When you're working in a construction business, growth strategies are never far from your mind. Getting on social media, keeping customers happy, showing up at community events, using tools to find more jobs and similar strategies have been tried for decades.
But which strategies work faster to help you achieve strong growth in a shorter period of time?
Here's a quick look at some of the strongest growth strategies for your construction business.
Have a Unique Value Proposition
To grow, you need to stand out from the crowd, which means what makes you unique needs to be emphasized in your daily business practices, your marketing and your long-term business strategy.
- Do you specialize in remodels for investors?
- Superior dedication to craftsmanship?
- Ability to keep your workflow productive on fast-track projects?
Capitalize on these differences.
Determine your ideal customer.
Are you a subcontractor working with commercial contractors?
A residential contractor who specializes in fast subdivision construction?
Perhaps you work with homeowners who want their dream home designed and built by a single company. Do you focus on renovations and repairs? What age are your clients? What kind of income do they have for your project? Consider all of these areas carefully when crafting your marketing messages.
Ask for Referrals
Often times, people who are having work done on their homes or businesses have a number of other contacts who are having or are considering having work done in the future. When you complete a project and the customer is happy with the results, be sure to ask for referrals, which can provide you with future work.
What's more, because you can name-drop the customer you just finished working with, you have an automatic in with the new prospect.
Support the Community
Sure, those kids running around with their soccer tee shirts are cute, but they're also great advertising. If you're able, pitch in a few bucks to community organizations and events to help keep your business name in front of prospective clients on a regular basis. This helps build name and brand recognition.
Ask for Testimonials and Digital Reviews
At the same time that you're asking for that referral, ask if the happy client will post a positive review online or allow you to record a testimonial. This allows you to post proof that you have a number of happy clients, creating social proof that prospects will have a good experience with you.
The easiest way to ask for a review is with a follow-up email. Send it out a few days after you've completed the project, inquiring about the client's feedback and requesting a review if they're pleased. You can add links to your Facebook page, Google My Business listing, or Yelp listing to make it easy as pie for your clients to give you a digital review.
Be Active on Social Media
Social media marketing gets you in front of a wide range of new prospects in your region, and when your clients like or follow your social media page, their friends, family and business associates see that link and make a positive connection to your business at the same time.
Think of your social media accounts as an extension of your contractor website. You can use them to share valuable information with prospects and existing clients, showcase completed projects, and answer FAQs that arise.
Avoid these mistakes when marketing your contractor business on Facebook.
Focus on Local SEO
Chances are, you're looking for more projects in your own backyard. So put an emphasis on Local SEO tactics to help more people near you find your business online.
- Claim your Google My Business listing
- List your business on Yelp and Contractor Directories
- Claim and optimize your social profiles
Be sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is exactly the same across all of these. Even one small discrepancy - listingMaple Street on Google My Business, but Maple St. on Facebook - can have an impact on your local SEO.
Learn more about how to optimize your contractor website for local search.
Get on Bidder's Lists
Whether this is a paid list or simply monitoring bidding requests in the local paper, paying attention to potential projects helps you get a foot in the door.
Take a little time every week to review upcoming bid deadlines, record them on the calendar and make sure that you get in all of the required documentation for potential projects.
Exceed Expectations - Every Time
To gain the above positive reviews, testimonials, referrals and mentions to friends and family down the road, you need to do a great job to begin with.
If your work is messy, bring shoe covers to prevent spreading that mess to the rest of the house, spray down the sidewalk after landscaping work or take similar precautions.
Document a Solid Marketing Strategy
Take time to dedicate a realistic budget to the process, implement it and then review the plan on a regular basis to check how effective it is.
Start with your audience. What do they care about and how can you help solve their biggest problems?
In today's digital world, it's not enough to print out some business cards. Be sure your marketing strategy includes tactics such as:
By keeping these growth strategies in mind for your construction business, you'll be able to achieve strong growth quickly. Why not try a few today and see what difference it can make in your business in the long run? Track your results, and you'll have a much better idea in the long run of which techniques work well for your company and which ones don't promote business growth.