Marketing? Pffft. Don’t need that, it’s just a bunch of mumbo jumbo.
Wrong.
A great man once said, “the only piece of truly valuable real estate in marketing, is the space between people’s ears”.
Does your business have any claim on that valuable space?
Whatever the answer, I’m sure you could do with grabbing a bit more. So, if you own or run a business in the construction industry, we’ve welded together this quick guide to help you make the most of some simple opportunities to build your business.
1. Own your site.
No, not your building site (although that is pretty important too), your website! Claim your business on google and you’ll start getting the world’s biggest search engine to work for you! I mean, just think how many times you’ve searched for a restaurant or a filling station. Well people need construction services too. So, if you’ve not already, get on to google and claim your business online. It makes your biz easier to find.
Oh, and make sure your contact number is on there - one which connects to a working phone too! With 97% of people going online to find local products and services, being somewhere matters. Being able to be reached at that location is even more important!
2. Keep your yard tidy.
These days your website is where most people first encounter your business. With that in mind, it should be clean, simple to navigate, and responsive (meaning it looks just as good on grubby mobile phones as well as shiny desktops). How often have you navigated away from a website if it doesn’t tell you what you want to know or, worse still, won’t load!
But don’t worry, this is one DIY fixer-upper doesn’t need to be hard work. There are plenty of free website health check tools out there. Just stick your domain name in and let it tell you where you can make improvements. Then act on it and get that virtual shop window spick and span and as welcoming as it can be.
3. Social Media Works
Yes, we know, social media is often seen as a tool for dancing teenagers or for sharing opinions on the latest episode of Strictly. But these days pretty much EVERYBODY with a smartphone has a social media account of some sort. And, with 75% of construction companies now promoting on social media, can you afford not to be on there too?!
If you know your audience, then social media can really nail it down for you. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow you to drill down to ages, locations, interests and more. LinkedIn allows you to target specific job roles so you can speak directly to that contracts manager who always eluded you.
So relax, you can keep your dancing shoes for the weekend and still make social media work for you. (Although it has to be said, showing a bit of your personality is never a bad thing – look how these guys managed to take their business viral by showing their fun side…!)
4. Stay in touch
It’s harder to attract new customers than it is to retain old ones. Nothing new there. So, in the age of email and busy lives, why not drop your existing or previous customers a note a few months after the job to see if they need anything else? Or to see if they need the landscaping to go with the extension? Or the decorating services to finish off the interior? Or simply to ask them for a tasty review… which might help land the next job. And then the cycle starts again.
There are some brilliant free eCRM sites out there that will help you manage your contacts, the sales process, and aftercare. Some will even automate to a certain extent, making it even easier, and meaning you can say goodbye to handwritten reminders and cumbersome excel spreadsheets of outdated contacts.
5. Video is king
People love beautiful things. And they love watching them get made. That’s why we all love grand designs, homes under the hammer, and that George Clarke fella. (It also explains why this video of native builders in South East Asia whipping up a pool in the middle of the jungle with nothing more than bamboo sticks has racked up 24million views!)
So, maybe it’s time you get in on the act and create some video content of your own.
By 2022, it’s estimated that 82% of online traffic will be video content. It doesn’t have to be overly produced, or technical. Finding out the tricks of the trade, seeing an example of craftsmanship, or a time-lapse of a job being completed can be mesmerising enough for the viewer to recall your brand when the time comes.
Even relatively straight-forward How-To videos are really popular in the trade. One of our lovely contacts, Hannah at Woodpecker Flooring, has over 18k views on their recent How To Install Brecon Herringbone Flooring video! Who d’you think those watchers will call when they want their own flooring installed?
6. Get your team involved
A lot of the construction industry works on trust. Rightly so. Projects are expensive, and if they go wrong the consequences can be catastrophic. By introducing your team, their experience, their area of expertise, how they like their tea, and what football team they support can go a long way to winning the hearts and minds of your customers.
After all, people will always buy people, won’t they?
These days customers want authenticity. And there is nothing more authentic than being able to see someone doing their job before they do the job. So don’t be afraid to put your people upfront in your marketing.
7. Build a blog
Blogging is for the fashion and food industry, right? Nope, it’s for any industry that has a story to tell.
People are more informed than ever these days, in large parts thanks to the power of the blog. They’re useful, insightful, and handy bits of content. And most importantly, they add value to your business. Here’s how:
Imagine you own an architecture firm. Posting blogs that provide advice on project management, the latest trends in design, or things to watch out for during a build will not only give your prospective customers great insight… but will also promote you as a thought leader in the industry! Oh, and they’ll massively improve your SEO scores along the way. Not bad for just a bit of writing, eh?
Over to you.
So, there you have it. Seven no-nonsense steps to help you make sense of all that marketing blather. If you’d like an idea of how your marketing is performing right now, check out our free digital review. It’s a great way to see how your newfound marketing plan will make a difference. And if any of these steps seem a stretch too far, our team are here to help, just ask for Tom or Elliott.
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Not had your fill of top tips yet? Take a look at 'The Magnificent Seven - tips for film and editing' by Jake Bevan, Sticky's Video Producer.
