INTRODUCTION
If you’re running a construction services company like roofing, HVAC, plumbing, or any of the like, then you know how fierce your competition can be. Succeeding in construction means offering the best services at reasonable prices to your target customers, while receiving positive reviews for first-class work.
Construction companies need to implement a mix of branding, advertising, SEO content and physical marketing, social media campaigns, email marketing strategies, client testimonials, and in-person networking events to give themselves the best chance of landing their desired customer.
Estes Media has over 10 years of experience helping construction companies go-to-market, assisting with all of the stated marketing strategies mentioned, and we’ve put together this list of construction marketing best practices to help your business get seen and generate revenue.
TLDR SUMMARY
1. Understand Your Audience
2. Develop a Strong Brand
3. Become (or hire) Digital Marketing Experts
4. Implement a Winning SEO Content Marketing Strategy
5. Claim Your Google Business Profile and Get Customer Reviews
6. Develop Channels and Consistently Post on Social Media
7. Get Connected with Email Marketing
8. Get Friendly at Networking and Trade Shows
9. Invest in Visual Storytelling Assets
10. Evolve Your Strategy By Analyzing and Monitoring Performance
11. Conclusion
1. Understand Your Audience
It’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the needs, preferences, and pain points of your potential clients, whether they are homeowners, businesses, or government entities. When considering your target market, break the types of customers into segments and customize messaging for each one.
You wouldn’t want to target ‘residential roofing maintenance’ Facebook ads to your commercial property managers. Keeping an organized and current database of your segmented customers will lay the foundation of your marketing efforts.
2. Develop a Strong Brand
Nothing resonates with a local audience like strong and consistent branding that generates a feeling of trust and quality. Having a memorable brand will help your construction business stand out in a crowded market, as things like logos, taglines, and radio jungles help further instill that trust.
Beyond developing a sleek logo, your branding should reflect your company’s values, quality of work, and expertise. Choose colors, images, and shapes that embody the kind of message you want to convey. Working with a construction marketing agency is a great way to synthesize a brand image, voice, and values. These agencies bring construction marketing ideas to the table, as well as a level of professional expertise and experience that can be hard to match in-house, especially for construction firms that may not have dedicated marketing teams.
3. Become (or hire) Digital Marketing Experts
Without the ability to gain leads online, most construction businesses wouldn’t have a business at all. A strong, trustworthy online presence includes a professional website, search engine optimization (SEO), and active social media channels, at minimum, expanding into email campaigns and public relations.
Consider hiring a digital marketing agency for construction companies to enable you to achieve results faster than building a team from the ground up and crossing your fingers that you’ve made the right hiring decisions. Battle-tested marketers will know exactly how to position your brand online to maximize results. Instead of teaching a marketing team what you want, an agency will guide you in developing assets that showcase your projects, share customer testimonials, and provide valuable content that can help attract and engage potential clients.
4. Implement a Winning SEO Content Marketing Strategy
Search engine optimization is a crucial aspect of your marketing campaigns because it directly influences the company’s visibility and accessibility to online customers. Most business research begins online; in fact 1 in 4 shoppers saying they won’t do business with a company they can’t find online. This means your business has to at least have well-established digital channels to appear in your prospect’s Google and Bing search results.
Conducting thorough keyword research will allow you to find the most relevant and attainable terms for your target audience for use marketing content like blog posts, case studies, and whitepapers. It’s important to note that SEO keywords are fickle in nature, and your website requires constant attention by an expert who can successfully track and monitor search engine performance. A good search engine optimizer (also known as SEO) will keep you abreast of ranking changes and new keyword opportunities.
5. Claim Your Google Business Profile and Get Customer Reviews
Positive reviews and detailed case studies of past projects are some of the most powerful tools for conveying expertise and reliability. 93% of buyers claim they research product and service reviews before making a purchasing decision, and if your construction business has few to no reviews online, you could be overlooked.
At the very (very) least, complete your Google Business Profile and fill out as much pertinent information as baseline information as possible, like company address, hours of operation, phone number, other ways to contact you, and images of the products or services you offer.
