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Most marketing agencies don’t speak the language of manufacturing. You can explain your process dozens of times, but if they still don’t get the difference between machining and fabrication, you’re not talking to the right agencies.
We get it. Manufacturing marketing differs from B2B or consumer marketing. Your buyers are engineers who want specifications on complex, technical products that need a skilled explanation.
This guide to the top manufacturing marketing agencies is for companies like yours looking to connect with these buyers.
Why specialized expertise matters for a B2B manufacturing marketing agency
The complexities of manufacturing run deep. It’s not just regular marketing with some industrial buzzwords thrown in.
Consider your typical product.
It’s probably something highly technical and made for someone who knows what they’re talking about. An agency that doesn’t understand the difference between CNC machining and injection molding won’t create compelling content for either audience.
Then there’s your sales process, which can take months. You have the engineers evaluating technical specs, the procurement teams negotiating terms, and the executives approving budgets. Nothing’s happening fast, and each group has different needs at different stages.
That’s exactly why generic marketing doesn’t work for manufacturing.
- Products are very technical. Non-manufacturing agencies struggle to translate technical features into benefits that hit the mark with buyers.
- Sales cycles drag on. You’re often looking at around 130 days or more for major purchases.
- Decision-makers care about different things, from specifications and performance to pricing and terms.
- They also have their own channels where they attend trade shows, read industry magazines, and participate in technical forums.
But if you find a manufacturing-specific B2B content marketing agency, you get:
- Technical understanding: They can translate complex product specifications into clear value propositions. They know when to go into detail and when to simplify, and they know your industry terminology.
- Industry networks: Specialized agencies have trusted relationships with trade publications, manufacturing associations, and industry influencers. They can get your content in front of target buyers.
- Compliance knowledge: Manufacturing marketing often involves regulatory considerations, and specialized agencies can navigate these requirements without bogging down your campaigns.
- B2B expertise: Specialized agencies can also track influence across touchpoints over months or years, which is important for extended sales cycles with different lead scoring models and attribution approaches.
Common challenges facing manufacturing marketing firms
Let’s talk about what makes manufacturing so tough to crack. Most manufacturing companies reach out to a marketing agency when they’re dealing with one or more of these challenges:
When you can’t reach the right audience, your complex products are even harder to explain. If your digital presence looks outdated, prospects question your credibility. And when sales and marketing aren’t aligned, good leads slip through the cracks.
The agencies we’re about to cover have built their expertise around solving manufacturing marketing problems.
Key services offered by industrial marketing agencies
Here’s a preview of the types of services you can expect from specialized agencies:
Digital marketing services
- Technical SEO: Manufacturing companies need agencies that can optimize product catalogs, technical specifications, CAD files, and other resources that engineers search for.
- PPC for industrial keywords: Manufacturing-specific agencies know how to bid on specific industrial keywords and create ads that connect with technical buyers.
- Content marketing for technical audiences: From blog posts to white papers, manufacturing agencies create content that balances the technical details with accessibility across different groups of stakeholders.
- Marketing automation for complex sales cycles: These marketing automation workflows are designed for manufacturing buyer behavior.
Traditional marketing integration
- Trade show marketing: Trade shows are important for manufacturing companies, and agencies should know how to maximize trade show ROI
- Industry publication advertising: Print advertising in trade publications can still drive results integrated with digital campaigns.
- Direct mail for key accounts: Account-based marketing for manufacturing often includes direct mail for high-value prospects.
- Sales enablement: These materials (battle cards, ROI calculators, and technical comparison guides) help your team be more effective with marketing-generated leads.
Strategic services
- Brand positioning for technical markets: Great agencies can help you differentiate your company, even in competitive markets, when they understand technical buyer priorities.
- Competitive analysis: Manufacturing competitive analysis requires understanding technical capabilities, market positioning, and customer relationships.
- Customer journey mapping: Your agency should map your manufacturing buyer journey and create content for each stage.
- Account-based marketing: For high-value prospects, you need personalized content and multi-channel campaigns to get the sale.
