MES software with the increasing volume of enquiries
for AM, like AMFG, is one of the most effective tools to without compromising on service.’
set up such a platform.
Jonathan Warbrick
52% of B2B buyers view self-service features, like
Business Development Manager, Graphite
online quoting and ordering, as the most important Additive Manufacturing
factor when assessing a company’s overall online
8 “B2B Ecommerce 2018: Transforming Buying and Selling”, eMarketer, 2018
9 “2018 B2B Ecommerce Buyer Expectations Report”, Digital Commerce 360, 2018
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Analytics tracking Furthermore, having an online ordering platform can
become a natural part of your marketing campaigns.
One of the important aspects of digital marketing is For example, a landing page that is designed to convert
the ability to consistently track the performance of leads clicking on an ad can have a Call-To-Action (CTA)
your website and optimise it to increase conversions. button, which leads to your online ordering portal.
One way MES software, like AMFG, can help you with Finally, you can place CTA buttons, linked to the
this is through its integration with Google Analytics, a platform, strategically on your website to enable
free tool that gives you insight into how users find and visitors navigating the website to place an order
use your website. instantly, without the need to contact your sales team.
This will allow you to track the customer journey as
people use your quotation platform. For example, you
can track where customers are dropping off and use
this information to optimise customer experience,
which, in turn, will boost conversions.
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Driving competitive. When integrated with more ‘traditional’
marketing channels, such as events and trade shows,
digital marketing can make a significant impact on
service bureau revenue.
With a digital marketing strategy in place, your 3D
demand printing service bureau can build a strong brand,
increase its online presence on social media and have
a website optimised to bring in more prospects and
with digital convert them into sales.
We hope that this whitepaper has given you an insight
marketing into some of the digital marketing techniques that can
benefit your company.
With more and more companies and professionals
searching for 3D printing services and placing orders
online, digital marketing is becoming one of the key
tools service providers must implement to remain
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About AMFG
AMFG provides MES workflow software that empowers companies to streamline and
manage their entire additive manufacturing workflows.
With customers in 26 countries and across industries, AMFG’s expertise is in working
with companies to scale their additive manufacturing operations.
For more information, visit: www.amfg.ai or contact info@amfg.ai.
www.amfg.ai
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