Barracuda B2B Marketing

09/03/2026

I hear this all the time from manufacturers: "We know we need to do more marketing, but we don't have the time, the people or the budget."

I get it. When you're focused on getting jobs out the door, taking care of customers and keeping the business moving, marketing can feel like one more thing on an already full plate.

But you already have most of what you need. Your people, your expertise, your customer stories and the problems you solve every day are some of your best marketing assets.

The trick is building a simple system around what you're already doing instead of creating more work. That's what I cover in my latest blog.

Learn how manufacturers can build a strong brand with limited time, staff and budget using lean marketing strategies.

08/27/2026

AI has made it easier than ever to create content, but I think we’re about to discover that creating more content isn’t necessarily going to make your marketing more effective.

As AI-generated content becomes more common and transparency around how content is created becomes a bigger issue, what will actually make your company’s content stand out?

Read the blog to see where I think this is headed.

AI makes content faster to create, but human expertise, original insights and proprietary knowledge are what make B2B content stand out.

08/26/2026

What does leadership have to do with manufacturing efficiency? More than most companies realize.

We spend a lot of time talking about improving processes, reducing waste, increasing throughput and making operations more efficient. But there is another factor that can either accelerate all of those efforts or get in the way: leadership.

In the latest episode of The Manufacturers' Efficiency Webinar Series, Matt Wizeman breaks down the 7Cs of Leadership and what they mean for manufacturing leaders who want to build stronger, more accountable and more effective teams.

Because as your company grows, leadership has to grow with it. What worked when you had 20 employees may not work when you have 100.

I wrote about Matt's presentation and why leadership deserves a place in the efficiency conversation. Read the blog and then watch the full episode to see how you can apply the 7Cs to your own organization.

Discover the 7Cs of Leadership and how stronger leadership can improve communication, accountability, efficiency and growth in manufacturing.

08/18/2026

Most manufacturers still approach tradeshows the same way they did 20 years ago, but your buyers aren't waiting until they walk into the convention center to decide whether they want to talk to you.

So what does that mean for your tradeshow strategy?

Tradeshows are changing. Learn how manufacturers can rethink tradeshow marketing to create better buyer engagement, pipeline and sales.

08/18/2026

I recently had the opportunity to join Michelle Garrett on her PR Explored video podcast to talk about a topic I see play out with manufacturers all the time: “Waiting Is the Most Expensive Marketing Strategy.”

Too many manufacturers treat lead generation, marketing, and growth strategy as something they can turn on when the pipeline gets thin. The problem is that by the time you realize you need more leads, your competitors may already have the visibility, relationships, content, search presence, and credibility that you need to build. Marketing doesn’t work like a light switch. It takes time to create momentum.

In our conversation, Michelle and I talk about what waiting actually costs a manufacturer, why marketing needs to be happening before you need it, and how taking a more strategic approach can put you in a much stronger position when buyers are ready to make a decision.

If you work with manufacturers, B2B companies, or run one yourself, I think you’ll find this conversation especially relevant. Watch the episode to hear why the best time to start marketing isn’t when you need the leads. It’s well before you need them.

Discover why waiting to invest in marketing can cost leads, visibility, and competitive advantage and why marketing should start before you need it.

08/11/2026

There’s a lot of talk about AI replacing people in manufacturing, but I think that’s the wrong conversation. For most small- and mid-sized manufacturers, the bigger opportunity is figuring out how to eliminate the work that consumes your best people’s time but doesn’t really require their expertise.

AI can help with some very practical things around estimating, quality, ERP data, documentation, tribal knowledge and sales. The challenge isn’t finding another shiny technology to add to the operation. It’s identifying where time, information and money are being lost and determining whether AI can help address it.

Discover how manufacturers can use AI to reduce waste, improve quoting, capture tribal knowledge and help skilled people work more effectively.

08/06/2026

Many manufacturers don’t have a lead problem. They have a lead nurture problem.

In my latest Manufacturing Stronger newsletter, I share a practical 7-step lead nurture framework that any $5–50M manufacturer can visualize and adopt.

It is not about adding complexity. It is about creating a repeatable process that helps turn more opportunities into customers.

Learn a practical 7-step lead nurture system for $10–50M manufacturers to capture opportunities, build relationships, and convert more leads.

07/23/2026

Reshoring is creating new opportunities for U.S. manufacturers, but it's also raising important questions about workforce, capacity, supply chains, tariffs, and competitiveness.

In our latest The Manufacturers' Efficiency Webinar Series, we highlight the key insights from the Reshoring in America: Opportunity or Obstacle? webinar and what manufacturers should be doing now to prepare for what's ahead.

What do you think is the biggest challenge standing in the way of successful reshoring?

07/21/2026

Most manufacturers believe they know why customers choose them. Then they ask.

As part of every comprehensive growth strategy and SWOT analysis I develop, I conduct Voice-of-Customer interviews. Every time, I learn something that surprises the leadership team. The reasons customers stay loyal are often very different from the reasons companies think they're winning.

In this week's newsletter, I share the recurring themes I've heard from years of customer interviews and why listening to your customers may be the most valuable growth strategy you'll ever invest in.

Discover what manufacturers learn from Voice of Customer interviews and why feedback reveals opportunities, advantages, and retention strategies.

07/16/2026

I hear it all the time from manufacturers: "We're waiting for more referrals." "We're waiting for the next tradeshow." "We're waiting for the economy to improve."

On the surface, those sound like reasonable decisions. But over the years, I've come to believe that waiting is one of the most expensive customer acquisition strategies a company can have.

The cost isn't just the sales you don't make today. It's the relationships you never build, the opportunities you never hear about, and the customers your competitors connect with while you're standing still.

In my latest blog, I share why the opportunity cost of inactivity is much higher than most manufacturers realize and why consistent, intentional business development almost always outperforms waiting for the market to come to you.

I'd love to hear your perspective. What's the biggest reason you see manufacturers putting growth initiatives on hold?

Waiting for referrals, tradeshows, or the economy to improve may be creating a hidden opportunity cost for manufacturers.