Top 15 agencies driving growth in the manufacturing sector
1. Gorilla 76
Gorilla 76 calls themselves ‘The Industrial Marketing Agency,’ focusing exclusively on B2B industrial and manufacturing companies.
What we respect: They tie marketing directly to revenue results. No vanity metrics or fluff; just programs that move the sales needle.
They’re good at: Creating complex technical content, working with mid-market budgets, and getting your sales and marketing teams to collaborate.
Check them out if: You’re a mid-market manufacturer who’s tired of agencies that make promises but can’t show you the money.
2. Altitude Marketing
Altitude Marketing handles the full spectrum, from branding to demand gen. They work with everyone from family businesses to billion-dollar enterprises, so they’ve seen it all.
What we respect: They know their way around HubSpot automation, and they know how to make it work with messy manufacturing sales processes.
They’re good at: Technical SEO that gets your products found by the right people, marketing automation that doesn’t break with long sales cycles, and handling everything so you don’t need multiple agencies.
Check them out if: You want one agency to handle everything, you’re considering HubSpot, or you’re tired of explaining your industry to every new vendor.
3. Industrial Strength Marketing
With a tagline like ‘Born Industrial Raised Digital,’ there’s no question about who Industrial Strength Marketing serves. They’ve worked with some big names like Motion Industries, ABB, and WESCO, and they’re not afraid to show their work.
What we respect: They can create pretty charts that make people feel good in meetings, and the data on those charts is the data that matters to your organization.
They’re good at: Automation and heavy equipment marketing, making trade shows pay for themselves, and generating leads.
Check them out if: You’re in automation or heavy equipment, you do trade shows, or you want to work with an agency that has street cred with well-known companies.
4. Windmill Strategy
Windmill Strategy brings strong UX and web design chops to the industrial world. They’re based in Minneapolis but work with manufacturers looking to expand nationally.
What we respect: They understand that technical audiences interact with websites differently than your average B2B buyer. Their sites work for engineers who need to find specs fast.
They’re good at: Making complex technical products look approachable online, technical SEO that gets results, and helping Minneapolis manufacturers think big.
Check them out if: Your website looks like it was built in 2005, you have complex products that are hard to explain, or you're ready to expand beyond your local market.
5. Kula Partners
As a HubSpot Platinum Partner, Kula Partners knows their way around the platform. They also know how to adapt it for manufacturing companies that don’t fit the typical SaaS model.
What we respect: They focus on digital transformation for traditional manufacturers, helping companies that have been doing things the same way for decades embrace modern marketing without losing their identity.
They’re good at: HubSpot implementation for manufacturing, content strategy that speaks to technical buyers, and helping traditional companies modernize without feeling like they're losing their souls.
Check them out if: You're a traditional manufacturer ready to modernize, you want HubSpot done right the first time, or you're focused on North American markets.
6. Elliance
Elliance handles both national and global campaigns, so they understand the complexity of marketing across markets and cultures — something even the best agencies struggle with.
What we respect: They're obsessed with conversion optimization, but for manufacturing audiences. They know the difference between a website that looks good and one that converts visitors into leads.
They’re really good at: Global campaign management, industrial branding that doesn't look like every other manufacturing company, and measuring the most important metrics.
Check them out if: You're selling nationally or globally, you need branding work alongside performance marketing, or you're tired of agencies that can't connect marketing activities to sales results.
7. The Agency Arsenal
The Agency Arsenal isn't actually an agency — they're more like matchmakers for manufacturers and marketing agencies.
What we respect: They've pre-vetted agencies specifically for manufacturing experience, so you don't have to waste time explaining why your sales cycle takes eight months or why trade shows are important.
They’re good at: Matching manufacturers with the right agency partners, saving you time in the vetting process, and preventing bad agency experiences.
Check them out if: You've been burned by agencies before, you don't have time to vet dozens of options, or you need specialized expertise for a specific project.
8. Market Veep
Market Veep offers something interesting: fractional CMO services alongside their agency work. You can get executive-level marketing strategy without paying for a full-time CMO.
What we respect: Growing manufacturers often need strategic guidance more than they need tactics. Having someone think strategically about your marketing while also executing makes a ton of sense.
