Launching a new construction business? At this early stage, you likely already realize the value of investing in a marketing program. However, the idea of a “marketing program” encompasses a lot of different tactics and strategies — how do you know which ones are right for your business?
We’re here to demystify what works and what doesn’t for different types of construction companies. This way, you can make informed choices about what you spend your money on, so your marketing efforts lead to real results.
In this article, we will cover:
- The basics every new construction company needs
- The power of selecting a niche
- B2C construction company tactics and priorities
- B2B construction company tactics and priorities
Marketing Basics for Construction Companies
As a new company, there are some foundational elements that you’ll need to get started.
A Name
First and foremost, you’ll need a name to register your business. Beyond that, do some research to make sure your name isn’t overly vague or similar to another company in your area or industry. For instance “The Local Handyman” may seem like a great name, but a Google search for that term pulls up handymen based on the searcher location — not ideal!
A Logo
A well-designed logo that brings your brand to life sets the tone for all your marketing materials. A logo is a powerful tool that can visually communicate your value proposition and leave a lasting impression on customers. Think about Caterpillar — their logo signifies excavation effectively, without having to say anything.
A Website
Your logo and name come together on your website, which is essentially the heartbeat of all your marketing activities. Not only is there where future customers can find information about your services and get in touch, but it’s also the first impression of your brand. If it looks professional and polished, customers will have a higher opinion of the quality of your work, too.
A Company Email
A free email address might be effective for communication, but for a small cost, a company domain through gmail that matches your website maintains consistency and professionalism across your digital presence. For only $7 per month you can add some major credibility to your new business.
A Google Business Page
Google is the authority on search engines. It’s a trusted platform — and creating a Google Business page makes your company look legit. When you have one, customers that search for your company will see a listing with contact details, reviews, and photos. Making it easier for them to get in touch.
The Power of Selecting a Niche
Specificity is vital, especially for your marketing program. Turning down the wrong business may seem counterproductive. It can be tempting to take on any project and advertise that you can do every job, but it will hinder your growth, especially if you operate outside your main areas of expertise.
As a new company, identify your core strengths and focus all your energy and marketing efforts in that direction — you can always expand later as you grow your business. For example: just because a hardwood flooring company can refinish cabinets, doesn’t mean that job is valuable to their growth or future success. And if they don’t have as much experience or expertise in that discipline, they could spend more time and money on the project than they receive, hurting not only their bottom line but also their reputation.
Another beneficial aspect of having a niche is narrowing down your target audience: will you be serving businesses and commercial entities or individuals? This will help you classify your business into one of two categories: business-to-business (or B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). You can expect different behavior from these separate audiences, and this will also impact strategies you choose to employ.
B2C Tactics and Priorities
Networking
When you are just starting out, it takes hard work and creativity to get your name out there. Don’t be afraid to start conversations and rely on old-fashioned tactics to get your foot in the door. We work with a lot of clients who have sustained multiple years of business through networking alone — these tactics may not be glamorous, but they work.
- Go door to door, or leave flyers & business cards.
- Join local Facebook groups and use Facebook Marketplace.
- Post on your personal social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and NextDoor.
- Put up a sign in your yard, and ask any customers to add a sign to theirs.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a valuable tool to capture business online. It comprises two main tactics: Paid search advertising, and Search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is a long-term strategy where you optimize your site and content to be found and displayed by search engines. For instance, if someone is searching “emergency plumbers,” and your site is optimized for that term, you’ll appear on the results page without having to pay for a spot. Good SEO takes months to be effective, but will continue to drive traffic to your website for far longer than that. And it doesn’t require any additional spend!
Paid search is exactly what it sounds like — you pay for your business to be advertised on search engine results pages. We use a specific tactic called pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for new B2C construction companies. You’ll bid on specific keywords, and only pay when someone clicks your ad. This drives traffic to our website faster than SEO, and helps capture folks with transactional intent. A searcher typing in “Custom home builders near me” likely wants to get in touch with a builder, so this advertising strategy captures folks ready to have a consultation.
Meta Ads
Meta, or the platform that runs Facebook and Instagram, is a valuable tool for B2C construction companies because of its ability to generate brand awareness. You can reach audiences in specific locations and demographics who aren’t actively searing on search engines at the moment — the caveat is that leads from meta ads may be lower intent or not actively in a purchasing phase because they were served you ad versus finding you by searching for services you provide.
