Help! My phone’s not ringing.
A comment I hear from a lot of people in the construction industry at the moment is that the market is significantly quieter than last year and they need to increase the lead generation performance of their business. Those business owners who have invested time and money into their marketing over the years are a lot better off, but many people rely too heavily on word-of-mouth marketing for their opportunities.
While a solid, long-term marketing plan is best, for those who need more lead generation quickly, I have outlined a few options below.
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Your client database
Your first port of call should always be current and past clients. Seem obvious but it is an often overlooked source of repeat work. They know, like and trust you (if those past jobs went okay) and may be thinking of another project and just need reminding that you are the best option to work with. Hopefully you have kept in touch with them over the years with some sort of newsletter or other communication, but whatever the situation is pick up the phone and give them a call. Ask them how the last project is working for them and offer a special “friends and family” deal for the next month.
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Referrals
Past clients are also your best source of referrals. If you don’t have a structured referral system with an incentive, now is a good time to put one in place. A proper referral system takes passive word-of-mouth marketing and puts it on steroids. I have put together a guide on how to do this, so email me at andy@tradescoach.co.nzand I will send you a copy.
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Online advertising
Utilise online platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or maybe even LinkedIn Ads to target potential customers. It can cost a bit of money to achieve results here, so make sure your spend is well focused on the ideal client and project. Create compelling ads with clear emotional hooks and calls-to-action that direct people to a landing page on your website or a contact form.
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Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Optimise your website with relevant keywords, high-quality content, and proper meta tags to improve its visibility in search engine results. You can achieve improved organic search results for free by following some simple principles, but of you want to take this to the next level you may need to bring in an outside expert. Good SEO can attract organic search traffic, which is the best quality website lead you will get.
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Social Media posts
Engage with your target audience on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pintrest. Share project updates, before-and-after photos, client testimonials, design ideas and engage in any relevant conversations to build credibility. Link these back to your website and encourage people to follow the link for more information. While sometimes considered a poor cousin to Google ads for lead generation, Social posts can help to build your brand awareness in the market and improve trust.
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Content marketing
Create a few in-depth, valuable content pieces for your website. Articles or videos that address common questions and concerns of your target audience. Try to find out what people are typing into that Google search box and produce some useful content to answer the queries. This positions you as an industry expert and helps attract leads who are actively seeking information.
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Local alliances
Build relationships with local real estate agents, architects, interior designers, and other professionals who can refer clients to your business. Collaborate on projects, attend networking events, and explore shared marketing opportunities to expand your reach. For example can you put an offer to their database and they put an offer to yours.
Those are a few ideas you can think about and try. If you want to book a Marketing Audit Review with me to go deeper and develop a customised marketing plan for your business, email me at andy@tradescoach.co.nz register for a strategy session HERE, or call on 027 6886721.