They’re good at: Fractional CMO services, working across different manufacturing verticals, and flexible engagement models that adapt to your business needs.
Check them out if: You need strategic marketing leadership but don't have the budget for a full-time hire, you want flexibility in how you work with an agency, or you're in a growth phase and need guidance more than execution.
9. NPWS
With over 20 years in B2B manufacturing, New Perspective (NPWS) has been around long enough to know how the industry works. They focus on smart manufacturing and automation.
What we respect: They involve senior team members throughout projects, not just during the sales process. If you've ever been sold by the A-team only to have your work done by junior staff, you'll appreciate this approach.
They’re good at: Smart manufacturing marketing, automation sector expertise, strategic planning that gets implemented, and keeping senior people involved in your work.
Check them out if: You're in smart manufacturing or automation, you want senior-level attention throughout your project, or you're looking for a true strategic partnership rather than just execution.
10. Konstruct Digital
Konstruct Digital specializes in lead generation with a focus on manufacturers and distributors with multiple locations. They also happen to be good at analytics and reporting.
What we respect: They're consistently rated highly for ROI-driven campaigns, and their analytics infrastructure provides the kind of transparency manufacturing companies need to justify marketing spend.
They’re good at: Lead generation that converts, multi-location marketing coordination, detailed analytics and reporting, and optimizing for ROI rather than vanity metrics.
Check them out if: You have more than one location to coordinate, you're a distributor, or you need detailed reporting to justify your marketing investments.
11. Blackbean Marketing
Blackbean Marketing combines fractional CMO services with execution, focusing specifically on manufacturing, chemicals, and energy sectors. They're known for their personalized approach.
What we respect: In an industry where relationships matter, they focus on personalized service rather than trying to scale everything.
They’re good at: Manufacturing and chemical industry marketing, fractional CMO services, brand strategy that differentiates in crowded markets, and providing personalized attention.
Check them out if: You're in manufacturing, chemicals, or energy, you want personalized attention rather than being just another account, or you need both strategic and tactical support.
12. Thomas
Thomas leverages their Thomasnet platform — the industry's leading directory — to help manufacturers get found by buyers who are actively searching for suppliers.
What we respect: They have access to data about how manufacturing buyers search for suppliers, which gives them insights other agencies simply don't have.
They’re good at: Thomasnet platform optimization, lead generation through supplier directories, and understanding buyer behavior from the data side.
Check them out if: You want to maximize your presence where manufacturing buyers start their search, you sell through distribution channels, or you need better visibility in supplier directories.
13. TREW Marketing
TREW Marketing specializes in engineering and technical manufacturing, with a strength in creating content that ranks for highly technical search terms while still being accessible.
What we respect: They can create content that satisfies both the engineer who needs technical specs and the executive who needs to understand business impact.
They’re good at: Engineering marketing, technical content that actually ranks in search, SEO for complex products, and serving national clients from their Austin base.
Check them out if: You're an engineering company, you have highly technical products that are hard to explain, or you need content that ranks for technical search terms.
14. Designity
Designity offers subscription-based creative services through a remote team model. This gives you consistent creative support without the large agency retainers.
What we respect: Manufacturing companies often have uneven creative needs — busy periods followed by quiet ones. A subscription model gives you flexibility without paying for resources you're not using.
They’re good at: Subscription-based creative services, remote team management, and scalable creative solutions that adjust to your needs.
Check them out if: You need consistent creative support without huge retainers, you want flexibility in how you allocate creative resources, or you have varying creative needs throughout the year.
15. Ten Speed
Ten Speed brings content marketing and SEO expertise specifically adapted for technical B2B audiences. We work with a U.S.-based team with deep B2B SaaS experience and don't require long-term contracts.
What sets us apart: We focus on quality over quantity in content production, and our flexible engagement models address the concerns many manufacturers have about agency partnerships after bad experiences.
We’re really good at: Technical content marketing, SEO for B2B audiences, flexible engagement models, and focusing on business impact rather than marketing metrics.
Check us out if: You want content marketing expertise without long-term commitments, you've been burned by other agencies and want more flexibility, or you need an agency that understands technical audiences.
