Marketing Your Contracting Business in a Digital World

 
05/15/2019

Posted by Michael S. on March 3, 2016 in Contractor Focus
 

Marketing can be an intimidating term for contractors, and digital marketing can be downright frightening! But we do live in a digital world, so it is important. If you start by addressing the following three elements, you’ll likely find that it’s a lot easier than you thought.

Website

A website is a must. Yellow pages and local media advertising are things of the past. If somebody is looking for a contractor, their first step is typically an online search. To even have an opportunity to show up in these search results, you’ll need a website. You can find website templates for free and create the website yourself, utilize a website creation service to build your site, or pay for a unique custom-designed website for your business.

While design and user experience is important, content is even more important. Content is what will drive users to your site, and it’s how search engines evaluate and rank your site based on keywords a potential customer is searching for. To utilize inbound traffic from search engines, make sure your website includes a lot of information about your company. Proudly communicate how long you have been in business, your experience and qualifications, any designations you hold, and some of your past projects. It is important to explain in detail the type of services you provide. Search engines pick up on keywords, and that is a surefire way to show up in search results. Also, be sure to include the address of your business, as that will help with local search results. Share testimonials from past clients to give new customers a sense of how you operate. Humanizing your business in this way promotes a more personal connection with potential clients.

Social Media

How can the communication channel of pre-teens countrywide be frightening? It isn’t. If you’re not already utilizing social media for your construction business, I suggest starting with Facebook. This is one of the oldest social media channels, but is still very relevant. If you’re already on Facebook, consider expanding into Twitter or Instagram. Twitter can spread your message in another medium, while Instagram provides a visual way for you to tell your story and show what you are doing.

Again, like your website, content is important. But don’t just replicate everything from your website on Facebook. These two avenues serve different purposes. A Facebook page should contain an “About” section that gives an overview of your company and services, but for the details, provide a link to your website. Your Facebook page should be fun and interesting, and it should show the personal side of your business. Put the focus on your customers and employees. Post their milestones and accomplishments. Share stories about them. Post photos of them at work or doing something for the community. Encourage your employees to interact with the page by liking posts, sharing stories, and adding content.

Email

A third focus of your digital marketing plan is email marketing. Email is an excellent tool for maintaining existing relationships and gaining the business of potential clients. Periodic contact via email will help keep your company relevant in the minds of customers. The emails can include updates about what your company has been doing, with a focus on employees, awards, recognition, and community involvement. The goal is that they think of your company when they consider another project or are asked for recommendations, but keep in mind that email is a tool to be used with care. Sending emails too frequently can turn off customers, as will anything too sales oriented. You also need to be sure your email campaign follows all applicable laws, including providing an easy opt-out option.

Of course, you can take a digital marketing program much further than this, but if you are just getting started, these three basic components should go a long way toward keeping your business relevant. Are there other ways you are marketing your business in the digital world? Let us know in the comments!

Michael S.
Michael S. is a construction market analyst who has worked at Acuity over 26 years. He has been heavily involved in the construction industry since 2009. His love for construction started at a young age, which motivated him to get more involved in construction business at Acuity. In his spare time, Mike likes to be outside and enjoy nature by hiking and running. If he could pick any travel destination in the world it would be somewhere with trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, wildlife, and hiking trails.

SOURCE: https://www.acuity.com/acuity-focus/2016/contractor-focus/marketing-your-contracting-business-in-a-digital-world


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