Incorporate the following construction marketing ideas in your planning and improve return on your marketing efforts. Successful construction companies constantly optimize their resources and plans. These marketing ideas are valuable opportunities to increase your customer base and revenue.
Idea #1
Execute Marketing Campaigns
One of the most important construction marketing ideas is executing marketing campaigns. Successful marketing is a continuous effort. You cannot promote your company only when you need additional sales, and expect success beyond that campaign. This is one of the most common marketing pitfalls among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Consistent marketing efforts will keep your company, services, and brand top of mind with existing and potential clients. This way, you are only a call or email away when an opportunity arises. Another reason to avoid sporadic marketing and poorly executed construction marketing ideas is that the effort may not warrant the marketing dollars. With a cohesive marketing plan in place, you ensure your budget and resources are maximized and yield dividends.
What is a marketing campaign?
According to Investopedia, “Marketing campaigns promote products through different types of media, such as television, radio, print, and online platforms. Campaigns are not solely reliant on advertising and can include demonstrations, video conferencing, and other interactive techniques.”
Here is an example of a construction marketing campaign
This construction marketing idea is useless without proper execution so here’s an example.
Let’s say you are a residential mechanical contractor. You create a video ‘How to perform maintenance on your furnace’ and post it on your YouTube channel. Then you post an article on your website with the same name and include the video on the page. At the end of the article you mention that you offer furnace maintenance programs and link to the pricing. You submit the new article to Google for indexing. Then you share the article on social media channels where you know your potential customers are active. As the final step in the campaign, you include a write-up on the article in your client and prospect newsletters.
This type of marketing campaign ensures that potential customers find you when they need your services. These are the easiest to convert into paying customers. After all, the only construction marketing ideas worth pursuing are the ones affecting the bottom line.
Idea #2
Update Your Company Website
In today’s tech-driven world you have to think of your website as a digital business card. Your presence on the Internet is your potential client’s first encounter with your brand. In addition, your firm’s website needs to be mobile friendly and search-engine optimized to ensure new clients can find you on Google, so work requests can make their way to your Inbox. Your company’s website has to be 3-in-1: informational, transactional, and educational. And keeping your website current by updating it weekly is one of the most important marketing activities you can engage in.
Construction Marketing Ideas: #3
Improve Social Media Presence
In this day and age, it is essential for companies from all industries to have a social media presence. According to Statista, the average daily social media usage rose from 146 minutes in 2018 to 155 minutes per day in 2019. That is more than enough time for current and potential clients to find your company on social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are among the most popular social media sites for construction contractors. And remember, according to Forbes, 78% of salespeople using social media outsell their peers. One of the easiest construction marketing ideas to implement.
Construction Marketing Ideas: #4
Start Email Marketing
59% of marketers report that email is their most helpful marketing channel to generate leads and new revenue streams. Surveys have shown that individuals prefer to receive emails to remain informed. Still, it is one of the most common marketing activities not executed consistently. If you are not taking advantage of email marketing, you are missing out on opportunities to increase revenue. With the right email subject lines, you can get your emails opened and viewed by prospective customers. Besides being effective, email marketing is also relatively inexpensive compared to other marketing activities.
Idea #5
Diversify Presentation Materials
The digital era introduced new types of presentation materials such as videos, infographics, podcasts, educational articles, interactive presentations, and others. Videos, for example, generate significantly more traffic to your website than any other type of content. They also increase open rates when embedded in an email. If you are not taking advantage of all the marketing content formats and distribution channels, you are missing out on avenues to
Idea #6
Send an Email Newsletter
Newsletters, while they may be a bit more time consuming, are not perceived as sales email campaigns but as an effort to provide potential customers with relevant content, and therefore appreciated more. Take advantage of a monthly newsletter as a great way to share educational content, company news, or any new services you may offer.
Construction Marketing Ideas: #7
Attend Industry-Specific Events
You don’t have to spend a big portion of your marketing dollars to attend construction conferences and tradeshows. You can accomplish a lot with your presence as a regular attendee. At the end of the day, what’s important is to be on site, network with potential clients, and build your network. Many smaller construction firms miss out on these great opportunities due to the misconception that they are costly. But it is actually one of the most cost-effective marketing activities you can perform. Register as an attendee for the next conference or tradeshow in your area and test this theory. (There are many other key sales activities you may want to review.)
Construction Marketing Ideas: #8
Network Often
Networking is an efficient way to raise awareness for your company and services. Networking doesn’t necessarily have to be time consuming or costly. For example, you can network online by joining services like LinkedIn or Quora. You can connect with people or ask and answer questions that relate to construction areas of interest. You can also attend small networking events such as meetups that are usually hosted after hours, or host your own event. A networking breakfast or lunch-and-learn at your office with current and potential clients gives you a great opportunity to build your brand and develop or deepen relationships.
Idea #9
Take Advantage of Local Press
Local media outlets are always interested in expertise and niche ideas. Communicating your story through a trusted 3rd-party source creates a level of credibility that cannot be equaled. Reach out to your local media channels and news outlets and offer your opinions and expertise on subjects of public interest.
Idea #10
Allocate Resources to Research
Last on the list, but certainly not least, is allocating resources to market research. Market research and analysis reveal new opportunities. Perform research on prospective customers to gain insights and identify construction needs from their perspective, so you don’t miss revenue opportunities because you are out of touch with the market. It also ensures you’re talking to the right people via the right channels. You can also research the best construction bidding websites for your company. Another topic to research are the newest construction sales trends. And also how to leverage CRM data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, performing marketing activities consistently and having a solid marketing strategy are beneficial to businesses of all sizes – even more so for small and medium-sized construction contractors and AEC firms with lower marketing budgets. Marketing means more than just selling a product or service. Successful marketing requires a solid understanding of your market and your potential customers, and clearly communicating your company’s services and offerings through all available channels.