As a contractor, you know that marketing is essential to your success. Without a strong marketing strategy, winning new business and growing your company is challenging.
When running this type of business, the best and most productive things you can work on are generating building your marketing team, generating more leads, building processes, and recruiting more staff to fulfill all those new contracts.
This blog post will discuss 22 construction marketing tips to help you reach more potential customers, gain more construction projects and increase your bottom line. Let’s get started!
Pick a niche for your construction business
As a contractor, it is essential to focus your marketing efforts on a specific niche. By targeting a particular type of customer or project, you can market your company’s strengths and capabilities better. Additionally, you will be able to develop more targeted marketing materials that are more likely to resonate with your ideal customer.
For example, suppose you specialise in residential loft conversion projects. In that case, you will want to focus your marketing strategy on generating leads from homeowners who are interested in getting their lofts converted. Alternatively, if you specialise in commercial construction, you will want to target businesses looking to build new facilities or expand their existing ones. The most successful construction companies have niched down to make operations and marketing easier.
Not only does this make all of your marketing more accessible and more focused your day-to-day work will be far easier to productise and streamline all of your processes.
Optimise your website for local keywords
If you want to generate more leads from your website, it is essential to optimise it for local keywords.
When potential customers in your area search for contractors online, they are likely to use terms like “local builder” or “builder in (your town).”
By optimising your website for these types of keywords, you will be able to improve your visibility in the search results and attract more visitors to your site. Additionally, you can use other local SEO tactics, such as claiming your business listing on Google My Business (which we will cover later), to improve further your chances of being found by potential customers.
For example, do a Google search for the keyword “loft conversion Essex” and see one of the top organic listings is a company called Create Room.
We have worked to get this keyword to the top spot. Now this company consistently get loft conversion leads in the Essex area.?
Your website is one of the best digital assets your business will own; if it’s built and optimised correctly, it can generate a consistent flow of leads daily.
Build case studies
If you want to win more leads and build trust with potential customers, it is essential to showcase the quality of your work. One of the best ways to do this is to create case studies of your previous projects.?
In each case study, you should include information about the project’s scope, the challenges that were faced, and how you overcame them. Additionally, be sure to include plenty of photos and even videos that show off the finished product. If you have testimonials from happy clients, include those as well!
Having a portfolio of high-quality case studies on your website will give potential customers a better idea of what to expect if they decide to work with you.
Additionally, case studies are a great way to show off your company’s strengths and capabilities, which can help you to win more business.
Build and optimise your Google My Business listing
If you want to attract more local customers, it is essential to make sure that your business is listed on Google My Business (GMB). GMB is a free listing service provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across the search engine and its Maps app.
The Google My Business listing is the three businesses you see directly under the ads and above the organic listings in the map pack.
Claiming and verifying your GMB listing is relatively simple and only takes a few minutes. Once your listing is live, take advantage of all the features that GMB offers, such as adding photos, posts, videos and contact details.
By optimising your GMB listing, you will be able to improve your visibility in the local search results and attract more customers to your business. Additionally, you can use GMB Insights to track how your listing is performing and make changes accordingly.
Get listed on all major directories.
To attract more customers, it is vital to make sure your business is listed on all major online directories. Some popular guides include Google My Business, Bing Places, Yahoo Local, Yell.com and Yelp.
Claiming and verifying your listing on these directories is relatively simple and only takes a few minutes.
Once your listings are live, be sure to take advantage of all the features each directory offers, such as adding photos, videos, contact details and special offers.
When adding to business directories, one thing to make sure your details are consistent throughout all the listings.
Your phone number and email address should be the same on all listings. To check this, use the tool Yext (https://www.yext.com/resources/business-scan). This free tool will scan your business directory profiles and check if they are all consistent.
By making sure that your business is listed on all of the major directories, you will be able to improve your visibility online and attract more customers to your business.
Additionally, you can use the insights from each guide to track your listing’s performance and make changes accordingly.
Get listed on customer review sites
To attract more customers, it is essential to make sure that your business is listed on all of the major customer review sites. Some popular customer review sites include Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, Yelp and TrustPilot.
Claiming and verifying your listing on each customer review site is relatively simple and only takes a few minutes. Once your listings are live, take advantage of all the features each customer review site has to offer, such as responding to reviews and adding photos.
This is essential to gaining your potential customers’ trust before they call you. People will check you out online before contacting you. I’m sure you do this when looking for a hotel room. The first thing you do is check out the photos and the reviews so your customers will be doing the same. This is why it is essential to have lots of pictures and good reviews.
Put signage outside every job
Another great way to attract more local customers is to put signage outside every job you do. By doing this, you will be able to promote your business to people who are in the vicinity and may not be aware of your company.
