Home contractors come from many expertise, but the most important is exposure. Exposure puts you in front of more potential customers which allows for future jobs to be secured by being well-known and reputable among those that are looking. With so much competition out there these days it’s crucial that every marketing channel available gets utilized if one wants their business expanded on or new ventures started up at all.
Although you may already be using some methods of contractor marketing, it never hurts to discover new avenues of outreach. Below, we’ll review the 10 best marketing practices so that you can keep pursuing greater lead generation and increasing your deal flow.
10 Marketing Tips for Home Contractors
Marketing is the foundation for your company’s overall health and future growth. When contractors know that a sound foundation makes all of the difference when it comes to executing home projects, we can also see how marketing should be an important component in any business strategy because word-of-mouth won’t work without other tactics like social media or ads.
As you go through this list, be sure to make note of where you’re succeeding and where you have room to grow. Doing so will help you properly allocate your limited resources.
Know Your Customer
Every company has a unique value proposition, but it’s important for you to know what yours is before starting any marketing campaigns.
When you’re in a competitive field, consider finding your niche. That can include anything from specializing in equipping outdoor spaces with electrical capabilities or kitchen remodels for smaller homes and condos- whatever suits the needs best! This will not only help set yourself apart from other competitors that are trying to provide essentially similar services; but also give potential customers one spot they know exactly where their money should be spent when needing such things done around town.
As you might imagine, marketing for electrical contractors differs from a construction company. To find the right audience and tailor outreach efforts by clearly explaining why they should be hiring you need to consider these questions:
- Who is your target customer?
- Who is your target customer?
- What separates you from other competition within your field?
- What is your specialty?
- What’s your selling point?
List the Contractor Business on NextDoor
Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub, is an incredible tool for contractors looking to expand their digital reach and obtain new clients. It’s a platform that lets people in the neighborhood find and offer recommendations for local businesses—think word-of-mouth from trusted neighbors, but in a digital space. For contractors, it provides a platform to organically reach the community or to have members endorse your work, which is a highly effective marketing tactic.
Let customers work on your behalf. Simply sign up (it’s free!), list your business and contact info, and verify your Business Page. Once that’s done, past and current customers within your community can leave recommendations directly on your page and increase your visibility within the neighborhood.
Build a Contractor Website
Nowadays, if you don’t have a website then potential clients will only be able to find your company with difficulty. They’ll also be less inclined towards trusting what they see on the internet as opposed to meeting someone in person and establishing their credibility for themselves before anything else happens between both parties. A professional-looking site provides snapshot of who we are; all of our work ethics summarize into one sentence (and even better: graphic) while giving people an opportunity at understanding how valuable these services really do offer. Build a Contractor Website to and you have a much better chance of showing up in front of your ideal customer.
Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
One way to improve your website’s ranking on SERPs and generate leads is by optimizing it according to proper local search engine optimization practices. A marketing agency or specialist can help point you in the right direction, ensuring that any optimizations are helpful for reaching potential customers. According to Search Engine Journal,
There are a variety of elements that go into establishing search engine authority, including:
- Organically adding relevant keywords throughout your web pages and blog posts
- Inserting quality backlink profiles
- Regularly producing blog content that is sharable and informs your audience
- Getting listed on high-quality websites
- Making sure the website can be easily navigated
- Ensuring the website design is mobile-friendly
Simply put, online marketing for any home contractor contractors requires carefully employed SEO.
Start Local
You need to be careful about who you are reaching out too. Your mission should not just focus on the amount of people reached but also their interests and needs, because if they don’t have anything that would pique an interest in them then it won’t do any good at all.
Instead, try to focus your advertising in your local community, especially in the beginning phases of your business. As your success and marketing budget grows, you can begin to gradually expand your marketing efforts to nearby communities and even further out to help build brand awareness.
Post on Social Media
In the digital age, no marketing plan is complete without taking advantage of social media to reach new customers, particularly powerful platforms such as:
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
Instagram is a powerful tool for contractors because the content can be seen. You use it to build an audience, demonstrate past work and make yourself into an authority in your field of expertise. Be sure you post regularly so that people don’t get bored with what they see from you on there- always keep things fresh! Possible social media posts might include:
• Before and after images of your projects
• Interior design shoots
• How-to videos
To advertise your social media across channels, make sure to include your account handles on physical attributes such as brochures, business cards, and other marketing materials, such as email signatures or at the footer of the company website.
Create a YouTube Channel
There’s no beating around the bush here; YouTube is a great tool for marketing your business. For example, you can know how much of an audience viewed certain videos without having any other information available to compare it against in order track success rates and ROI (return on investment). Not only does this let us see things like where our viewers are located geographically but also whether or not they watched from beginning-to-end rather than stopping after one point which would skew statistics differently depending upon what content was being shown during that time frame.
Using YouTube, you can appeal to your target audience and establish your authority. Short- and long-form videos worth creating include:
- DIY home projects
- Tutorials
- Product reviews
- Industry and design trends
Employ Traditional Local Advertising Tactics
In addition to your digital advertising efforts, it may be worthwhile to invest in traditional methods as well. These include:
- TV
- Radio
- Newspapers
- Billboards
That said, before you blow your marketing budget on these, consider your target demographic and then determine whether these channels will provide solid ROI.
If you’ve done a good job for your customers, they might be willing to tell their friends about it. A recent study found that 90% of people believe recommendations from friends when it comes to selecting brands and services; so see if those who come in can speak on behalf of yours! This could include:
- Posting about your work on social media marketing channels
- Referring you to friends
- Writing reviews or testimonials
Naturally, if you don’t deliver on your original promise, you’ll have trouble getting them to recommend you. However, if you do good Home Improvement work that customers approve of, they’re far more likely to support you. In addition, you can provide further incentives by offering deals, discounts, freebies, or rewards to happy customers for referring friends.
Make Current Customers Brand Ambassadors
Direct Mail
Direct mail has not lost its power over time. There are still people who check their physical post and this can be an opportunity for you to reach them directly with a more personal touch.
It may be worth it to invest in hiring a skilled graphic designer that can include the following in your mailer:
- High-quality photos
- Contact information
- Website and socials
- Discounts and/or promo codes
In all likelihood, all it would take is one conversion for the direct mail campaign to be worthwhile. So, give it a try and see what comes of it.
Applying Your Marketing Ideas
In this digital age, it’s easy and inexpensive for businesses of any size to improve customer outreach. With a few clicks you can find marketing opportunities in your area that will work with even the tightest budgets.
So, take the time to understand your customer and their unique needs. Then you can use marketing campaigns that highlight these features in order for them be more successful!