Organic Social
Beyond networking through your personal accounts, creating accounts for your business is an excellent way to allow prospects to vet your services and potentially reach some new audiences to build brand awareness. We view social media as a living portfolio of your work — so posting updates and engaging with your audience is important to do but certainly not the top tactic to drive leads. These posts can be simple: show before and after shots, images from job sites, or do a quick video walkthrough explaining an interesting aspect of what you’re working on.
Email Marketing & Automation
As your business matures, you may reach a natural point where you want to grow. Whether it’s due to an influx in leads that you can’t keep up with or a plateau that demands a new strategy, we recommend email and automation as part of your marketing efforts. By implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system, you can track your customers throughout their journey with your brand, and automate processes — like an email campaign to encourage them to get in touch, or to leave a positive review and refer their friends.
B2B Tactics and Priorities
As a business marketing to other businesses, you’ll likely communicate with a stakeholder who doesn’t actually make the final decision to hire you. In addition to this, you’ll find sales cycles are longer as companies have to approve expenses and vet different candidates. At the inception of your business, here’s the efforts that will get you the most return:
Industry Events & Networking
As you are starting out, talk to everyone you know. Don’t be afraid to start conversations by asking for advice — building a relationship has to start somewhere. In addition, tried-and-true tactics like going business-to-business and attending local events in your target audience and meetups with similar professional groups can help kickstart your contact list.
Beyond that, local chambers of commerce and professional organizations with chapters near you are a great resource to meet people who may one day need your services. If you want to go big, consider conferences or expos that are attractive to your target audience. Whether that’s via attending, sponsoring, setting up a booth, or hosting a satellite event in the area, you can meet many new contacts, build relationships and collect contact information for use down the road. Many conferences now have virtual counterparts — consider how you could attend or sponsor in a virtual capacity.
Searching RFP Databases
RFP databases are a great resource to start throwing your hat into the ring for projects, or finding other contractors to team up with. However, many of these databases come with a monthly or annual cost.
For federal government postings, check SAM.gov — one of the few entirely free resources for RFPs.
Other databases that may not be entirely free, but aggregate jobs with detailed filtering options are:
- BidClerk for public and private jobs
- Dodge Construction Network for a comprehensive list with detailed filtering
- BidNet for open government solicitations
- Construction Wire for commercial projects
Linkedin Ads
Linkedin may not be popular for consumers — but for B2B companies it allows you to target by job industry and position. The ad formats lend themselves well for cold introductions and building your contact list. Imagine walking into an event and simultaneously introducing yourself and your unique value to everyone in the room at once. LinkedIn ads essentially allow you to do that, and offers analytics to show you who is interested and who you should invest more time into.
Search Engine Marketing
If your company is working squarely in large B2B construction jobs, SEM (getting found for Google Searches) is likely not going to lead to a ton of new business, especially if most of your work is won through RFPs. However, if you’re a B2B company who accepts what we call “bridge” jobs, then SEM can work for you.
A bridge job is a commercial construction job where your target audience actually will go to Google to search. These are small business owners who run restaurants, dentist offices or veterinary clinics, and other businesses who own office or industrial buildings or are renting and need tenant improvements. They are not big enough to need someone who is in charge of development and construction management, so while they have the cash for a big project they are still going to search engines to find a construction company.
SEO is long-term play that takes time to be effective, but continues to pay off in the long-term. This involves optimizing your site structure and content to make it easy for search engines and search users to find relevant content. For example, if you offer remodeling services for offices, you’d optimize your site around terms like “[location] office remodel contractor”.
PPC, or pay-per-click, on the other hand is when you bid on terms to be shown in search results. You’ll bid on specific keywords and pay for each click, hence the name pay-per-click. This effectively drives traffic to your website faster as long as you are paying for it. In addition, it helps capture folks with transactional intent. A searcher typing in “[location] office remodel contractor” is already looking for your services, and is more likely to take action once they hit your website.
Results from Strategic Marketing
Marketing is always an ongoing effort. As your business grows, so should your marketing program. But getting started is the hard part — with a small budget and a big vision, it’s up to you to get creative and identify the tactics that will lead to the best return.
If you have your hands full with projects, or want a trusted advisor, get in touch with us for a free consultation. We’ll take the time to understand your goals and challenges before recommending a solution tailored to your needs. Get in touch today.
