During the initial discovery phase, ASD identified three core product areas they wanted to grow, with hot rolled steel emerging as the primary commercial priority for Q1 of 2026.
The challenge was clear: despite having a strong operational capability and a genuinely differentiated hot rolled steel offering, their digital presence wasn’t generating enough high-quality inbound opportunities. This was compounded by limited market awareness of the full scope of their service, particularly following the expansion of hot rolled processing capabilities at their Birkenhead site, meaning many buyers continued to default to standard stock suppliers.
As part of their B2B lead generation strategy, ASD needed to reposition their hot rolled steel solution as the smarter procurement choice, highlighting the value of bespoke sizing, supply flexibility, and reduced operational waste, while ensuring the right decision-makers were finding them at the right stage of the buying journey.
The objective was not simply to increase traffic, but to drive qualified sales enquiries from manufacturers, fabricators, and industrial buyers actively looking for more efficient and reliable hot rolled steel supply.
A key focus area for ASD was their hot rolled steel offering, providing flexible, cut-to-size solutions that go beyond standard stock sizes. Their ability to source specific grades, hold parent stock for call-off, and de-coil material to exact customer specifications positioned them strongly in the market, but they needed a more effective way to generate qualified demand and increase sales visibility for this product line.
To support ASD’s B2B lead generation goal of increasing hot rolled steel sales, we developed a targeted messaging strategy. We identified key messaging angles that would resonate most strongly with their target audience: efficiency and value, supply flexibility, and operational reliability.
Each approach was built around the real operational challenges faced by manufacturers, fabricators, and industrial buyers, such as material inconsistencies, long lead times, excess waste, and costly project delays.
Our paid search strategy was built to generate qualified demand for ASD’s hot rolled steel offering by targeting high-intent buyers actively searching for steel supply solutions.
Several ad groups performed exceptionally well, including chequer plates, product spec first and benefits led angles with click-through rates ranging from 8% to over 16%. This significantly outperforms typical B2B manufacturing PPC benchmarks, where average CTRs often sit between 3–6%, highlighting strong alignment between messaging and user intent.
Paid search quickly became a key performance driver within the wider campaign mix, especially for generating measurable enquiries and over 24 high-quality inbound opportunities.
By combining high-intent keyword targeting with messaging built around the real challenges faced by manufacturers and fabricators, we helped ASD put its hot rolled steel offering in front of the right buyers. Continuous optimisation and dedicated landing pages turned paid search into a key lead generation channel, delivering over 24 high-quality inbound opportunities.
19,900
Impressions
1,800
Clicks in Q1
9%
CTR Leads Generated
2%
Conversion Rate
Alongside PPC, we launched a targeted outbound email campaign as part of ASD’s broader digital marketing in manufacturing strategy, designed to support demand generation across key industrial sectors including transport, agriculture, energy, and general manufacturing. Messaging focused on ASD’s ability to deliver cut-to-size hot rolled steel with flexible supply.
The largest campaign segment, Hot Rolled Generic, reached over 3,800 contacts across the campaign, with the second month delivering the strongest performance at a 36.4% open rate. Meanwhile, the dedicated enquiry list achieved an even stronger 47.17% open rate, highlighting high engagement from warmer prospects already further along in the sales pipeline.
This channel helped reinforce campaign messaging, re-engage existing contacts, and support lead generation alongside paid search activity.
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We developed targeted email campaigns to showcase ASD’s cut-to-size hot rolled steel offering to relevant industrial audiences, reinforcing the benefits of flexible supply and tailored processing. By segmenting audiences and refining messaging throughout the campaign, we achieved strong engagement, with open rates reaching 47.17% among warmer prospects already further along in the sales pipeline.
39%
Average Open Rate
805
Clicks
18%
CTR
We approached Halston B2B with a clear brief: deliver measurable results, not just impressions. We used our hot rolled steel product and decoiling to size service as the proving ground.
Working with them has transformed how we support our sales team – leads are better qualified, we have expanded our customer base, and every pound of our marketing budget is now working harder than before.
Katja Pandza
Group Marketing Manager at ASD Limited
Get in touch to discover how our multi-channel approach can deliver results for your business.
