Construction companies looking to expand their business need to invest in a strong marketing base. Marketing is essential for brand awareness and can be used as a powerful tool for acquiring new customers. For this reason, small businesses must invest in marketing to increase sales volume and remain relevant in the market.
Marketing trends in the construction industry have seen builders adopt strategic marketing approaches to overcome these challenges and increase profits. Marketing your business effectively requires you to use innovative strategies to make it stand out from the rest. It is also essential to keep up with the latest trends in advertising and promotion for best results.
Here are 35 construction marketing ideas that will dominate the construction industry this year:
Conduct a marketing audit
The delivery of construction projects on time, within budget, and the required quality is your number one priority as a construction business owner. But, if you do not have any marketing strategy in place, the chances are that your construction business will not survive for long.
A marketing audit is a comprehensive assessment of your marketing resources, processes, and activities. It helps you identify where you’re coming short and what needs to be done to improve sales and profitability.
Build a custom website
Whether you are a small contractor or a large contracting firm, having a website is a great way to market your business, reach out to new clients, and increase your customer base.
A website will help build trust with your potential customers and showcase your work to the world. It will also allow you to keep track of what your competitors are up to and keep up with industry trends which will help you stay ahead of the game.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
70% of web traffic comes from mobile phones. We live in the age of smartphones – anyone and anything is only a few clicks away. When customers decide who to hire, they are likely to do their research on a mobile device. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you may be missing out on new business.
You can’t afford to ignore this opportunity, so make sure that your website is easily accessible on mobile devices.
Optimize for conversions
Everyone wants a website that is beautiful, usable, and converts (whether it’s leads, sales, or whatever your goal is). But most people forget about one of the most important parts of their site – the call to action.
It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many websites don’t have a good call to action. They have a nice website full of pretty images, but if it generates zero conversions, all those pretty images won’t matter. If your goal is for people to contact you, it’s not enough to just have a contact page or form on your site; you have to tell them what to do with it and why they should reach out.
Start ABM (account-based marketing)
Account-based marketing helps you target and engage the right audience and convert them into clients.
Here are the significant benefits of ABM:
- It’s personalized and targeted, so it delivers higher conversion rates;
- It’s faster than traditional marketing methods;
- It’s more efficient as it saves you both time and money;
- You can measure and track your performance metrics;
- Your team can work in unison as they have a common goal;
- You get better returns on investment (ROI) as your efforts are focused and not scattered.
Choose a niche
A niche market is a group of people interested in a specific aspect of your business. A small homebuilder, for example, may choose to focus on building luxury homes. Homebuilders then find out where potential customers in the niche market live, the media they read, and the trade shows they attend and set up booths at these locations.
Marketing your company to a niche market requires extensive research. For example, if you want to build luxury homes, you should research what makes a home luxurious. Is it: Use of special materials like granite? The number of rooms? Expensive flooring? Large kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances? A wine cellar?
Once you have determined what buyers in the niche market want, create a marketing plan that targets this group.
Create a blog
If you’re a construction company and you blog about the most efficient way to build a house, or some new technology in the industry, your audience will know that you are keeping up with the latest trends in your field.
But beyond that, your blog tells people what you think is important. Your posts speak volumes about your values and opinions. If you’re writing engaging content, people will be reading what you have to say, and they will begin to trust your opinion. This can help you attract new clients who share similar perspectives to yours.
Leverage SEO (search engine optimization)
SEO helps you get found, and it’s essential to make sure people can find your business online.
To illustrate, let’s assume that two construction companies each have an excellent website with all their information clearly displayed, including their phone number and email address. One company has invested time and money into good SEO, while the other hasn’t bothered at all. Which one is going to get found first?
The higher up on the SERP (search engine results pages) you rank, the more visible you are to potential customers.
Set up Google alerts
The first step in getting your content to rank high on the search engines is to know what your customers are searching for.
And you can find out exactly what they’re searching for with Google Alerts, which allows you to monitor the web for interesting new content that has been published online.
Just set up a list of keywords related to your construction business, and Google will send you an email every time something new shows up online associated with those keywords. That way, you can always be on top of what people are talking about related to your industry.