How to choose the right manufacturing marketing agency
Choosing the right manufacturing marketing agency isn’t like choosing any other service provider. You can’t just pick whoever has the best website or sales pitch because it doesn’t always translate into industry knowledge.
Follow these steps to find an agency that gets your business.
For a closer look at selection criteria, check out our guide to choosing an SEO agency.
Prioritize industry-specific expertise
Look for agencies that understand technical decision-making and are familiar with manufacturing sales cycles. They should have experience with distributor and channel marketing complexities, and knowledge of the industry events and publications your buyers attend and read.
Start by asking specific questions about manufacturing verticals the agency serves. If they feed you generic statements about B2B expertise, that’s not enough. You want an agency that can talk about the difference between your industry and adjacent manufacturing sectors.
Some questions to ask:
- Which specific manufacturing verticals do you serve?
- Can you walk me through the difference between our industry and others you target?
- What manufacturing processes are you most familiar with?
- Which industry publications and trade shows do you work with?
An agency that can’t discuss industry specific challenges probably isn’t the right fit. If they present case studies from unrelated sectors or fail to ask questions about your specific processes, move on to other agencies.
Reputable agencies can provide references from companies in your industry. Look at their content portfolio to see if they understand technical topics. Team member bios that include manufacturing industry experience are a great sign.
Dig into past results and ROI alignment
Find out whether the agency’s metrics align with your manufacturing KPIs. Ask whether they use lead scoring models designed for technical buyers and can track pipeline contribution accurately. They should know cost per acquisitions benchmarks for your specific industry.
Request metrics specific to manufacturing companies. General marketing metrics won’t tell you what you need to know.
Ask about metrics like:
- Lead quality scores for technical buyers
- Pipeline contribution percentages
- Cost per acquisition for technical products
- Conversion rates through long sales cycles
- Time to first meeting for marketing-generated leads
When reviewing case studies, pay attention to the ones most relevant to your business and sales process. A case study showing quick wins in a transactional business won’t predict success with an 18-month manufacturing sales cycle.
Learn how the agency tracks influence across multiple touchpoints over extended time periods. Since manufacturing conversion rates, cost per lead, and sales cycle impact vary from other industries, industry-specific benchmarks are critical.
Consider technical SEO and content capabilities
Agencies that work with manufacturing companies should understand their complex products and technical buyer behavior. Test this knowledge during the evaluation process by having them review some of your existing technical content and provide feedback. Can they understand your products well enough to provide meaningful suggestions?
Your company likely has complex product catalogs, technical specs, and downloadable resources. Ask each agency how they’d approach SEO for those assets. Do they grasp which audience each asset was created for (engineers, procurement teams, executives) and how they search?
Finally, ask about their ability to work with your technical documentation, product catalogs, and sales tools. Can they work with what you have, or do they want a complete overhaul?
Look for true partnership over transactions
Your search for a marketing partner depends on how well you’d work together, just as much as the skills that partner has.
Find out how they communicate during the sales process. Are they responsive? Do they come up with good questions and listen to your concerns? Can they work with your existing systems? (This includes your CRM and marketing automation and working alongside your internal technical experts.)
Look for an agency that can provide sales team enablement and training, and set up processes for knowledge transfer and documentation. Ask about account team stability and turnover rates. Given the learning curve in manufacturing, you need the reassurance that agency turnover won’t disrupt your marketing programs.
And if your business needs change, can the agency adjust scope and tactics? Manufacturing companies often need to change gears fast because of market conditions or product developments. It’s also worth noting how well the agency understands manufacturing culture, since this can determine how well they’ll fit in with your organization’s way of working.
Emphasize reporting transparency
Reporting cadence and format should be clear and fit your team's needs. You want escalation paths for issues and a partner who surfaces problems before they impact your results.
Transparent reporting also builds accountability: When an agency shares both wins and challenges openly, you can make faster, more confident decisions about where to adjust strategy.
Frequently overlooked digital marketing tactics for manufacturing
Since the industry is so specialized, manufacturing gives marketers many tactics to experiment with. But not all agencies know enough about the industry to recommend them.
