Introduction

Marketing to the engineering sector is a unique challenge. Unlike B2C (Business to Consumer) products with broad appeal, engineering companies offer specialized services. Their customers are technical decision-makers who rely on research and data. This is why engineering companies need tailored marketing solutions to reach potential clients and build long-term trust.

In the competitive industrial space, reaching the right audience is no easy task. That’s where Thomasnet stands out as a leading platform that boosts visibility for engineering services. It is a trusted industrial marketing agency with over 127 years of experience. Its team includes experienced digital marketers and engineers who understand the challenges of the industrial sector. 

In this article, we explore how engineering firm CGR Products partnered with Thomasnet to enhance its online presence, drive more traffic, and generate qualified leads.

CGR Products’ Background and Marketing Challenges

Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, CGR Products has been a player in the engineering space since 1963. The company excels in precision work services, including die cutting, rotary cutting, waterjet cutting, lamination, and seals. It covers various industries including automotive, appliance, marine, EV batteries, and pharma.

Like many legacy businesses, CGR Products was looking to explore new strategies to appeal to large OEM customers. Traditional approaches like trade shows proved costly and limited in results. Advertising options, too, were expensive and not as effective as they once were. CGR Products needed to revise its strategy to resonate with today’s decision-makers who conduct research online. This challenge set the stage for their partnership with Thomasnet.

Thomasnet Partnership Objectives

CGR Products had specific marketing objectives in mind when collaborating with Thomasnet. One of CGR Products main objectives was to build a stronger online presence. They wanted to show up in search results when engineers and sourcing professionals looked up relevant keywords.

The company also wanted to improve customer engagement. For that, it decided to redesign the website to be more user-friendly. The focus was also on optimizing the website for mobile users. CGR wanted to spark interest and awareness about its business and product offerings through quality content resources that inspired confidence in its technical expertise.

How the Strategy Was Implemented

With Thomasnet’s support, CGR implemented a comprehensive marketing plan that covered multiple channels across the buyer’s journey. Each solution was designed to drive maximum ROI while aligning with CGR's business goals. Some of the key points are as follows:

Website Redesign

CGR’s website redesign aimed to create a better user experience and increase lead generation. With Thomasnet’s understanding of B2B buyer behavior, the new site was built to meet the expectations of sourcing professionals and engineers. Each webpage featured clear and persuasive copy with strategically placed CTAs. These guided visitors toward valuable content resources or to request a quote. The site was made responsive to make it accessible on all devices. This improved accessibility and reduced load times. Thomasnet also used A/B testing to compare different versions of web pages. By analyzing how users interacted with each version, the team made data-backed changes to the website.

SEO

The first step was optimizing CGR’s online visibility through search engines.Thomasnet performed an in-depth audit of CGR’s website to identify areas that needed improvement. SEO experts at Thomasnet came up with a data-driven keyword planning and content optimization plan. It ensured that the website was structured properly for optimal search engine indexing. Backlink-building efforts were also part of the plan. By securing links from reputable sources in the industrial and manufacturing space, CGR improved its domain authority.

Content Marketing

To create high-quality content, Thomasnet leveraged its team of writers supported by engineers with deep knowledge of engineering processes. This ensured that the new content was not only preferred by search engines but also helpful to customers seeking help with their next project. The content strategy included blog articles, whitepapers, eBooks, and how-to guides. These resources answered common customer questions and highlighted CGR’s capabilities in detail.

Social Media Campaigns

Thomasnet worked closely with the CGR team to identify their ideal customer profiles. These profiles included engineers, sourcing specialists, and product managers. After locking in on the target audience, Thomasnet helped CGR tailor social media messaging accordingly.

The content was tailored for each platform including LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). This included pushing the right mix of original, curated, and promotional content to potential customers. By rotating between these content types, CGR avoided overwhelming followers with sales-focused messaging.

Thomasnet Platform Integration

In addition to listing their services on Thomasnet's B2B platform, CGR leveraged Thomasnet's tools and capabilities to manage and convert new leads. As the redesigned website began driving more traffic, CGR implemented detailed back-end web traffic analysis tools aligned with Thomasnet’s features.

CGR assigned their outside account managers with specific geographic regions. This allowed each rep to quickly respond to RFQ requests within their area. Automated notifications enabled sales representatives to immediately follow up with prospects who requested info via the website.

By combining back-end analytics, regional sales alignment, and fast, automated follow-ups, CGR didn’t just generate more leads—they managed them smarter. Their integration of Thomasnet’s platform features was a model of how engineering firms can turn marketing momentum into measurable results.

The Results That Made a Difference

In just the first year of working with Thomasnet, CGR experienced significant improvements across all major performance indicators. Website visits increased by 53.49 percent, which meant more people were finding CGR online due to the improved SEO strategy. The redesigned website and high-quality content led to a 93.12 percent increase in user engagement. Visitors were exploring more pages and interacting with the content. 

The strategy also had a significant impact on the business. CGR recorded 280 percent growth in leads per month. In one year, CGR sent out $4 million worth of quotes. This shows that the improved online presence directly contributed to lead generation and sales opportunities.

Analysis of the marketing campaign

There are several reasons why the CGR marketing strategy worked so well. One of the biggest was the company’s focus on user experience during the website redesign. Clear calls to action and responsive design further helped make the website more accessible and user-friendly.

Another major factor was the quality and depth of the content. CGR's website offered valuable resources like whitepapers, how-to guides, eBooks, and blog posts that addressed real questions of users. This helped CGR project itself as a knowledgeable partner in the engineering space.

The integration with Thomasnet’s platform added more value. By listing services on the Thomas directory, CGR was able to reach a broader audience. Plus, its lead management tools allowed for faster responses to RFQ requests.

CGR’s partnership with Thomasnet delivered excellent results. However, digital marketing is not a one-time solution but an ongoing process with room to grow. The strategy needs to be fine-tuned based on market dynamics and platform changes such as search engine core updates.

Conclusion

CGR Products success story highlights the value of specialized marketing services for engineering companies. When done right, these services can improve visibility, boost engagement, and generate quality leads.

Through its partnership with Thomasnet, CGR overcame its initial challenges and achieved impressive results. This success underscored the importance of a well-rounded marketing approach. The company reached a wider audience and built stronger connections with potential customers by combining website redesign, SEO, content creation, and targeted social media campaigns.

Thomaset’s platform integration amplified these efforts even further. It not only served as a platform to list and promote the company’s services but also provided the tools needed to engage with a larger audience. The collaboration led to substantial improvements in performance metrics and strengthened CGR Products position.

This case study provides a roadmap for other engineering firms. This includes identifying challenges, setting clear objectives, implementing strategies, and constantly monitoring results. If you are looking to refine your engineering firm’s marketing approach, check out Thomasnet’s offerings over here.