New Marketing for Contractors
by admin on December 15, 2008
in Contractor Marketing
Hi, I’m Seth. Good to meet you. Look around, everything on this website is yours for free! Oh, and let me know if I can help you and your business in any way.
Overwhelmingly, people have been coming to me for online marketing advice more than any other construction marketing topic these days.
It’s an exciting time for online marketing. Our changing economic landscape combined with all the crazy, fun new changes in the way the internet works add up to some interesting opportunities.
There’s all this new stuff like social media, “new media” link building, and online video marketing.
I talked to one established construction marketing expert the other day who mentioned that “social media” has been killing him lately. And I know some folks who are real newbies, but have cracked the social media nut and are achieving huge results.
Also, I’ve found there are rafts of old, outdated information floating around in our sea of knowledge. Watch out for them, because if you jump on one of those rafts, you might go adrift towards the marketing “Bermuda Triangle.”
Marketing has changed. BIG time.
Has “relationship building” changed? No. Do we have new ways to establish relationships now? YES.
Have referrals dried up? No. Are there exciting new ways to maximize referrals? YES.
Is advertising obsolete? Yes. Ha ha. Sorry, I mean “No.” But do the old established advertising methods work for contractors? Not really. Not anymore.
Overall, adding real value for free, and making real personal connections will get you far.
1. Be helpful with no expectation of gaining anything in return. You will gain instant trust.
2. Help others make connections and grow their businesses every chance you get. Watch them reciprocate with referrals.
3. Answer questions and give your best information away for free. Become a trusted advisor (and make the sale.)
This new wave of online marketing and the viral spreading of ideas might be foreign to you. That’s OK. You don’t have to become a social media expert to run a construction business.
But you can take a look into the future of ALL small business marketing by taking note of the principles that the online community has adopted.
People buy from people they like. That’s a timeless principle.
Why is today’s marketing landscape different from the past?
Because now we have access to tools that allow us to connect exponentially faster than before.
Add value to the conversation, and make personal connections. Do this by shaking hands, one at a time. OR, inject these principles into your online presence, and do it everywhere, all at once, even while you sleep.
That’s the opportunity we have today.
Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.
