Content marketing can be overwhelming for any business. That is especially true for offline industries like construction firms. Gone are the days of the phone book where the calls would roll in. Despite the challenges, having a robust digital marketing presence in 2018 is essential.
The surprising thing is, many large contracting firms don’t have a content plan. Smart construction companies take advantage of this gap in the digital marketing space. And, they rise above their competition. They apply the same determination that they used to build their company to develop their online presence. They commit to posting thoughtfully written web pages, articles, blogs and social media posts.
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”–Dwayne Johnson
So, posting a blog or social media update every once-in-a-while is a waste of time. It just doesn’t work. And, putting out low-quality content is not the way to go either. It can hurt your reputation.
The online world is continually changing. And, for content marketing to work and get traction it has to be:
Consistent
High-Quality
A study by McKinsey & Company shows that consistency is the number one ingredient in customer satisfaction. And that’s not only the consistency of posting. The company voice, culture, and the message need to remain constant.
Read on to find out how construction firms can gain more market share with content marketing.
What is a Successful Inbound Marketing Strategy for Contractors?
There are four main types of inbound marketing that work well for contractors.
- Website Content
- Blog Content
- Email Campaigns
- Social Media Posts
It’s called “inbound marketing” because the leads are reaching to you. That is different from “outbound marketing” likecold calling. In the case of cold-calling, you are reaching out to the prospect.
Let’s Start With Website Content, The Most Critical Piece Of The Marketing Pie.
Your website content needs to be stellar, yet easy to read. When a prospect visits your site, show the visitor what they are looking for fast. Answer any questions about your products and services. Visitors love information, make them happy.
For example, credibility is a huge selling factor for large construction firms. By highlighting your projects with well-written, high- resolution photography on your blog and through your social media and email marketing strategy, you can establish credibility before your proposal ever hits the owners desk.
If you are a builder of planned communities, for example, and looking to conduct a Home Builder Marketing campaign, imagine a husband and wife may be planning on retiring and relocating. They want to move to a gated, over-55 community. The husband wants an 18-hole golf course, and the wife wants nearby shopping. Through high quality content and data, you could target these exact prospects with your value proposition.
The Best Blog Topics Solve Problems & Answer Questions
Once you have your core website content written, it’s time to expand your marketing strategy. Blogging is the next important piece. Not only do your visitors like fresh and frequent content, so does Google. One of the best things to do daily is write down any questions you received from prospects. Then, have a blog written on that topic.
For example, here is a frequently asked HVAC question:
“What Energy Star air-conditioning units are tax deductible?”
Doesn’t that sound like a perfect blog post? Well, it is. And once written, the blog post should completely answer the question. Besides excellent copywriting, the blog must follow SEO best practices.
Also, adding images is vital to any blog post. They are exciting and pulls the reader’s eyes down the page.
What Is The #1 Key for Effective Email Campaigns?
Maybe you’re thinking – excellent copywriting. Well, that is important. But, the number one key for effective email campaigns is list segmentation. That might sound a bit boring and technical, but it can make or break a campaign.
What is list segmentation? It’s simple. Say you are a home builder with a list of 5,000 email addresses.
– 2500 email addresses are from people interested in a new home
– 2500 email addresses are from past customers
You do not want to send the same email to the entire list of 5000 people. That list needs to be segmented at least once, possibly more. Once you have the list separated, then you can effectively communicate. Here is an example:
- List #1: New home buyers love emails about the latest floor plans and landscaping trends
- List #2: Past customers. Can’t wait for the monthly newsletter with decorating and maintenance tips
The topics construction companies can write about vary from industry to industry. But for inspiration look to your ideal prospect, a favorite client, or the most popular products and services. Seasonal or locational based topics are popular.
In the case of an HVAC company in Washington state, the winter article about the difference between a heat pump and an electric heater would be relevant. You can also have case studies showing how your product or service helped your customer. Include lots of before and after information along with photos.
What Type of Social Media Posts Work for Construction Firms?
You will be happy to know the best content for a social media post is very like blog and email content. In fact, when you have a well-written blog post, it can be “repurposed” and turned into a social media post. One of the significant differences between blogging, email and social media posts is the image. High-quality images drive social media. And, the size requirements of pictures can vary depending upon the platform. So, can the content length.
Overall, with social media the content length is much shorter. But, you can direct the visitor back to your website or blog.
Rather than posting a simple text update on Facebook, including an image gets more likes and shares. And, like other content marketing consistency is a key with social media too.
How Can Construction Firms Use Social Media Effectively?
The key word here is “effectively.” Here are some smart marketing do’s and don’ts for Facebook. These apply to LinkedIn, and Twitter too. Follow this online etiquette, and you can’t go wrong.
Social media is the perfect place to tell your company’s story through content marketing.
And along the way you are building your online reputation. That is especially important in the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment.
And the great thing is, social media works for all the trades including:
- General Contractors
- Sub-Contractors
- Builders
- Remodelers
- Carpenters
- Paving
- Framing
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Painters
- Landscaping Firms
- Electricians
- Elevator Companies
- Glaziers
- Flooring Companies
- Roofers
Top 3 Advantages of a Strong Online Presence in the Construction Industry
What can online content marketing provide? If it’s done right contractors can
- Receive more organic traffic: Unlike Google AdWords or Facebook ads, content marketing provides steadier growth. Although it’s not instant like ads, it does build momentum and organic traffic over time. Plus, you are in control. Whereas with ads, if they stop, so do the leads. Having exceptional content written for your home page might cost $500 or more, but you only for pay that once. And you will get traffic on that home page for years to come. Compare that to having to pay $500 for a display ad in a magazine that only shows once.
- Gain more trust from visitors: Give visitors what they want – enough information to make a decision. Here’s an example: a couple is shopping for a pool contractor in Florida. They want a large pool and know it will be expensive. They want to make the right choice. They visit a website and find a blog about “The Best Florida Pools with Screens” and start reading. Then, they find another blog on the same site called: “Florida’s Unique Building Codes for Pools” and read that one. As you can see these blogs are answering the exact questions this couple has. As they are researching, they are trusting this pool company more and more.
- Enjoy less PPC spend: Google and Facebook ads can be great, but wouldn’t it be nice not to be dependent on them? Well, that can happen when you have your organic traffic built up. Creating a consistent content marketing program that is well planned out is the key. Once traffic grows, the amount of PPC cost can go down accordingly. Content marketing can get more leads for less money. And, that happens once the organic traffic takes off.
Digital Marketing Services Designed Especially for Contractors