Time flies. Is your business ready for changes? There is an increasing volume of literature suggesting that old-school contractor marketing methods are due for a shave.
This means that if you are still relying on daily classifieds, yellow pages, and pricey radio and TV commercials to promote your company, you are leaving out one potentially lucrative market from the picture: the online users.
To tap both old and modern markets effectively, consider the following:
1. Add value to your services. Don’t just say your crew can fix roofs and trace leaks. Say each cost estimate comes with a free roofing inspection.
2. Establish an online presence. Build a website, and use a catchy name. People tend to remember names more easily than phone numbers.
3. Position yourself as the local expert. Accept invitations to serve as resource speaker in conventions and community events. Be open for consultation requests.
4. To maximize your exposure and focus on branding, use Facebook. Estimated to be worth $100 billion to date, the social networking giant has 845 million users, and 96 percent of them visit the site daily.
5. To target web customers, use Google. People these days do not look up the yellow pages or the phone directory for companies to call; they just access information in a mouse click. Let people find you online when they Google the services you offer.
6. Widen your options. You do not have to make a choice between Google and Facebook, or between traditional and modern means. Use both to your best advantage.
Remember: Whereas placing a paid ad on a reputable newspaper reaches only thousands, getting found by millions online will not have to cost you anything.
This is the beauty of modern contractor marketing. The bigger challenge right now is to learn how to convert those leads to paying customers.
Contractor Marketing Tips 