Digital Marketing Tactics for Building Professionals

We know your construction industry peers are not as consumed with digital marketing as other sectors, making it easy to dismiss the idea of incorporating it into your own business development strategy. 

But ask yourself: What are you doing on your coffee break in the superintendent trailer? Are you checking out new videos on YouTube? Scrolling through Instagram? Catching up on your go-to news sites? We bet you are. Despite how busy they may be, your business prospects are probably doing the same thing. 

The truth of the matter is, if you’re serious about filling your project pipeline and growing your business, you can't afford to blow off the digital space. With that in mind, here are four tactics that could help you dip your toes into the world of digital marketing. 

Creating relevant content

Keeping your website fresh and engaging is a great way to improve your rankings in non-paid search results and ensure you land at the top of the Google search. 

Whether you're blogging about current projects, highlighting company events, or sharing client stories on your website, be sure to include keywords commonly used by consumers when they search for services you provide. Just make sure you’re not overstuffing articles with keywords to the point Google flags it as over-optimized.

It’s also important to talk about your projects, process, and team as genuinely as possible. And to avoid industry jargon that will only create more unanswered questions. Writing about useful topics from your unique point of view will showcase your expertise and encourage visitors to keep coming back to read new posts. 

Utilizing social media

You may think social media doesn’t apply to your business development process. But developers, architects, and the like, are regularly searching for information and insights. A well-placed post could be the key to landing that huge contract. 

‍

The most effective social posts create brand awareness, reach your target audience, and position your company as an industry leader. The best content also makes sense for the platform(s) you’re utilizing and is integral to your overall marketing strategy. 

‍

Another thing to be mindful of is conveying a consistent appearance and messaging across all your social channels, as it strengthens brand recognition. Protip: It’s OK to share the same post on different social platforms, as audiences usually aren’t identical, but you shouldn’t make this a habit. Get creative!

‍

Investing in Google Ads

The most sophisticated and connected developers find themselves searching the internet for new subcontractors all the time, with nearly 90% of consumers reading online reviews before deciding to engage. 

While posting case studies and reviews can go a long way in improving your search engine optimization (SEO), this type of content won't move the needle at the same pace long term. If you feel like you have done all you can with strategically placed organic keywords, it might be time to invest in online advertising. 

One of the most effective forms of paid media is Google Ads, a pay-per-click online advertising platform that allows companies to pay to have their specific text ads appear whenever customers search for a designated term on the Google search engine results page.

‍

Launching a digital newsletter 

Did you know emails are six times more likely to get clicks than tweets and are 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter? That’s great. But why should you care? Because email marketing is affordable – and makes it super easy to stay in touch with current and potential clients. 

Setting up a digital newsletter through a service like MailChimp allows you to regularly share what you’re up to, what you’ve been learning on the job, and your thoughts on the latest industry trends. Beyond that, providing current and prospective clients with a library of helpful information will position you as the industry expert and a go-to resource. 

Investing in an email marketing service also enables you to measure your impact instantaneously by tracking who is reading, who is interested enough to click through to your website, and which subjects are most popular. You can then use this information to identify your audience and what they care about, and cater your brand messaging to their needs.

Making a mark in the digital landscape 

You’ve been on the fence about digital marketing. But remember: The pool of competitors hoping to win the next big contract are getting younger and more digitally savvy every day. 

And while nothing beats face-to-face communication in the B2B world of the building industry, companies lacking an online presence will eventually lose market share as they become less visible in the digital landscape. If you don’t want that to be you, now is the time to rethink your digital marketing strategy.