Marketing is no simple task; it involves a lot of work and dedication, but it pays off.
Taking the time to properly market your business and set it apart from the competition is crucial. We addressed 5 of the most common marketing mistakes construction businesses make and offered some advice on how to market your business better!
1. Not Updating Your Website
Is your website still living in the dark ages? If so, don’t spend another second debating if it’s worth it to update.
Your website is often the first way potential clients will come in contact with your business. Having a clean, easy to use website is critical for your business and can help you generate more leads. Showcasing work you’ve done and satisfied customer testimonials on your website is another great way to get clients interested.
Take the time to sit down and really think about what you want to include on your website and how you want it to look. Below are some companies who have done a great job at updating their sites and keeping them clean and professional.
White Castle Roofing | Ascent Construction | Antis Roofing
2. Not Posting on Social Media
Social media has become an extremely powerful tool you can use to connect with customers. Posting promotions, highlighting star employees, and allowing potential clients to get to know your work and your workers is HUGE!
CompanyCam’s Before and After Camera makes posting photos of your work to social media super easy. You just pick a photo from the beginning of the project, align your transformation shot with the ‘after’ photo alignment filters, pick your layout, and share!
In the last couple years, the number of construction companies that are active on social media has continued to grow significantly, with nearly 97% of industry professionals using some kind of social media. You don’t have to use every social media platform, but picking one or two that you have a good feel for and can be consistent with is a great start.
3. Not Photographing Your Work
In industries that specialize in visual transformations, photographing projects is the best way to get recognized. Whether you can afford a professional photographer or you take them yourself — take pictures!
A great way to get some online attention is to post before and after transformations. Showing your followers or website visitors what you’re capable of is an amazing way to generate some buzz.
CompanyCam makes the process of creating flawless before and after photos super easy. You should try it out and sign up for a 14-day free trial…just sayin’.
4. Not Adopting New Tech
The construction industry has become somewhat notoriously slow at adopting new technology. That being said, more and more companies are beginning to implement new software and on-site technology to help them be more productive.
Using project management software is a great way to stay on top of all your different projects from the office. Software like JobNimbus allows you access to all your projects and gives you the ability to monitor progress from your computer — instead of driving across town.
CompanyCam recently integrated with JobNimbus, which means all the photos you take on your job sites are automatically synced to the correct project in JobNimbus. No more texting and emailing photos, no more dropbox, just instant updates.
Aside from project management software, there are tons of on-site gadgets and tools companies are starting to use. From drone photography and videos to 3D modeling tech and virtual reality, technology is changing how contractors approach projects.
5. Not Having A Blog
No matter what industry you’re an expert in, a blog hosted on your website is a great idea. Having dedicated, consistent writers will help drive traffic to your website and result in more business.
Offering solutions to customers’ real problems, while throwing in a little self promotion, gets people interested and keeps them coming back for more tips.
Try developing a series where you address different issues relating to one kind of home improvement project. Maybe you post once a week about new tech you see out in the field. Try whatever fits your business and customer base best and run with it!
It’s never too late to become great at marketing. Taking the time to nail down a solid marketing plan and dedicating the time and resources to following through pays off BIG in the end. It’s a constant process of trial and error, but finding that perfect recipe for success is worth it.