Construction Marketing: 5 Things to Do Right Now to Increase Your Visibility as a Construction Firm
As of August 2022, there are an estimated 3,784,293 construction companies operating in the United States. Most of these firms are struggling with visibility as the industry expands by 1% annually. A 2018 ServiceTitan survey reported that only 45% of contracting and construction firms were growing.
The digital age has changed the way we conduct marketing, but some old-school marketing strategies still hold true. Here are the top five things you need to do right now to increase your visibility.
1- Build an Updated, Easy-to-Navigate Website
Is your website aesthetically pleasing without confusing the user? Your website should be easy to navigate. Does it take too many steps to get where you need to go?
Does your website clearly state what services you provide? This is a common misstep in writing website copy. Read your website as an outsider. If you are not able to tell right away what your company does, it is time to rework your content.
A useful website is optimized for desktop and mobile users. It contains great photos and video, recent news, project updates, staff bios, services, and other relevant information your visitors need to know when considering your services.
2- Network and Get Involved
It’s not what you know but who you know. That adage remains true today in the construction business.
Who do you serve? Now, consider who represents their interests and needs. Get your foot in the door of these networks and organizations by serving on a construction or real estate committee, community board, or network.
While Associated Builders and Contractors is considered to be a national organization, what about a statewide network that recognizes the construction business? Zero in on regional opportunities for connection that you may have overlooked vs. only joining national networks.
3- Target Your Potential Clients on LinkedIn
Omnichannel marketing is a buzzword you may have come across as you researched construction company marketing, but it’s not relevant to all industries. Again, it comes down to who you serve and where they go for information.
Almost all construction and real estate professionals are present on LinkedIn. Yes, they may be on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, but the exchanges that matter and get you business are happening on LinkedIn. It’s the one social media network where construction firms are targeting the right clientele by talking about their work, the industry, community needs, and more—analytics are also easy to measure.
Post relevant content on your company LinkedIn page and engage with followers to boost your visibility and credibility.
In addition to posting great content, you can pay for the LinkedIn Sales Navigator for roughly $80/month. This feature allows you to conduct in-depth searches for your ideal clients by industry, geographic region and even job title. This feature also allows you to develop a database for your potential clients and track connection invites and messaging.
4- Revamp Bidding Process Documents + the Project Journey
How do you stand out from your competition in the bidding process? Revamp your proposal documents and project sheets. Don’t forget about the journey, either.
Having up-to-date project sheets, organizational charts, resumes and just overall aesthetically pleasing documents will go a long way in standing out and impressing your potential client.
Have you updated your BIM software? Make your bid more powerful by using an intelligent 3D modeling tool to manage your project. Entice the client by providing powerful, descriptive elements of the ins and outs of the project.
More companies are making use of blockchain technology in rendering and maintaining smart contracts. This reassures your client that all parties can see what’s happening throughout the project, such as task completion, schedule changes, daily transactions, and final payments.
5- Conduct Reach-Outs to Local Media and News Feeds
When you reach a milestone, who knows? How did you inform them?
A single social media post won’t get the word out the way you hope. Regularly update recent news on your website and share your articles and press releases with local real estate publications and business news feeds.
Yes, you can use services like PR Newswire, but target local media by going to your local real estate and business newspapers or directly reaching out to a reporter who specifically writes about news in the industry. What are you reading now about the industry? Why not reach out?
Having all this information and newsfeeds online and at our fingertips makes marketing your company more accessible than ever. It’s an exciting time to market your construction firm, and technology only makes it easier to be seen and heard when you have your strategy in place.
If you would like to learn more about how Vail Marketing Solutions can take your construction company to the next level, click here or contact us today: info@vailmarketingsolutions.com