Construction Marketing Questions Answered

You probably never thought about a connection between construction and marketing until you started your business. Now you’re looking for ways to make the business grow and simply getting new jobs through word-of-mouth is not cutting it anymore. (Pro tip: Even a referral system works better when it is part of a comprehensive marketing plan.)

Time to start marketing your construction company? These answers should get you started:

1. Will marketing grow my business?
 Not all by itself, but you will also find it extremely difficult to scale your business without marketing. Connecting with investors. Winning new business, learning about bid opportunities, and retaining talent all become easier when your company is implementing a solid marketing plan. When you’re ramping up or experiencing a lull in business, marketing can help you get over the hump. Marketing is still important when business is good, but it can be scaled back to help your business maintain controlled growth.

2. Are advertising and marketing the same thing?
 Advertising is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to marketing. Marketing activities – such as sending out press releases about a project ribbon-cutting, developing a brand positioning statement, or clarifying your target audience personas– build the foundation for paid advertising campaigns that provide a solid return on investment.

3. Do I need marketing for my construction company? Marketing is like a toolbox that you need to make your business grow and stay strong, no matter what industry you’re in. It helps you stand out from other companies that do the same things you do. Marketing also lets you create long-term connections with customers and brings in potential customers who are genuinely interested in what you offer. Besides, when it’s time to sell your company, investing in marketing can lead to better returns.

4. My business is too small for marketing, isn’t it?
 No business is too small for marketing, even if you are a solopreneur. Who is securing the next job while you’re focused on the current one? While you are building your heart out for one customer, a solid marketing strategy could be looking for your next customer. Marketing helps create name recognition and a solid reputation for your business, making winning new projects easier. Your business won’t be small for long if you implement the right marketing strategy.

5. Is there a difference between B2B and B2C marketing?
 B2B marketing is more data-driven and less emotional than B2C marketing. The emotional appeal you might make to a homeowner to sell them your renovation services will not work when you want to build a new hotel for a Fortune 500 company. Purchasing decisions for most large companies are made by boards or committees who have to justify their choices to each other and the executive team. Successful B2B marketing includes facts like the overall cost of the project compared to similar projects and the potential ROI the project owner can count on.

6. Isn’t my business name my brand?
 Your brand is much more than just your business name. It’s like your personality, which is only vaguely represented by your name. Your brand is a persona that your business represents. It encompasses your company’s values, style and expertise. Your brand conveys how you do business, how you build your client’s projects, how you differentiate your services from those of your nearest competitors. In many ways, your brand is the heart and soul of your business. When you can accurately express your brand to the right target audience, achieving brand alignment, growing your business becomes easier.

7. Do I need to hire a whole marketing department to grow my business?
 In marketing, like in construction, you have options to hire marketing specialists or outsource. If your business isn’t big enough to keep a plumber, a mason and an electrician on staff, it probably won’t support a digital marketing specialist, a content writer, and a graphic designer. An effective hybrid approach might be to hire one marketing generalist to act as your GC to coordinate the marketing subs you contract for each project. Another option is to contract directly with a marketing agency that could handle all your marketing needs, from data-research and strategy through planning and execution.

For more information about marketing your construction business and to schedule a free consultation with Framework Branding, contact us.