LinkedIn content for manufacturing websites

LinkedIn content that helps industrial buyers

Procurement teams, engineers and distributors vet a supplier before asking for a quote: capacity, quality systems, who the engineers are and whether the business is investing. Manufacturers' LinkedIn Pages tend to carry exactly that evidence, such as a new machine being installed, a passed audit, a trade-show booth or an apprenticeship class, while a website's news page can go months without an update.

• Equipment and capacity: new machines, line expansions and process videos, which play inside the widget.
• Quality: audit results, new certifications and customer quality awards.
• Trade shows: booth number and dates before the show, recaps and product demos afterwards.
• Workforce: apprenticeship classes, safety milestones and plant tours, which also help recruiting.
• Spec sheets and line cards posted as PDF documents appear as a document card that opens the post on LinkedIn, so keep a downloadable copy on your own site too.

Where it goes on a manufacturer's site

Origin and certification claims

A post that reads fine on LinkedIn becomes a marketing claim on your website. Two kinds deserve a check before you embed:

• Made in USA: the FTC says an unqualified Made in USA claim requires final assembly or processing and all significant processing in the U.S., with all or virtually all components made and sourced in the U.S. Its policy covers all marketing, including digital, and implied claims such as flags count too. A celebratory post about an “American-made” product line is held to the same standard.
• ISO and other certifications: ISO says it doesn't perform certification or issue certificates; external certification bodies do. Posts saying a plant was “certified by ISO”, or using the ISO logo for a certification claim, misstate that. Name the standard and your certification body, and remove picked posts that mention a certificate that has lapsed.
• Customer names and parts: supply agreements often restrict naming customers or showing their parts, and shop-floor photos can show both. Check before a live feed puts them on your site.

This is general information, not legal advice. For origin claims and customer confidentiality, check with your counsel.

A setup plan for a plant or manufacturing group

1. 1

   Single-plant manufacturer

   Free covers one widget: the company feed on your news page. Pro (3 widgets, 2 sources) fits the company feed and jobs list, both from your Page, plus the quality or plant manager's certifications grid.

2. 2

   Multi-brand or multi-plant group

   Essentials (5 widgets, 5 sources) fits the main company Page and up to four Showcase Pages for brands or divisions, each feeding its own section of the site.

3. 3

   Trade-show season

   Show-floor posts reach the widget at most every 30 minutes on Essentials and every 24 hours on Pro. Afterwards, keep one or two evergreen posts, such as a product demo, as Selected posts on the capabilities page, and move the live feed back to the news page.