Marketing for contractors has changed a lot in recent years. The internet has made it possible for small businesses to reach a much wider audience than ever before, and that has forced contractors to change the way they think about marketing.
If you’re a contractor who is looking to get started with digital marketing, this guide is for you. We’ll walk you through the basics of how to create a digital marketing strategy that will help you reach your target audience and grow your business efficiently.
What is Contractor Marketing? And Why Do You Need to Invest in it?
A contracting business generally relies on word-of-mouth advertising and time to make an impact locally, before making it big through effort and quality services. Other means of marketing could include billboards, posters, flyers, and print advertising.
However, with almost every business looking to shift and succeed online, contractor marketing plays a crucial role in giving contractors the exposure they need to generate consistent leads and keep sales moving off the ground.
There are many ways to market your contracting business, from online advertising to print and television ads, but the most effective contractor marketing campaigns will use a mix of strategies to reach the widest possible audience.
While some contractors may be reluctant to invest in marketing, the truth is that it can be one of the best investments you make in your business. A well-designed marketing campaign can help you attract new clients, grow your business, and even improve your bottom line.
Even the most mediocre of marketing efforts will give contractors insight into the challenges faced by similar businesses and competition. With this information, contractors can craft relevant marketing messages for the various social platforms and channels, targeting online audiences at the ideal time.
So, if you’re ready to take your contracting business to the next level, investing in contractor marketing is a good place to start.
Effective Contractor Marketing Ideas to Boost your Marketing Efforts
If you’re not where your audience is searching for you, by default you’ve missed out on numerous lead-generation opportunities to stabilize your ROI. Fortunately, it’s never too late to catch up and develop some of the best marketing strategies to ace your contractor business marketing efforts.
1. Design an effective Sales Process
When it comes to marketing your contracting business, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are some essential elements that every sales process should include. Perhaps the most important step is to define your target market.
Who are your ideal customers? What needs do they have that your business can address? Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can begin developing a marketing strategy that will appeal to them.
It’s also important to make sure that your sales process is efficient and streamlined. You don’t want potential customers to get lost in a maze of paperwork or confusing website navigation. Keep things simple and easy to understand, and you’ll be more likely to close the deal. Finally, always follow up with your customers after the sale is complete. A quick phone call or email can make all the difference when it comes to repeat business.
By following these simple tips, you can design an effective sales process that will help you boost your marketing efforts and grow your contracting business.
2. Start with a Customized Contractor Website
In today’s digital age, potential customers are increasingly using the internet to research businesses before they make a purchase, so it’s important that you have an online presence that makes a good impression.
A well-designed website will help you stand out from the competition and give potential customers confidence in your services. When creating your site, be sure to include clear information about your business and services, as well as plenty of photos of your work.
It’s an effective way to showcase your work, list your services, and give potential clients a way to contact you with any questions or inquiries. Plus, with a little Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you can make sure your website comes up when people are searching for contractors in your area.
By taking the time to create a polished and professional website, you’ll be making an investment in your business that is sure to pay off, starting with a hike in website traffic.
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3. Aim for Local SEO
Local SEO is one of the most effective contractor marketing ideas because it allows you to target your marketing efforts to a specific geographic area. By optimizing your website and content for local search keywords, you can make sure that your site appears prominently in search results for people who are searching for contractors in your area.
In addition to helping you attract more leads, local SEO can also help you build trust and credibility with potential customers by making it easier for them to find information about your business.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
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Google Business Profile
Make sure your website is listed on Google Business Profile (GBP – Formerly named Google My Business or GMB). This is a prerequisite when you do SEO for contractors. GBP is a free listing service provided by Google that helps businesses show up in local search results. All you need is a physical address – no need for a brick-and-mortar location.
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Business Listings
Claim and optimize your business listing on other directory sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Home Advisor. These are all high-traffic websites that can help drive leads to your business. Make sure your listings are accurate and up-to-date and include photos and relevant keywords to help potential customers find you.
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Local Content Marketing
Add location pages to your website. If you serve multiple areas, add a separate page for each one that includes relevant keywords and content about the services you offer in that area. This will help improve your chances of showing up in search results for those specific locations.
4. Step into Social Media Marketing
If you’re a contractor looking for some effective marketing ideas, social media marketing should definitely be on your radar. It’s a great way to connect with potential leads and build relationships that could eventually lead to business deals.
And the best part is that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money – you can get started with just a few hours of your time each week. Here are some tips to get you started.
– Create a strong profile
Your social media profile is like your virtual business card – so make sure it’s well-written and includes all the relevant information about your business. Include links to your website and any relevant blog articles or resources.
– Seek out relevant groups and pages
There are likely already groups on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn that are relevant to your industry or contractor niche. Join these groups and participate in the discussions – this is a great way to get visibility for your business.
– Share helpful content
When you share helpful content that your target audience will find useful, you’re positioning yourself as an expert in your field. This helps to build trust and credibility, which are essential if you want to convert leads into customers.
– Be active and responsive
Social media is all about being social, so make sure you’re regularly active on the platform of your choice. Post updates, answer questions, and comment on other people’s social media posts. And when somebody reaches out to you directly, make sure you respond in a timely manner – otherwise, they’ll take their business elsewhere.
5. Incorporate Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach out to prospective customers and remind them of your services. As a contractor, you likely have a lot of competition, so it’s important to make sure your marketing efforts are as strong as possible.
Email marketing can be a great way to reach a large audience without spending a lot of money on advertising. You can also use email marketing to target specific demographics or geographic areas. For example, you could start an email marketing campaign targeting all of the addresses in a particular zip code or city.
You can also use email marketing to stay in touch with past clients and remind them of your services. By staying in touch with your past clients, you’ll be more likely to stay top-of-mind when they need contracting services in the future.
