If you are in the contracting business, much of your focus is likely on the physical and technical aspects of your work. This is completely understandable, and it makes sense: To gain and keep happy customers, you absolutely have to do the job right.
But there are other aspects to your business that you should also pay attention to. Learning how to brand yourself as a business can make a world of difference in reaching the right customers.
Key elements of marketing your business
There are several critical areas that you should cover if you really want to be effective in marketing your business. The basics are not overly complicated, and you will quickly see the results in potential client queries if you go about it right.
Build your social media presence
social mediaEven contractors use social media. It is truly a world that cannot be ignored by anyone in the business world. Some of the ways that you can use it effectively include:
- Showing before and after photos on Instagram. Nothing better illustrates a job well done than seeing how it progressed from beginning to end.
- Creating a Telegram channel. You can create a channel that discusses the ins and outs of your trade, and even achieve Telegram monetisation if you get the right sponsors.
- Creating a YouTube channel and link it to your website. Try including clips of your contractors in action to show potential customers how efficiently you work. You can also include testimonials from satisfied customers.
Create a Google Business Profile
If you want your name to come up when people look for contractors in your area, it is essential that you create a Google Business Profile. Google Business Profiles are critical for contractors because a select number of names pop up automatically when people do searches within Maps.
To complete your Profile, all you have to do is fill out your contact information, business description, and list the types of work that you do. It would also be to your benefit to include pictures of your completed work and a link to your website.
gmbUse Google Local Services Ads
Google Local Services Ads can be another effective way of getting on top of search lists. Although these ads are paid, you only pay for them when people take the step of contacting your company. If the ad simply sits there and doesn’t get utilised, you don’t have to pay.
This type of ad is a great way to gain traffic and incentivize you to do your part when people call to win their bids. To be most effective in getting conversions, you should include a complete list of your services, and apply for the Google Guarantee Badge, which will give you added credibility.
Utilise pay-per-click ads
Pay-per-click ads are similar to Local Services Ads in that you pay based upon the number of clicks you get. There are several things you should keep in mind if you choose to use PPC ads:
ratings and reviews- Use “long-tail keywords.” Just as you use keywords in your website to catch people’s attention, so too should you do this in your ads. Long-tail keywords are multi-word phrases that mention the specifics of what you do (eg “contracting for door and window repairs” rather than simply “repairs”). This will help ensure that you get the right people clicking on your link.
- Optimise your ad copy. Ad copy doesn’t need to be lengthy, it just needs to be relevant, correct, and eye-catching. When people see the services they want presented in the right way, they won’t hesitate to follow through.
- Create a page for clicks to be directed towards. Rather than having targeted PPC ads directed to your home page, try directing them to precisely the page that they want: the one that describes the services on the ad. Potential customers won’t have to waste time fishing around on your site and can make the decision to call you right away.
Monitor your reviews
People who use contractors are big fans of review sites. Whether the service they receive is good or bad, making the decision to use a contractor entails a lot of trust and effort, and people often feel the need to announce their results.
This is why it is important to see how you fare on review sites. In fact, it is said that 92% of people looking for contractors take reviews into consideration. So this is absolutely a necessary part of the job. When you respond to reviews, be sure to be as appreciative as possible about positive ones, and as reasonable as possible about negative ones. Sometimes there is nothing that you can do if a person is truly unhappy, but you can make efforts to minimise the damage to your reputation.
Do your best work, and keep one eye online
Again, the contracting business is still fundamentally about your work itself: your technical expertise, your professionalism, the efficiency of your team, etc. But to make it in the modern world, you need to keep your online presence alive, as well. So stay on top of your website, your social media, and keep an eye out for your competitors’ reviews while you’re at it. You want to be sure that you remain on top.
