Regardless of your business, marketing has become exceedingly important in this day and age. Fortunately, it also doesn’t cost as much as traditional advertising used to. Brands had to pump in a significant amount of money in TV or radio ads. The same went for contractor marketing.
Today, if you own any type of contracting business, marketing is key. With the advent of digital marketing and rampant social media usage, there’s a lot of opportunity. Billions of users worldwide are browsing around for solutions. And you need to be visible to convert them asap.
Marketing a contracting business will differ from doing the same for a brand. That’s why it is crucial to understand the nuances here and devise a strategy based on that. Don’t worry, we’ve put together this article just for that.
So, do you own a contracting business? And do you think you still haven’t cracked the marketing code and made the most of your efforts? If yes, read on to find everything you need about contractor marketing.
What is a contractor?
Contractors are an essential part of the working world, providing invaluable services and expertise to companies in need. With the many different types of contractor work available, it's essential to understand the options available when it comes time to hire. Here is a breakdown of the various types of contractors that can be utilized.
Independent Contractors are individuals who offer services independently without being employed by or affiliated with any company. They provide web design, accounting, legal assistance, and more services. This type of contractor is often used when companies require specialized help on specific projects or tasks that require high-level expertise from freelancers.
Subcontractors are professionals who have an affiliation with another company but still work independently for clients in need.
Why Is Marketing Important for Contractors?
As we said, any business running today requires good marketing. But with contractors, it becomes even more critical. Why? Because, unlike massive brands, contracting businesses don’t have an expansive reach. But great marketing can help you attain that reach.
Most likely, any contractor business operates locally. And that’s where things like Google search results or testimonials come in. After all, word-of-mouth techniques of the old days aren’t going to work today. Today’s consumers will simply search for solutions and hire a business within minutes.
Do you know that Google processes nearly 100,000 searches every second? Yes, that’s true. 100k searches every second. This stat alone makes you realize how important it is to be visible on the internet across all channels.
But most importantly, contractor marketing is essential because your competitors are doing it. Over the last few years, more and more local businesses have been focusing on marketing. They’re not relying on the same set of customers to give them new business. They’re expanding with the help of social media and the internet to attract new leads.
Do you want to do that for your contracting business as well? Obviously, you do. And we’ve got some tips to ensure you get the best results from your website.
Contractor Marketing Tips to Boost Your Business
1. Start With a Good Website
When consumers discover a company, they don’t start trusting it right away. Especially today’s aware consumer is all the more skeptical about these things. But if there’s one thing that can lead to them trusting your contracting company, it’s a good website.
Contracting companies usually work in the service sector. So, it becomes even more important for them to focus on the trust quotient. And a neat and visually appealing website with well-placed CTAs and some good pictures can do the trick for your business.
Embedded videos on the website can also help expand your business reach. After all, 86% of marketers say that videos have played an integral part in boosting website traffic.
In a nutshell, a good website is vital to giving your consumers a glimpse into what your business is all about. Suppose you’re kind of running low on ideas. There’s always the option of going through some of your competitor’s websites. If you do that, you will also know what to beat to ace your contractor marketing efforts.
2. Get the Testimonials Out There
Reviews and testimonials might not seem essential to the bigger picture, especially when you sit down to craft a strategic marketing plan. With month-long promotions and advertising campaigns, businesses tend to forget the importance of customer testimonials.
To remind you of their importance, here’s an important stat. A whopping 92% of customers prefer reading reviews before making a purchase. But you didn’t need numbers for this one, did you? Take yourself for an example. Don’t you read a review before ordering something online or availing of a local service? You do, right?
Similarly, for your contracting business to look credible online, you need testimonials. You can put a few of them on your website while. Your google business listing should also have a considerable number of reviews (preferably all positive).
You can ask repeat customers to drop a review online to gather testimonials. Better still, you can ask them to feature in a video telling how satisfied they are with your contracting company’s services. This video, in turn, can be promoted on social media platforms to attract eyeballs to your contracting company.
3. Don’t Sleep on Email Marketing
When it comes to email marketing, the return on investment is impressive. That’s why nearly one-third of marketers consider it the most effective marketing channel. But to begin with full-fledged email marketing, you will have to be done with point number 1 on this list.
Once you have a modern and highly responsive website, you will start getting visitors. With the help of relevant content on the website, you can attract them to sign up for your newsletter. And that’s when you can start delivering value to their inbox and grow your subscriber base.
But remember, email marketing works best when your subscribers get some value out of your emails. All the content that you put out should not be salesy in tone or sound like just another pitch from a customer-hungry contracting business.
Especially when it comes to contractor marketing, you will get new customers only when you stand out. So, keep your subscribers updated and help them beyond just offering your services in various ways.
For instance, tips on making DIY home décor can work wonders in helping your contracting company build a solid rapport with your subscribers. But that’s just one example. Be creative, and don’t shy away from experimenting now and again.
4. Come Up With Valuable Content
Be it your email flows, social media messaging, or a YouTube video, the content on there must hold value for your audience. Why is it important? Just take a look at these content marketing statistics.
- 67% of marketers have found that content marketing effectively generates business leads.
- Furthermore, a CMI survey tells us that 81% of marketers consider content marketing an integral part of the overall business strategy.
- Customers are 131% more likely to purchase when a company provides them with relevant educational content.
- 83% of marketers say they prefer focusing on the quality of the content over the frequency.
- 72% of marketers say that good content is the perfect tool to boost engagement and interact with your target market.
We know it is a massive cliché now, but “content is king”. As much as you hate cliches (trust us, we hate them too), the effect of valuable content on your target market is undeniable. As opposed to spending way too much money on paid campaigns, a constant flow of good content can offer even better results for you.
5. The Social Media Effect
Now comes that phenomenon that completely changed how human beings shopped. Social media presence is an absolute must today for any business, be it a multi-billion-dollar brand or a local contracting business.
And why not? It can open a multitude of avenues for your contracting company. From interacting with your existing customers to attracting new ones, social media can help you do so much. After all, a whopping 55% of customers today learn about new brands on social media platforms.
In fact, there are brands that owe their recently-gathered popularity and expanding consumer base to social media. When it comes to contractor marketing, the sky is the limit when it comes to ways to use social media platforms to your advantage.
You can post educational videos, run a local contest among your followers, or simply keep your audience updated with the happenings at your company. But remember to add a pinch of creativity to anything you put out. After all, most of the people on social media are there to get entertained.
So, serve them some fun content as you promote your services or product. And who knows, your contracting company might turn out to be the next social media success story.
In Conclusion
We hope this article was helpful to you. Just another quick piece of advice before we say goodbye. Whatever contractor marketing strategy you use for your company, remember to keep evaluating it. The key is to analyze and see what is working and what isn’t.
If you do that, your brand awareness and lead generation plans will stay on the right path. And you will be able to make timely changes to your strategy. After all, in today’s business environment, those who survive and prosper are proactive and quick to adapt.
Ranu Kumari is a Professional Writer and a Marketing enthusiast who currently runs her own Marketing Consultancy, LatitudeBOX. She has written promotional articles for multiple brands and has published her work in Scopus indexed journals. She is passionate about expressing her thoughts and ideas to connect with her readers in a voice that they understand.