6. Create Effective Videos for Video Marketing
Utilizing videos as part of your contractor marketing campaign can be highly effective in boosting your reach and visibility online. When done correctly, videos can help you connect with potential clients on a more personal level, show off your work in a tangible way, and even improve your search engine ranking.
Perhaps most importantly, video marketing is extremely shareable, so if your audience enjoys your videos, they’re likely to share them with their friends, family, and followers, expanding your reach even further. Of course, before you start creating videos, it’s important to have a solid plan in place so that your videos are truly effective.
First, determine what kind of content will be most useful and interesting to your target audience. Then, create a script or storyboard for your video so that you can ensure that the final product is concise, on-brand, and engaging. Finally, invest in high-quality video production equipment so that your videos look professional and polished.
7. Regulate and Polish your Reviews and Testimonials
In the world of online business, reviews can make or break your company. A single bad review can dissuade potential customers from doing business with you, while a glowing review can help attract new business. That’s why it’s important to manage your reviews carefully.
Respond to negative reviews in a professional manner, and take steps to encourage customers to leave positive reviews. For example, you can offer a discount for customers who leave a review or set up a system where customers are automatically prompted to leave a review after they complete a transaction.
Post these reviews prominently on your website and social media pages. Not only will this help improve your search engine ranking, but it will also show prospective customers that you’re a reputable business that they can trust.
Another great way to market your business is to get involved in your local community. Join relevant trade organizations or volunteer for community events that could use your services.
For example, if you’re a plumber, you could volunteer to fix leaks at a local school or senior center. Not only will this give you some great PR, but it will also help you build relationships with potential customers in your area.
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8. Use Paid Advertising Opportunities
Paid advertising is one of the most effective contractor marketing ideas to boost your digital marketing efforts. It allows you to reach a large audience quickly and efficiently, without having to rely on organic methods such as SEO or social media marketing.
Additionally, paid advertising is highly targeted, so you can target your ads to those who are most likely to be interested in your services. It is also relatively affordable, so it’s a great option for even small businesses with limited marketing budgets. If you’re looking for a way to quickly and effectively boost your marketing efforts, paid advertising is definitely worth considering.
9. Invest in Smart Content Creation
One of the most important aspects of formulating an online marketing strategy for your contractor business is creating high-quality content. This content can come in a variety of forms, including blog posts, white papers, eBooks, and even infographics.
While it may seem like a lot of work to produce this content, it’s actually one of the most efficient and effective contractor marketing ideas out there. Why?
Because when you create quality content, it provides value for your audience and helps to build trust and credibility with prospective customers. In other words, they’re more likely to use your services when they need them.
Also, having a solid foothold within the local businesses gives your audience an authentic impression of your services. So, invest in digital marketing strategies that center around content that showcases your specialties in a unique manner and support it with genuine feedback and reviews from your loyal customers.
The right content marketing will get you ranking high on the search engines making it effortless for your prospective audience to avail of your services.
10. Utilize the right Marketing Tools
If you’re running a marketing campaign for your contractor business, it’s important to have the right tools in place to manage it effectively. There are a number of different marketing platforms out there, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to choose the platform that best fits your needs.
One of the most popular marketing platforms is Google AdWords. AdWords allows you to create targeted ads that appear when people search for certain keywords. You can also use AdWords to track the performance of your ads and adjust your budget accordingly.
Another popular marketing platform is Facebook Ads. Facebook Ads allows you to target ads to specific demographics, interests, and even locations. You can also use Facebook Ads to boost the reach of your posts and improve your organic reach.
There are also a number of other marketing platforms available, such as Twitter Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Bing Ads. Each of these platforms has its own unique features and benefits. Choosing the right platform for your campaign will depend on your specific needs and goals.
However, no matter which platform you choose, there are a few things you should always keep in mind when running a marketing campaign.
First, always make sure your ads are relevant to your target audience. Second, always track the performance of your ads so you can adjust your budget accordingly. Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different platforms and strategies to find what works best for you.
11. Track the right Metrics
Marketing your contracting business doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. But it is important to track the right metrics to ensure your marketing efforts are effective. For example, if you’re running an ad campaign, track the number of leads generated and the cost per lead. This will give you an indication of how effective your marketing is in terms of reaching potential customers.
Another metric to track is the conversion rate of those leads into customers. This will give you an indication of how effective your marketing is in terms of persuading potential customers to use your services. It is also important to track the lifetime value of your customers. This will give you an indication of how effective your marketing is in terms of generating long-term repeat business.
If you’re doing direct mail, track the response rate. And if you’re attending networking events, track the number of new contacts made and follow-up actions taken.
By tracking the right metrics, you’ll be able to fine-tune your marketing strategy and allocate your resources more effectively.
Final Thoughts on How to do Digital Marketing for Contractors
Marketing your contracting business doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By following the tips in this article, you can get started quickly and easily, without breaking the bank. And, as you begin to see results, you can always scale up your efforts.
One of the most important things to remember is that your marketing should be budget-friendly and flexible. What works for one contractor may not work for another. The key is to find what works for you and your business.
Not sure where to start? Growth Hackers is a recognized as one of the top digital marketing companies so let us be your guide.
Growth Hackers is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses grow sustainably. We’ll work with you to build a construction marketing plan, create a comprehensive growth plan, and then we’ll put our team of experienced marketers and copywriters to work executing it.
We’re not a one-size-fits-all agency – we’ll tailor our approach to your specific needs and goals. And because we’re focused on sustainable growth, you can be confident that the results we produce will stick around for the long term.
So, if you’re looking for help with your digital marketing, give us a call – we’re happy to chat about how we can help you grow your business.
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