The more complete your business profile is, the more reputable your construction company will appear to your prospects online. This is a step that you cannot afford to skip! Next, you’ll want to send marketing emails to your past customers asking them to leave a review of your business. Going to the well of happy clients is a great way to boost your reviews quickly, and you can improve results by offering a small reward in exchange for a review. Prizes like gift cards and discounts are likely to get customers to leave reviews and are a great way to show you thanks for their help.
6. Develop Channels and Consistently Post on Social Media
Just like teenagers will say, if you can’t find someone on social media, you probably won’t trust them. Of course we’re not serious about everyone being social media snobs, but your construction business needs to have a profile and participate in some regular posting on channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Having your company post thoughtful and helpful content on social media only enhances brand visibility and engagement with potential and existing clients, building trust and a loyal following. Construction companies often wonder what to share online, but even the mundane aspects of their business could be fascinating to their audience. Regular posts showcasing recently completed projects, proud company achievements, and helpful industry insights will delight their followers and create a positive brand image.
Social media also facilitates quick two-way communication, allowing your company to gather feedback, answer questions about your products and services, and engage with the community, fostering a feeling of trust and loyalty. Additionally, and we’ve saved the best reason for last, an active social media presence can drive website traffic, generating leads and opportunities for business growth. By sharing content that drives urgency and speaks to a need that your audience has, you can funnel prospects right to your website ‘Contact Us’ page, establishing another valuable channel for lead generation. Social media marketing for construction companies can be one of the highest ROI marketing campaigns when done right.
7. Get Connected with Email Marketing
If your construction company has been in business for a little while, you’ve probably collected email addresses from prospects, customers, vendors, and partners. Now it’s time to put all those contact lists to good use!
Email marketing campaigns offer a direct channel to engage with both potential and existing clients, enabling businesses to have personalized communication, showcase projects, share company news, and provide industry insights. By dividing your email list into smaller, targeted segments based on specific criteria like demographics, past interactions, project types, or client needs, you can tailor email messaging to be more relevant and engaging to each group. Segment-specific messaging is proven to lead to higher open rates, better engagement, and increased conversion rates for businesses.
8. Get Friendly at Networking and Trade Shows
Often, the seeds of a lasting partnership are sown at conferences where like-minded industry professionals come together to share their experiences and find others who can help them in their journey. The extra hours put in for travel and preparation for trade conferences are usually worth the effort, as they’re a prime opportunity to attract attention and establish a brand presence within the market.
Remember to build relationships within the industry and related sectors while you’re there (like architecture, real estate, and engineering) as they can lead to project leads, referrals, and partnerships that drive business growth.
9. Invest in Visual Storytelling Assets
Unfortunately, it’s not enough anymore to share images of generic stock photography with a simple caption on your social media to earn a devoted following. Also, boring visuals can drive high bounce rates for construction company websites that look like little to no thought was put into them. That means competing for your prospects’ attention is even harder than ever, and it’s up to your business to engage them with high-quality visual content that tells your story.
High-quality visuals like photos and videos of your projects, client testimonials, and eye-catching advertisements will go a long way to improve your marketing efforts. Before-and-after shots, time-lapse videos, and virtual tours are proven and compelling ways to showcase your work while also getting your audience excited about what you’re doing.
Work with a professional photographer and videographer, or hire a digital marketing agency like Estes Media, to develop a repository of visual assets that add a layer of sheen to your business and make prospects want to do business with you.
10. Evolve Your Strategy By Analyzing and Monitoring Performance
If you follow the steps outlined in this blog, you are well on your way to establishing a well-positioned construction brand. Now the hard work begins!
Since the construction market (and basically every market these days) is continually evolving, it’s imperative to analyze and monitor the effectiveness of your various marketing strategies across all of your platforms.
To succeed long-term, you must be willing to adapt to new trends and technologies to deliver value comparable to your peers and satisfy customer needs. Remaining stagnant allows your hard-working competitors a chance to outperform your business and dwindle your relevance and market share.
CONCLUSION
Now that you have a better understanding of what it takes to run a successful marketing strategy for your construction company, it’s time to decide whether to make marketing an in-house role, or to hire a digital marketing agency in NJ, like Estes Media. Book a call with us today and let’s get started! We’re happy to talk with you about comprehensive marketing plans.
