It’s time to scale your business. Congratulations! It’s taken a lot of hard work, paired with many long hours, endless cups of coffee, creative problem solving, and commitment to get to this point. Now that you’ve entered a growth phase, it’s time to think strategically about next steps.
The best way to generate new leads and convert sales is to invest in marketing. The construction industry requires a unique approach, due to the large investment typically required to start work on new projects, which is why trust and transparency must come first in any strategy you implement.
Here, we’ll run you through a marketing plan tailored for construction companies.
Want to skip ahead? Schedule a free consultation.
Digital marketing 101: Strategizing for growth
There are lots of different elements that go into a successful digital marketing campaign. Historically, sales have been driven by word of mouth. You did a great job on someone’s home, so they recommended you to a friend, who recommended you to a cousin, who recommended you to a grandparent, who recommended you to a neighbor. Great! You’ve had jobs lined up back-to-back for a whole year… and then the internet came along and changed sales funnels forever.
Today’s client has access to a tremendous amount of information, and it’s all available at their fingertips. According to Think With Google, 53% of people say they always do research before they buy to ensure they’re making the best possible choice. If you don’t have a strong online presence, you’re automatically excluding more than half of your prospective client base.
A great website will form the basis of your entire construction marketing campaign (you can read more about that here). Once that’s up-to-date and running well, you can look at marketing services. Typically, that means a combination of digital advertising, social media marketing, and content marketing (this can mean a few things, but we’re going to focus on video) to ensure as many people know about you as possible. These will hit three key pillars: reach, engagement, and transparency.
Read more: Is marketing the new sales?
Maximizing reach with digital advertising
When we talk about digital marketing, we mean Google Ads and Facebook Ads. These are awesome tools when it comes to building brand awareness in your community, because they allow you to target the types of people most likely to utilize your service. For example, if you find that most of your business comes from college-educated women aged 40-45 with young kids, living in your city, you can select these options in the back end and your ads will be distributed accordingly.
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads operate on pay-per-click (PPC) models, which can be very cost-effective. You can set a budget, a number of days, and a maximum amount you’re willing to bid per click. After that, the price depends on the amount of competition in your local area.
You’ll need to include a click-through link for each ad you make, so direct traffic to the most helpful page on your website to maximize the chance of the digital passer-by becoming a genuine lead. If your goal is brand awareness, your homepage is a great option. If you’re showcasing a particular service, link to your services page. If you have a special offer, create a dedicated landing page.
There are a few different ways you can configure your ads to maximize their impact. Google Ads, for example, can be created with either search of display functionality. Search ads are linked to keywords – they’re they first couple of results that pop up at the top of every results page. Display ads, on the other hand, appear as visual ads on Google assets all over the internet.
Where possible, we recommend A/B testing both Google Ads and Facebook Ads so you can optimize the wording, imagery, and call to action to ensure your getting the best value.
Read more: Learn about Google Ads or Facebook Ads in greater detail
Boosting engagement with social media marketing
Once your website is up and running, you can also develop a social media strategy. Social media is great, because you can keep you finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your community and connect directly with customers (and prospective customers) in a casual and fun way.
It’s perfect for the construction industry, because it capitalizes on people’s natural nosiness. Everyone wants to know what’s going on in their area, and you can use this to your advantage if you factor curiosity into your strategy. Keep people informed. Give them a sneak peek into new developments. Let them know about permits that have been approved and invited them to share the experience when you break ground on new projects.
Social media is a beast that needs to be constantly fed. In a perfect world, that means daily updates, but that might not be practical for you. To get the most value for your time, we recommend putting a bit of thought into choosing the platform (or platforms) where you can maximize your impact.
A Facebook page is essential. This is the largest social media platform, particularly among homeowners, and it’s a great way to connect with members of your community. If you do a lot of commercial projects, then we recommend a LinkedIn page as well. This will allow you to connect with other business leaders and key decision makers, ensuring your finger is on the pulse of all upcoming RFPs in your area. If you specialize in some way, for example, with architecture or design, you might also consider an Instagram account as a way to showcase your craftsmanship.
They key to social media success is consistency. Consistency, consistency, consistency. This means consistently posting new content, as well as consistently interacting with your community. Reply to all comments on your own page, and then like and comment on some posts from other people in your area. Allocate a few minutes each day to click and scroll to boost your engagement.
Want to outsource this? Read about our social media management service
Highlighting transparency with content marketing
When was the last time you read an entire blog? Okay, you’re reading this one, but only because you’re invested in the topic and looking for specific advice. Video is the way of the future, and no digital marketing strategy is complete without video elements. Why tell your customers something if you can show them? Video conveys authenticity and transparency, because it allows your clients to get an idea of who you are and what you’re about. It proves your legitimacy.
Videos can be as formal or as informal as you like, but they do need to look good. You can stream a live video from a jobsite on your mobile phone for free, or hire a professional videographer to help you shoot a few videos to feature on your website and social media platforms. Either way, its important to ensure you can be seen and heard, which means you need to think about light and sound. You also need to think strategically about what you’re going to say. Indulging people’s curiosity is great, but rambling is not. Try to keep each video focused on one main point.
Need some help to get started? Schedule a free consultation.
