Tyler Roberston took a leap of faith and his love for diesel engines when he quit his job seven years ago to start his own company. Tyler started Diesel Laptops to facilitate the diesel diagnostic repair information industry problem. Today, they have over 200 employees and offer different platforms, mobile apps, and training classes to service diesel engines in every industry. Tyler's strategy to grow his business was to make sure he put his product in front of the right people. When you have a product or service that lessens a pain point, the product will sell itself, as long as the right people know it exists. 

Tyler started his career working for his uncle at a truck dealership, where he worked his way up the ladder from the bottom to the top. With a background in engineering, he naturally gravitated toward the IT department. After being in the IT department for some time,  Tyler decided to create something that used the marketing skills he acquired while working at the dealership and his engineering background. That is how Diesel Laptops were born. Diesel laptops were started to facilitate the repair process of diesel engines.

Most people don’t realize how much consumers rely on diesel engines to move products and what a large part of the supply chain they comprise.  From farm equipment and construction machinery to 18-wheelers moving consumer goods cross country, diesel engines move America. 

Starting a business in a niche market came with complications of its own.

Tyler knew his market was the B2B space, but it was difficult to grab the attention of the decision-makers with standard door-to-door selling. Which was proving exhausting and challenging and not the way to scale a company. On the hunt for a different marketing strategy, Tyler decided to go the digital route and focus on the people who needed this technology in their hands, not the decision-makers. By putting his product in front of the people struggling with diesel engine repair, Tyler scaled his business from seed to over six figures. 

Using digital marketing in B2B sales is unconventional. However, the method works as long as you understand the sales cycle and have the patience for the demand to work it’s way up the corporate ladder from the engineers [in this case] to the CEO. With consistent marketing tactics and proper product placement, you can sustainably grow your business. With a solid product and consistent marketing, your product will sell itself. 

Tyler continually uses digital marketing to grow his brand across different markets. The company constantly builds brand recognition and awareness by offering free software and apps for potential users. Another strategy Tyler employs is connecting customers with vendors and creating a marketplace for them under his brand name. That way, his brand stays top of mind, and he develops relationships with the people who use his product and the businesses he serves, both of which are potential leads. 

Listen to this episode of the One Big Tip podcast if you want to use digital marketing to grow your business in the B2B space. You’ll discover innovative ways to increase brand awareness and increase your company's profits. 

In this episode:

[2:55] Tyler shares the roadmap to becoming a successful entrepreneur

• Don’t let failure push you down
• Find your passion and follow it

[6:02] Digital marketing is the best way to grow your business regardless of the industry

• Don’t shy away from ideas and technology that you are unfamiliar with
• Do what brings you the most

[9:02] Work hard to narrow your audience down

• The clearer your avatar, the easier it is to market to them
• Understand the cycles of your market, each one is unique
• Create the content, put the information out there
• Know what pain poin