Over the last couple of years, the specialty contractor market has gone through a very welcome and much-necessary transformation. New tools, procedures, management tools, business models, and all other things that were rocking the rest of the business world for quite some time now have finally come knocking at this mostly talent and skilled-based sector and turned it into a trendy, lean, and a very sought out industry that stands toe to toe with other SMB market corners.
However, this storm of innovations and new technologies also requires a healthy dose of new digital marketing strategies. Unfortunately, this is one of the areas where the contractor sector is still, to some extent, lagging.
Let us take a look then at a couple of strategies that will help you solve this issue and put your service right on the mainstream radar.
Nail down your business website
A business website will make both the starting and the ending point of all future digital marketing efforts, so make sure to nail this powerful and incredibly useful tool down. You can start by abiding by the latest good web design practices. First, the website should be simple, visually rich, streamlined, and easy to navigate. Second, these days 58.26% of all website traffic is mobile. Making your website optimized for mobile use, therefore, should be one of your greatest priorities. Third, be sure to make relevant information always available and allow visitors to interact with chat-bots during off hours.
Create a strong social media presence
When we say strong social media presence, we don’t simply mean setting up profiles on all relevant platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If you really want to create an engaged community of followers that will, at some point, transform into loyal clients, you need to turn your profiles into a valuable source for learning more about the industry. And, fortunately, your sector gives you endless opportunities for tutorials, how-to-s, buying guides, and similar formats of content that draw visitors. Various challenges call to action, and rewards should help you make things even more engaging.
Highlight top-performing flagship services
The specialty contractor services are incredibly competitive. With things as they are, trying to gain more ground by aggressively promoting all of your services will quickly spread your resources too thin. What you should do instead is highlight flagship services that are exclusive and generate the most revenue and let the more mundane services ride on their success. So, if you are, for instance, working in the plumbing sector, quality pipe relining services will speak much more about your expertise than faucet replacements. Cornering these niche markets will give you much more financial leeway to move forward.
Leverage search engine optimization
Search engine optimization, or SEO, represents a process of releasing content and optimizing your website to rank higher on Google SERP. Keeping in mind that, in this day and age, as many as 93% of all online experiences start with some search engine or search query, it is easy to see why ranking high on the first page of the SERP can give your contractor services a tremendous boost in popularity. While you are doing this, keep in mind that you are not a global supplier that needs to perform on a global stage. Paying greater attention to good local SEO practices will your business great momentum.
Go back to good old email marketing
People have, by now, written off emails as an obsolete form of communication too many times to start counting. But, on the other hand, this channel is incredibly reliable, inspires a lot of confidence, and, what’s also important to note, is incredibly affordable to use for marketing purposes. According to a recent survey, every dollar you spend on email marketing will earn you $44 further down the road. Keep in mind, though, that spammy emails are not the ways to score these numbers. If you want the keep your clients opening these messages, you need to provide value and customization.
Put the focus on existing customers
Last but not least, we would like to point out that, although your goal should be to get as many new customers, as you can small companies are fueled by repeat business. As a matter of fact. 61% of small businesses report that more than half of their revenue comes from returning customers. That is why some portion of your marketing budget should be aimed at the clients that already used your services. Fortunately, there are ways to use this approach to lure in new clients as well. Creating some sort of referral program or discounts for clients that post online reviews will easily cover both of these bases.
So, there you have it – the top six strategies you can use to make sure the local community is aware of your specialty contractor services and come knocking at your doors in flocks. In recent years, this sector experienced some very welcomed changes that made it faster-paced, more streamlined, and far more competitive. If you want to stay afloat in such surroundings, you need to expand your marketing arsenal as well. We hope that the tips we gave you will nudge you in the right direction.
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