New marketing tactics and techniques have been introduced to the construction industry since online marketing really started being effective. Online marketing has allowed for several industries to engage and reach their targeted audiences more successfully and effectively. While construction businesses are known to lag in the way they market, there are a few online marketing tactics that you can utilize to help grow your construction business. Here are seven online marketing strategies you can use to actively help your construction businesses grow.
1. Inbound Marketing
A popular online marketing technique that has been around for quite a while is only now being used in the construction businesses. The idea behind inbound marketing is to pull in potential clients with the quality content that you provide over promotional messages.
Major aspects of inbound marketing include content marketing, SEO, and blogging. This type of marketing promotes organic lead generation, making potential clients feel as though they’re actually choosing you instead of being pushed into something. High-quality content followed by some sort of sign-up form will encourage visitors to give out their contact information which will allow you to send them relevant information.
2. Marketing Automation
After you’ve got your potential customers interested, you’ll have to find a way to touch base with them and stay in contact. In the past, the answer has been to personally reach out to those customers for those working in the commercial construction business. This approach now takes too much time and too many resources to be done on a consistent and efficient basis.
Marketing automation takes care of these problems by maximizing your outreach without overloading your resources. While it’s a general term for any promotional thing that can be automated, it’s mostly used for email marketing. Automated messages through email can do a lot for nudging a lead into becoming a full-blown customer.
If done properly, this strategy can result in an immense amount of benefits. If your automated messages are executed correctly, you’ll be able to build your credibility and promote what you can give.
3. Social Media Marketing
For many, the use of social media for construction businesses may seem to be an odd fit but the technique proves to be beneficial to many businesses if used correctly.
Commercial construction companies can benefit from social sites such as LinkedIn since it’s a hub for professionals that consists of business decision-makers. This site allows you to reach out to these professionals and build a strategy based on content to share valuable resources, analyze trends, and share news about the industry.
The LinkedIn network is capable of some serious advertising capabilities, including direct lead generation advertisements which would allow you to gather more leads to add to your sales list. The benefits for commercial construction companies cannot be overstated, but smaller construction businesses can also benefit from LinkedIn as well as other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
4. Search Engine Optimization
While having personal referrals is the way that many companies would like to get their customers, the truth is that most clients thoroughly research a business before engaging in a contract online of a professional nature.
Since people tend to search the internet for what they’re looking for, you want your company to be one of the first ones that they see. This means that you want to engage in some type of search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO. SEO allows you to optimize the presence your business has online so that you can rank higher when people search for certain words or terms.
There’s a lot that goes into SEO, including both content as well as techniques that involve keywords and backlinks. Each search engine has an algorithm for ranking that you want to try to optimize. SEO should be one of your core components in attracting new leads.
5. Reputation Marketing
To sway potential customers who are not familiar with the way you run your business, a positive reputation is everything. A good reputation among the industry and the local area is vital to achieving marketing success. When you formulate the process, instead of hoping for great accidental reviews, you will notice more success and positive feedback.
A good way to gather reviews is to make a profile on a website such as the Better Business Bureau. After you’ve completed your services with a client, encourage them to submit their experience with you. While having good reviews is a great start to attracting business, you want to keep your business with long-term, positive relationships, and good customer service.
6. Directories
For customers, an annoying process that they have to go through involves jumping from site to site to find a business that can suit their needs. Oftentimes, they’ll find websites that aren’t construction websites but instead, directories that have compiled lists of construction companies that are located in your area. One way to increase your presence online is to ensure that your website is listed in a relevant directory. It won’t help your chances of being on every single directory possible but having it listed on a few select ones that are relevant to your location and industry. These listings also assist in boosting your SEO attempts, pushing your ranking up through the results.
7. Strategic Thought Leadership
The last strategy to take advantage of is strategic thought leadership. When prospective clients search for a company that provides your service, they’ll look for trends in the industry which can include new laws, different materials, and regulations that have been changed. With this technique, you’re able to put your content in front of them, increasing the awareness of the services you offer.
A perfect tool for building thought leadership in the construction businesses is to utilize your blog. Posting regularly on news from the industry as well as any articles that provide clients with tools for better planning of their projects. When these posts are optimized for search engines, you’ll notice more traffic coming to your website. From there you’ll get more subscriptions which will be a starting point for you to start email marketing techniques and help you build your relationship with clients.
About the Author:
Nigel is a leader in flooring solutions. Having been in the industry for close to 2 decades. He also owns a business called Ecoflor.co.uk which installs commercial flooring for some of the largest companies in the world.