Optimize for local search
If you have a construction company that has a physical location, or even one that doesn’t but serves a local market, then local SEO is for you.
Local SEO can help your site show up in relevant search results when customers type in location-specific keywords on sites like Google and Bing. For example, if someone searches “construction companies near me,” Google will display their businesses in the geographic area they specify.
Get listed in directories and databases
Make sure your business is listed in the most popular search engines and directories, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, along with other niche directories specific to your industry.
This increases your chances of being seen by potential customers when they’re searching online.
Acquire more reviews
The key to getting more reviews is to have your customers tell you their honest opinion about your company. This may be difficult to do at first, but it is essential to establishing trust within the community.
A well-written review can attract new clients while keeping existing ones happy with their service or product.
You need both positive and negative feedback to grow as a business; otherwise, how will you ever know what needs improvement?
Start getting backlinks
Backlinks are essentially links from other websites that point to yours.
If another website links to yours, web users must find value in your site. Consequently, search engines place more value on websites with a good number of quality backlinks. In simple terms, your content becomes more credible when other websites link to it.
Use multichannel marketing
Marketing channels are all about connecting with people.
As a construction company, you shouldn’t rely on one channel only. The more options you choose, the more chances you have to meet new customers.
Be present on social media
Social media for construction companies is an important marketing tool that can enhance your online presence and drive business growth.
By having an online presence on social media, you can connect with your target audience, show your expertise in the industry, share relevant content and engage with your customers.
This is especially true for high-end projects, where homeowners invest thousands of dollars in major home renovations or new construction projects. Homeowners want to make sure they hire a construction company with a good work ethic, does quality work, has fair prices, and, most importantly, is trustworthy.
Run direct mail campaigns
When was the last time you received a letter? A handwritten invitation to your friend’s wedding, or a card from grandma? Nowadays, it’s rare to receive a letter in the mail.
And that’s what makes direct mail so effective. It breaks the clutter of digital media, gets your brand noticed, and is the perfect match for something as tangible as construction and architecture.
Use videos to leverage your skills
One of the best ways to promote your business is through video. It can help you generate fresh leads, build your brand image and even increase sales. However, many small business owners think that video marketing is expensive and takes too much time. This is why only a few companies use video marketing to promote their products or services.
But, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a professional videographer or hire an agency to create videos for you. Most smartphones are capable of shooting high-quality videos. Therefore, you can get started with video marketing with just your smartphone and a few basic tools.
Participate in expos
Showcasing your work at an exhibition or event will help you reach the target audience faster.
But it is essential to choose the right kind of event for your target audience. If you are looking for potential investors, a property investor summit would be more suitable than a home buyer fair.
A luxury housing summit would be ideal if you work in the luxury segment.
Offer free estimates
Construction companies should offer free estimates to their potential buyers. Free estimates are a great way for customers to get an idea of their home renovation project’s total cost and to make side-by-side comparisons of different contractors.
Track your phone calls
Call tracking is a technology that tracks the calls generated from website visitors through click-to-call buttons or call extensions in Google Ads. You can use call tracking to see which marketing channels generate the most calls and how many calls you receive from each channel.
Most importantly, call tracking can help you run A/B tests on ad copy, landing pages, online forms, etc., to improve your calls-to-action to get more phone leads.
Use SMS marketing
Text messages are one of the most convenient ways to get in touch with people.
One way to build your messaging list is through a signup form on your website. You can also request your customers and clients to opt-in while doing business with you.
Create referral programs
The best way to cultivate relationships is through referral marketing software which allows you to identify loyal customers and incentivize these users to refer other people to your products.
For instance, you can reward points for every construction project booked. In this case, the more projects booked, the higher the customer’s membership level becomes. Then you can offer special benefits such as free upgrades or priority service when they reach certain tiers in the program.
Use flyers
Printed marketing materials aren’t dead.
Send your materials to relevant local businesses in your area. For example, consider sending your brochure to local cafes or restaurants if you’re doing landscaping or gardening services. Not only will it give you exposure – if the restaurant has a lovely patio for outdoor dining, then your brochure is more likely to get attention from their customers!
Create an online portfolio
Instagram and Pinterest are two platforms that are very visual and will help you gain more exposure.
