In an era where the digital landscape directly impacts business success, contractors find themselves in need of digital marketing. In this article, we’ll dive into tailored and effective digital marketing strategies for contractors. From maximizing SEO to social media marketing, let us uncover the key methods that will not only keep your contracting business relevant but also elevate it to new heights!
Digital marketing services
If you ever find yourself in need of help with SEO and marketing, as a digital marketing agency, we here at SmarterMoneyNow.com are ready to help. We are experts on various digital marketing services, and we can help not only with online marketing but with social media management and web design as well. You can fill out our contact form and we will be in touch with you within 24 hours.
Now let’s get started with the top digital marketing strategies for contractors!
#1 Build a digital brand identity
What does building a digital presence mean? It means having a platform where people can read about and view your work. This could mean a website or social media accounts. Though, for general contractors it’s always a good idea to have your own contracting company website.
On your website you can list which contracting services you offer and your prices. In addition, make sure to include a way of interacting with potential clients, whether you create a contact form or add any other mediums such as a phone number and an e-mail address.
#2 Showcase your work on your website and social media
Maintaining a social media presence can help your business tremendously. With the help of social media sites, you can drive organic traffic to your company website, which would directly help with lead generation.
It is very important that you showcase your previous work (with the approval of your clients) through video marketing or posting pictures of completed projects. This allows potential clients to take a glimpse at the quality of your work, and thus markets you as an exemplary industry leader.
Why else are online marketing and social media important?
One thing none of us can deny is that we live in a digital age. Social media platforms have grown and become a huge part of our daily lives. This being said, utilizing social media advertising increases your business’ reach by a lot, and gives you a chance to interact with your audience.
Also, through these platforms you can stay up to date with industry trends, do competitor analysis and see what works or doesn’t work for your competition. You can also run digital marketing campaigns such as limited time offers, discounts, or partnerships with other contractors.
#3 Content marketing
Content marketing has become a huge marketing tool in the past few years, but what exactly does it mean and how does it help?
It means writing and publishing industry specific content and maintaining a blog. You may be thinking, “how is this going to elevate my business growth?”. Through publishing content and maintaining a blog, you can attract potential customers and increase your website traffic. This would not only help your business in getting high quality leads, it would also open a new door for you to monetize your website and make some extra cash on the side.
While writing content seems easy, there is a little bit more work that needs to be done in the background, one of which is Search Engine Optimization, or more commonly known as SEO.
Search Engine Optimization for contractors
Most searches are never seen on major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing. This is why you should aim for your business website to rank as high as possible in search results. That’s where SEO comes in! When you search engine optimize your website, your traffic will increase and consequently you will be able to generate leads at a rapid pace.
As previously mentioned, us here at SmarterMoneyNow.com are ready to help you with any SEO needs you may have. In the meantime, if you choose to try optimizing on your own; our recommended on-page SEO tool is Surfer SEO (not an affiliate link, we truly are fans).
When you start optimizing your website, one more thing you will need to do is track your performance.
Why are Analytics and Tracking important?
A reliable marketing strategy requires accurate tracking. You will need to set up and use Google Search Console and Google Analytics to track your website’s performance. This will allow you to pinpoint what keywords you are ranking well for, and which areas you can improve in.
Essentially, analytics will tell you all you need to know about your target audience and their needs. For example, you can use tracking tools to determine your audience demographics and offer specific services tailored to appropriate age groups.
There is really no limit to how much you can achieve and increase your sales by, simply through keeping an eye on your performance and making the correct business decision based on the gathered data (and most of those tools are free)!
#4 Email marketing + Pay per click advertising
While these two may seem outdated, they are still both very effective ways to generate leads and attract more traffic to your business. So, let’s get into how you could utilize them to take your business to the next level.
Email marketing
Email marketing comes in many shapes and forms. Whether it’s through sharing industry news or business updates in your newsletter, or through sending promotional emails to your audience of previous and future potential customers, marketing with a simple email could result in many sales. Hence, it is crucial to try to build an email list. This not only ensures that you will maintain a connection with previous customers, but also ensures that future customers don’t miss any important information regarding your business.
Pay per click (PPC) ads
In simple terms, PPC stands for paying a third party (such as Google ads) for each click your website receives (this only includes the clicks generated through the ads, you will not be charged for any traffic you generate organically).
Are PPC ads good for your business?
The answer to this question will vary based on your business and preferences. If you wish to build a reputable online presence and potentially monetize your website, in the long run, this could damage your business and decrease your SEO scores. Keep in mind that SEO campaigns, while often successful, can take weeks and even months. Whereas, if your only goal is to increase sales, you could certainly benefit from PPC ads.
Long story short, if you want to generate traffic organically (i.e. through Google searches and social media) and increase your website’s authority, PPC ads are something you should avoid. Otherwise, you should definitely use PPC ads to speed up the process of acquiring new clients.
#5 Bonus step: Word of mouth
This may come as a no-brainer to most people but you should never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Not only is it very effective, it is also free!
Whenever appropriate, make sure to tell people you have a business and what your business is about. Don’t be shy, you never know who needs help with what!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best form of advertising for contractors?
The best form of advertising will vary from business to business, but in our experience, social media is a very beneficial advertising method for contractors. It’s a simple, often free, and effective method that allows you to connect with people.
Where do local contractors advertise?
Advertising for a contracting business can be done through many mediums such as newspapers, radio, business cards, ads on cars, brochures or other forms. One that caught our attention the most has been posters at local coffee shops. While it is not the most effective way to advertise for your business, it is a great way to connect with your local community and generate more leads.
Final thoughts
Digital marketing for contractors can mean many different strategies and methods. In order to get started, you need to first figure out which methods would be most appropriate to your industry and customer base. Once you settle on your favourite methods, make sure to always track your performance and progress. Most importantly, remember that marketing is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Take your time with your marketing strategies and stay consistent, you got this!