Make sure that your signage is clear and visible from a distance, and include your company name, logo, contact details, and website address. You can also include special offers or discounts on your signage to encourage people to use your services.
Putting signage outside every job is a great way to generate word-of-mouth marketing for your business and attract more customers. Additionally, it is a cost-effective form of marketing that does not require ongoing effort or maintenance.
Get all the vehicles sign written
Another great way to attract more customers is to get all of your company vehicles’ signs written. This is a form of mobile marketing that will enable you to promote your business wherever you go.
Ensure your signage is clear and visible, and include your company name, logo, contact details, and website address. Make sure you include unique selling points of your business. People buy for the reasons you are different from every other construction company, not just the services you offer. So include things like “free site survey” or “Trading since 1998”, use anything that makes you different and will get people ringing.
Join accredited associations in the construction industry
One way to build trust with your potential client base is to join accredited associations. These are organisations that a governing body has approved, and they typically have strict standards that members must adhere to.
Some examples of accredited associations in the USA include the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In the UK, you can join many associations such as CSCS and City & Guilds qualifications.
By joining these types of organisations, you can show your potential customers that you are a reputable and trustworthy business. Additionally, you will be able to take advantage of the resources and networking opportunities these associations offer.
Use Google Ads
Google Ads are the listings above the maps when you search on Google.
Google Ads is a great way to attract more customers to your construction business.
Using this platform, you will be able to target potential customers searching for the services you offer.
When creating your Google Ads campaign, make sure you target the most profitable service in your business. So, for example, if you make more money on loft conversions, build a landing page for your Google Ads to only target “loft conversions”.
This will make sure you get the same type of leads every month, and you can scale and grow different parts of your business.
Our process when building ad campaigns
- Target one high-ticket service
- Keyword research
- Competition research
- Build a landing page to target the service (using Unbounce)
- Put an irresistible offer on that page (Example – Free underfloor heating with every order)
- Build the ad campaign
- Put in a list of negative keywords
- Run and monitor the campaign
Google Ads is a very effective form of marketing that can help you reach many potential customers. The idea is to monitor and track how much you pay for every lead and then optimise the campaign to bring down the cost per lead continually.
Incentivise referrals
Another great way to attract more customers is to incentivise referrals. This means offering existing customers discounts or special offers for referring new customers to your business.
This is a great way to generate word-of-mouth marketing and get people who are already happy with your services to spread the word about your business.
Make sure you offer an incentive that is valuable enough that people will be willing to take the time to refer your business to others. For example, you could offer a 10% discount on all future services or a free service after they refer five new customers.
By offering a referral incentive, you can attract more customers and grow your business.
Have a review strategy
One of the best ways to build trust with potential customers is to have a review strategy in place.
This involves collecting reviews from past customers and then displaying them prominently on your website and other marketing materials.
The best places to collect reviews are platforms like Checkatrade, Trustpilot, and your Google My Business listing. These are all great places to showcase your positive customer reviews and show potential customers that you are a reputable business.
Make sure you regularly collect reviews from past customers and make it easy for them to leave a review on your website or social media pages. Additionally, you should respond to all negative reviews professionally.
The best way to collect reviews is not simply asking the customer to leave a review; most of the time, the customer will not know how to do this.
We have found the most effective way to get reviews is by sending them a message by text and email with a link to where to leave it. The message can look like this “Dear Mr Customer, thank you for using our service recently, your business is very important to us, and we hope we over delivered on your expectations. We are currently building our online reputation, and it would mean a lot to us if you could leave a 5-star review. The link is here [insert link]”.
Ask construction suppliers to link to your website
When starting, it can be challenging to get links from high-quality websites. One way to do this is to ask construction suppliers to link to your website.
Most construction suppliers will have a “resources” or “links” page where they list other recommended businesses. By asking them to link to your website, you can get a high-quality link that will help improve your website’s SEO.
To find construction suppliers, you can use a Google search for terms like construction “guest post” or construction suppliers “write for us”.
This will pull up sites that will be happy to place posts on their websites and link back to yours.
Once you have found potential suppliers, reach out and ask if they would be willing to add a link to your website.
By asking construction suppliers to link to your website, you can get high-quality links that will help improve your website’s Google ranking.
Put live chat on your website to collect leads
Adding live chat to your website is an excellent way of turning visitors into customers. Live chat allows you to engage with potential customers in real-time and answer any questions they might have.
Additionally, live chat can be used to capture leads. By asking for the visitor’s contact information before starting the chat, you can add them to your sales funnel even if they don’t purchase anything immediately.