Post pictures of previous construction projects you’ve undertaken. Use relevant hashtags when uploading your photos so other users can find them when searching for specific topics.
Focus on retaining your customers
Here are seven ways you can create a customer retention program for your construction business:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
- Make it easy for clients to contact you.
- Thank clients for working with you.
- Celebrate milestones and anniversaries with your clients.
- Send out cards on holidays and birthdays.
- Just check in and don’t try to sell anything.
Join LinkedIn groups for construction professionals
Consider joining LinkedIn groups to connect with others in your industry, share knowledge and insights, and build buzz for yourself and your company.
Join Facebook groups for homeowners
These are the kinds of people already planning a renovation, but they may not be ready to call your company yet. By being part of their community, you get to know them better and share information about home improvements and remodeling projects.
This is a great way to get in front of your audience and start building relationships with them before they’ve decided to hire you.
Host a webinar
The construction industry has many topics that could be explored in a webinar series.
It’s a great way to engage with potential customers in a very personal manner. By hosting this type of event, you can share your knowledge with others who may not be familiar with your industry.
Consider donating
If you work in the trades and have leftover building materials, donating them is a good way to get backlinks. As much as 30% of all building materials delivered to a typical construction site can end up as waste.
Not only will you make it easier for someone else, who is not so fortunate as yourself, but you’ll also be doing something good for the environment while getting some PR mileage out of it.
Network with business owners
Networking can be done in person or online. In-person networking includes attending conferences, workshops, seminars, industry meetings, trade shows, and other events that bring together people in your industry.
Online networking includes connecting with people on social media sites, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, joining professional groups on these sites, joining online discussion forums in your field, and following industry leaders on Twitter to keep up with their latest news and insights.
Leverage testimonials
There are a few different ways to get reviews:
- You can ask for them directly. Just like you would ask for a testimonial or a case study, ask someone enjoying your product or service if they would be willing to leave a review for you.
- Ask for them indirectly. In other words, when someone does share feedback with you, ask them politely if they would mind leaving that same feedback on one of the various platforms that allow reviews.
- Make it easy for your customers and clients to leave reviews with direct links to the most popular review sites (Google, Amazon, Yelp, etc.). This is an excellent idea if you have an online store where people purchase products directly from you.
- Don’t worry about negative reviews—just keep focusing on doing what’s right for your customers and clients, and those positive reviews will follow!
Use a CRM
Construction companies can use information from a CRM system to market their products and services to target customers.
For example, a company that builds new houses can use information from its CRM system to market its services to customers who are buying a house for the first time.
Work orders, customer preferences, and other data collected in the CRM system can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns that will likely appeal to customers looking for specific construction services.
Use Google Analytics
Google Analytics is an excellent tool for tracking not only who comes to your website but also where they come from, what they do once they’re there, and how long they stay.
Here’s why you should use it:
- It’s free!
- You can track almost anything you want (or need)
- Analytics are easy to understand
- Measure your website’s social media impact
- Catch 404s and other broken links
- Lots of third-party support available
- You can see what people click on when they’re on your site
Set up paid ads on Google or Facebook
The pay-per-click (PPC) model helps businesses spend only on the ads that receive clicks from potential customers without any extra charges for displaying ads. This model allows companies to save money compared to traditional advertising methods such as TV commercials and newspaper advertising.
You can choose to set up ads on any social media platform, but you should focus mainly on Google or Facebook as a construction company.
Consider expanding
The US construction industry is highly fragmented, with many small companies and a handful of large firms. This makes it difficult to decide where to expand, especially since the high unemployment rate has hit the construction industry.
Check out some workforce statistics and analyze which states have seen an increase in recent years. The best place to expand would be a state that has recently seen an increase in its construction industry, as indicated by an increase in its percentage of employment in construction.
Conclusion –Construction Marketing Ideas
It’s no secret that proper marketing can grow your construction company significantly.
The best way to implement these 35 ideas is by planning a marketing campaign and working on the goals more systematically.
While doing so, you need to consider important metrics like cost per leads, conversion rates and overall efficiency. If your campaign is successful and leads are generated, you should be getting a good return on investment.
The options above give you plenty of good places to start!