Some high-impact strategies many manufacturers overlook:
Technical SEO for downloadable resources
This entails optimizing CAD files, technical specifications, installation guides, and other downloadable resources for search visibility. Engineers and technical buyers often search for these resources, so making them discoverable increases organic traffic from qualified prospects.
To help your resources rank, you need the right file naming, metadata optimization, hosting strategies, and supporting content.
Comparison content strategy
Detailed comparison guides help buyers make informed decisions while promoting your products. Manufacturing buyers do extensive research and comparison shopping, and if you can control the narrative, you can guide their decision-making process.
Focus on objective comparison criteria, technical specification comparisons, use case scenarios, and total cost of ownership analyses.
Video for complex product demonstration
Video is great for explaining complex products, demonstrating capabilities, and addressing common technical questions. Complex manufacturing products benefit from visual explanations because video speeds up understanding and shortens sales cycles. This could include:
- Product demonstration videos showing capabilities in action
- Application videos for specific use cases
- Customer testimonial videos with real results
- Technical explanation videos for complex concepts
Industry forum and community engagement
By participating in technical forums, industry communities, and professional associations, you build authority. Manufacturing buyers often research solutions in technical communities before they engage with vendors, and authority in these spaces drive referral traffic.
The only catch is that you have to participate consistently in the right forums, offer helpful technical contributions, and build relationships with the community to make this tactic effective.
Distributor co-marketing platforms
Many manufacturers find success coordinating their digital marketing efforts with channel partners to expand reach and benefit from shared audiences. They sell through distributors and coordinate marketing efforts to expand their reach.
Educational webinar programs
Webinars that deliver valuable technical information while generating and nurturing leads are big in manufacturing. Your buyers appreciate content that helps them solve problems. The most successful programs have a regular webinar schedule, technical subject matter experts leading discussions, and follow-up nurturing campaigns to keep attendees engaged.
When combined, each of these tactics speak to buyers’ unique needs and buying behaviors, so you can get higher quality leads and improve your conversions.
Where to go next for sustainable organic growth
Manufacturing marketing success takes patience, expertise, and strategic thinking. The agencies we mentioned above understand your industry and have a proven record of helping manufacturing companies grow.
Some things to keep in mind as you start your search:
- Specialized expertise delivers superior results.
- Alignment between agency capabilities and business goals is critical.
- Integrated approaches work best.
- Quality content and SEO have a lasting impact.
- A partnership approach matters more than service lists.
Take the time to evaluate agencies using the framework we’ve outlined. Check references from companies in your industry, test their knowledge and communication style, and make sure they understand your challenges and goals.
For manufacturers ready to accelerate their organic growth through strategic growth marketing and technical SEO, Ten Speed offers a unique approach to combining B2B expertise with flexible engagement models designed for sustainable results.
We get the marketing challenges you face because we’ve helped companies navigate them.
Want to see how the right content strategy can improve your manufacturing marketing? We’d love to take a look at your current efforts and share some ideas that will work for your business.
👉 Book a call and get a customized proposal today!
FAQs about hiring a manufacturing marketing agency
How long does it take to see measurable results from a manufacturing marketing agency?
It depends on what you consider ‘results.’ Most manufacturers see initial improvements in lead quality within 3–4 months. This includes better website performance, improved content quality, and more qualified inquiries.
But if you want to see a real impact on your pipeline and revenue, plan on 6–12 months.
Are there specialized certifications for industrial marketing firms?
Not really. The manufacturing world is too specific for generic certifications to mean much.
What you should look for instead:
- HubSpot certifications for marketing automation
- Google Partner status for PPC and SEO expertise
- Memberships in manufacturing associations like NAM
- Industry trade group participation
- Technical writing or engineering backgrounds on their team
What are typical budget ranges for manufacturing marketing services?
Manufacturing marketing companies we talk to are spending somewhere between $5,000 and $50,000 per month on marketing, depending on their size and how aggressive they want to be about growth.
The rule of thumb is 3–5% of revenue for smaller manufacturers and 1–3% for larger companies. But what matters most is your customer lifetime value. Manufacturing companies with higher-value customers can typically justify larger marketing investments.
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