If you’re relying solely on the quality of your services to generate business, your company is falling short of its potential. Standing out in this competitive market requires a robust digital marketing strategy that positions your company as the most knowledgeable, accessible, and competent provider in the industry. Following this branding blueprint can put you on the path to success in optimizing your company’s success.
1. Pick a target audience.
The first step of any effective digital marketing strategy is choosing the right audience. If you don’t know which group of people you’re trying to target, your messaging is going to be all over the place. That’s where buyer personas come into play. These client profiles describe your ideal customers in detail including their demographic info, buying motivations, pain points, and much more. This client information will help narrow the focus of your marketing efforts, so you connect with the right people. The more accurate and detailed your customer profiles, the higher your chances of landing construction bids consistently.
2. Create a brand.
How do you want people to view your company? The answer to this question will be the foundation of your brand. While it’s reasonable to assume high-quality work, excellent customer service, and years of experience would be enough to set your company apart, the human mind isn’t that straightforward. The psychology behind brands shows that people place a lot of stock in logos, colors, taglines, voice, and other pretty abstract components of a company. Creating a consistent brand around these factors can increase company recognition, increase customer loyalty, and even improve your bottom line.
Further Reading: What to Do When Construction Business Is Slow
3. Build a website.
If craftsmen can construct expansive bridges, cloud-piercing skyscrapers, and complex technical systems, building a website should be an absolute breeze, right? It is! Especially with turnkey site builders that handle all the complicated coding and technical stuff. All you have to worry about is branding the site, furnishing it with business info, and providing valuable information (more on this later) to attract visitors. Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly are all fantastic plug n’ play website builders you can check out if you don’t want to mess with building one from scratch.
4. Hop on social media.
Don’t worry! Joining in on the latest TikTok dance routine is completely optional. The whole point of joining social media is to stay connected with your target audience. The math is pretty easy: the more familiar people become with your brand, the more likely they are to interact with your company…which eventually leads to more paying customers. Don’t think your target audience is using social media? Think again! In the US alone, over 302 million people use social media regularly. That being said, in-depth client research can reveal which social media sites your target audience prefers. It might make sense to focus on where the majority of potential clients congregate.
5. Provide free value.
Construction managers are always looking for ways to save money on the job site, and rightfully so! However, that cost-cutting mentality can keep some leaders from seeing the value of freebies. What’s that exactly? In short, a freebie is a cost-free offering intended to attract potential customers. It’s a highly effective lead-generation tactic that’s been used by construction companies for decades. Here are some examples of high-value yet low-effort freebies you can consider offering:
- Quotes – Tell potential clients how much your company would charge for their project.
- Tutorials – Make informational how-to content to answer common questions for potential clients.
- Newsletter – Keep your audience up to date on changes in the industry, provide helpful tips, or even offer some relevant entertainment.
The goal is to generate interest in your company as a key differentiator, so you can get your foot in the door to actually convert customers.
6. Stay active.
Imagine a digital marketing strategy like a conveyor belt that automatically supplies your company with potential leads. Your website, social media profiles, value offers, and other marketing components act as the rotors keeping the belt turning quickly, smoothly, and effectively. The key to optimizing the performance of that lead-generating conveyor belt is keeping up with each of those rotors. In other words, the output of your digital marketing strategy is dependent on the activity of every individual technique. Keep updating your site, keep posting, and keep providing value for your clients. The returns are inbound!
