Whether you assign marketing to an in-house employee or can afford to hire an agency, you will want to be knowledgeable about a few key aspects of digital marketing that apply to all businesses, including construction services:
- Effectively telling your “brand story” (in words and images) in ways that differentiate your services from competitors.
- Designing referral programs and email marketing campaigns that generate qualified leads while also understanding that not every email should be a sales pitch.
- Positioning yourself as an innovator in specific niches within your industry and sharing what you know about product and design trends, and sharing your with your audience in a variety of ways (print, digital, speaking engagements, teaching, etc.).
With so many digital channels to tune into, the first step in marketing your services has to be working with someone who understands your business, your audience, and your values. This is especially important if you’re handling the marketing in-house.
Once you are confident that you have a marketer who understands your brand, you need to work together to determine your brand’s story and the channels through which you will share that story. As you are developing this story, there’s something very important to remember: while the story is about you/your business, it really isn’t just about you.
“Story is an important part of digital marketing campaigns due the fact that [customers] buy from people they like, trust, believe and feel like they know,” says Kelly Swanson, an award-winning storyteller, motivational speaker, comedian, and author who helps a variety of companies craft all facets of a multidimensional brand story.
Outside of a plumbing emergency, when someone is looking for a contractor online, they don’t just look at whether or not you list the service or can perform the job they need done. They look at how you talk about your services, they look at your reviews, and they assess whether or not they think you’re a good fit for them in entirely new ways. All this happens before they even pick up the phone to call your office.
If you’re reviews and other content don’t come across as positive, authentic, and able to “bring the facts about your business to life, while also fitting with the story the customer has in their mind about their needs, then customers won’t connect with you.”
No, you can’t fit your story to everyone, but you can make sure that your story is genuine and targeted at your ideal customer in a way that resonates with them. You can do this through humor, affinity, a sense or pride or purpose—all depending on your business offerings and values. That is what branding and brand storytelling is all about.
Not every channel or platform is right for every company's “brand story.” You and your marketer have to know what your brand stands for and develop your reputation and marketing message around that before you start posting on social channels, or even your own website or blog.
Trying to convey your brand story on too many platforms will water down your message. “Brands make a mistake when they assume that the audience on Facebook or Instagram is the same as the one on Twitter,” says Charlotte Strapp Price, a senior marketer with EnVeritas Group, a company that handles brand messaging with a localized approach across international markets.
Some social platform users respond to high-quality imagery and inspirational content across a variety of topics. Some platforms reach one demographic better than others. You can’t use a “one message, many audiences” approach to marketing your business no matter what the industry.
Your email marketing is probably done through a monthly or quarterly newsletter. But don’t make every issue about the latest sale or sales pitch. Aiello, a reputable HVAC and plumbing company based in Connecticut really makes their newsletter about the customer. They include seasonally appropriate reminders for home maintenance and why it is important (cost savings, safety, etc).
Aiello also incorporates a seasonal recipe, news about local events, partnerships with local charities, and updates on new personnel, business or employee achievements. Occasionally there’s a section on a new product or a speaking engagement. All of that great a content comes before the reader gets to the bottom of the newsletter where there’s a refer-a-friend coupon or a special price on a service they offer. Aiello creates a genuine, friendly connection with the reader and gives them value beyond the latest sales offer.
Another great idea that construction professionals might not think to use is the community dinner. Once a quarter invite recent happy customers out to dinner and ask them to bring a friend. This is a “thank you for your business.”
While you’re waiting for the meal to arrive you can give a ten-minute talk about working for your happy customers and why you enjoyed their project. The whole dinner should be about you, but about the rewards of working for those customers.
Another way to share your knowledge and expand awareness of your business is to guest speak at local community colleges or universities on career day. You can also look into adjunct teaching or offering workshops. Not only can this help you establish new business relationships, you might also develop a steady stream of potential new employees.
Whatever ways you are marketing in the millennium remember that it’s not about you, it’s about the customer and the perception that you create for them about your business. That happens through brand storytelling, the platforms you use online, the way you share your knowledge and the kinds of reviews customer’s generate for and about your business.
Resources