Straightpoint Director Raises Profile of Mr Loadlink Blog

Straightpoint will relaunch the Mr Loadlink blog later this month (January) as author and company director David Ayling positions the load cell manufacturer’s social media and other educational content at the forefront of its marketing strategy.

David Ayling, director, Straightpoint

The force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell manufacturer continues to raise its profile across the globe with recent success stories emerging from North America, where it has a subsidiary set for 30% annual growth; Saudi Arabia, where local partner Al Najm Al Thaqib Est. is now among Straightpoint’s top 10 global distributors; and North Africa, where dealer EMH France reported unprecedented interest in the product range at a recent trade show.

Ayling attributes much of this success to the industry’s growing trust in the product range and the company’s ability to engage on a personal level with the distributors and end users that consume the equipment. The Mr Loadlink blog captures that ethos.

“It started when I was reading another blog from a peer in the industry and felt that I could be more informative and educational whilst striking a more discursive tone,” he said. “My goal was to communicate to our distributors and end users with a view to connecting them and promoting conversations through my experiences around the world.”

Ayling is tireless in his mission to make Straightpoint synonymous with the safe and accurate measuring of loads. He believes safety-driven innovation and evolution requires a personal touch, typified by the tone of his blog, to which he will add monthly posts this year as he visits customers, job sites and trade shows all over the world.

“People want to engage with people, especially when discussions are related to the sale and use of safety-critical equipment,” he said. “One of the key components of our success is getting our products in front of potential or existing distributors and end users so they can see and feel the equipment. They can look you in the eye and shake your hand. Obviously it isn’t possible to be in every corner of the world at once but the blog promotes that personal touch under a mantra of community.”

Ayling explained: “I’ve always had a theory of, and belief in, abundance. I don’t buy into the concept that being secret and holding information is power. There is enough work for all of us and I’m not concerned about what our competitors are doing; we do have an eye on the competition but the blog in itself is very light-hearted and promotes the sharing of information and experiences.”

Ayling is one of very few lifting equipment industry leaders who believes in the power and importance of social media. Many companies in the sector have a limited presence, while others add responsibility for posting to Twitter, for example, to someone already burdened with other tasks. At Straightpoint, Ayling blogs and posts himself giving the industry a unique window on his world.

“I embrace the blog and social media whole-heartedly; I’m not going through the motions,” he said. “There is a difference between people who participate at this level and those who are less dedicated. When you go to an event, the social media community has a head start as we’re networking and promoting before the event has even begun. The blog is very much part of that ongoing engagement.”

Ayling added: “The beauty of the blog and social media is that it’s a level playing field. It doesn’t matter how small you are as a company, you have access to the same scope of opportunity. We’re better at communicating and networking than companies much larger than us which is hugely rewarding and satisfying.”

Visit the Mr Loadlink blog at MrLoadlink.com.