Issue Date: November 15, 2011

New program will help manufacturers dive into social media

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Thomas Industrial Network, which caters to the industrial manufacturing sector, provides its customers with technology and information services to enhance their online presence. Now, the company has introduced its Social Media Program. The program, which rolled out last month, is designed to help manufacturers build brand awareness, position themselves as industry thought leaders and generate leads via social channels. Phil Paranicas, director of digital media at Thomas Industrial Network, spoke with Digital Directions about the introduction.

Media Business: How does the Social Media Program differ from other social media programs targeting b-to-b marketers?

Phil Paranicas: The primary thing we're doing here is leveraging 112-plus years of industrial experience. There are a lot of firms out there that can do social media; there are very few firms out there that can understand industrial social media. We understand not only how our manufacturers think, but, more important, we understand their prospects and customers, such as engineers and purchasing agents, and how they use social media. We understand the networks that they're going to in order to find information and the kinds of conversations that they are participating in. Instead of wasting our customers' time trying to figure out their business, once they tells us, “I'm a PCB [printed circuit board] manufacturer,” we can get right to work on their social media strategies. This is particularly helpful to those customers that want to get in touch with a younger generation of prospective customers through social media and aren't sure how to do that.

MB: How does the program work?

Paranicas: First we start out with a “goal” conversation....

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