Live chat is a great way to increase sales and collect leads from your website visitors. It is easy to set up and can be done for free with tools like ZenDesk or Pipedrive.
By adding live chat to your website, you will be able to increase sales and collect leads from your website visitors.
Sponsor local teams and events
One way to attract attention to your business is by sponsoring local teams and events. This will help get your name out in the community and build brand awareness.
You can sponsor a team by providing them with gear or by simply placing your logo on their uniforms. You can also support an event by offering refreshments, giveaways, or promotional materials.
Sponsoring local teams and events is a great way to build brand awareness and attract attention to your business. It will also help you connect with potential customers in your community.
By sponsoring local teams and events, you can build brand awareness, connect with potential customers, and attract attention to your business.
Start creating video content
Video is one of the most powerful tools to market your business. It allows you to show potential customers what your business is all about and how you can help them.
Creating video content is not as difficult or expensive as it once was. With the proliferation of smartphones and easy-to-use video editing software, anyone can create high-quality videos.
There are many ways you can use video to market your business. You can create product demonstrations, testimonials, how-to guides, and more. You can also post your videos on social media, your website, and online directories.
Create youtube content to help your potential customers, never worry about giving too much away, and help them as much as possible, and you will be one of the most trusted companies in your industry. People will watch the advice, implement a small amount and then pay you for the real work. This is how pushing content out works.
The best type of video content to produce
- Tutorials
- Case studies
- Awards you are receiving
- Before and after videos
Take a look at this video on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_e2Pt_z7IA. This video talks about the building control of a loft conversion, this is the kind of content your potential customers will be searching for and you can see this video has had over 17,000 views in 12 months. This is a great way to get more visibility to your business and a great way to get new customers.
Post on social media platforms
You can reach a large audience with your message by posting on social media platforms. You can also use social media to build relationships with potential customers and create a community around your brand.
We have found the best social media platforms to use for construction are.
- TikTok
Once you’ve selected the right platform for your business, you must create engaging content that will resonate with your target audience.
We suggest using one or two of those platforms and pushing a lot of content out. You should also post regularly and interact with other users on the platform.
Create blogs
As we mentioned earlier, creating construction blog content is a great way to educate your target audience, get customers on your website, and be aware of your brand. Much like this article you are reading right now.
If you want to create a blog, you need to come up with a list of topics that will be relevant to your target audience. You should also make sure that your blogs are well-written and informative. You can hire a freelance writer or use a content writing service to help you create high-quality content.
Take a look at this blog we write for Create Room – https://create-room.co.uk/news/extend-house-without-planning-permission/
This article is getting over 1200 clicks a month and has been a great way to get potential customers on the website and aware of the brand.
Once you have created a few blogs, you need to promote them. You can promote your blogs by sharing them on social media, sending them to influencers in your industry, and submitting them to online directories.
Build local partnerships
One of the best ways to market your construction business is to build local partnerships. You can partner with other companies in your area to cross-promote each other’s products and services.
This is a great way to reach a new audience and get more exposure for your business.
Let’s say you want to push the brickwork side of your business. A great way to do this is by phoning all the local construction businesses in your area and telling them you can take on a lot of brickwork. Many of them might be either already getting inquiries for this service that they can not cover, or they might have jobs ready for you to start on.
You can also partner with local charities and nonprofits. This is a great way to give back to the community and get your brand in front of potential customers.
Use conversion tracking software
Google Analytics is a great piece of software that you can use to track website traffic and conversions. You can also use this software to track phone calls, form submissions, and other interactions with potential customers. As we mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to monitor and track anything without using proper software to track every conversion in the business.
Also getting the correct phone systems in place, you can track calls. We also like to put a “thank you” page on websites so that whenever someone fills out an inquiry form, it redirects to this page and then we can track how many people hit the thank you page a month.
Monitor and track everything from the number of leads you are getting a month and the conversion rate of those leads. This is a great way to keep track of what’s working so you can grow your business quicker.
Use 3d software to sell your service
If you want to be able to show your potential customers what the finished job will look like, then you need to use 3D software. This type of software is becoming increasingly popular and is a great way to sell your service.
You can use 3D software to create a virtual tour of the finished project. This is a great way to show potential customers what they can expect from your service. You can also use this software to create an animated video of the finished project. This is a great way to engage potential customers and get them interested in your service.
3D software is also a great way to show potential customers how your service can benefit them.
Summary
So we hope that was helpful, and we are sure if you follow at least 3 of the strategies here, you will see and lot more leads and revenue growth. We have a team of construction marketing experts, if you are looking to grow then please reach out to our team today and we will be happy to help.
