In the world of construction, tactics like letter drops and cold calls don’t cut it. The modern builder needs a sophisticated marketing toolkit that encompasses various activities and targets potential clients at several touch points.

Join the team at Sea Salt Marketing as we shine a light on some of the best ways to leverage digital marketing as a builder. Here are the secrets of building a captivating brand, crafting educational content that attracts clients and ultimately, establishing a thriving construction business that stands the test of time.

Building your brand

Your brand isn’t just a logo. It’s a concept that underpins your entire business. Invest in a strong brand early on, and your marketing and sales efforts will reap rewards for years to come. By crafting a memorable and distinct brand, your audience is more likely to remember you, trust you and ultimately choose you over competitors.

But where to begin? Many builders rush straight into logo and website design. However, there are better places to start. The first step should always be finding your brand voice. This is your story and sets you apart from the competition.

Developing a brand voice requires introspection. Why did you start your business? What drives you? The answers hold the key to your story, which can be woven into your marketing materials. Themes will emerge, guiding you towards powerful messages that resonate with your target audience. From these themes, you can develop brand guidelines – colours, fonts and, finally, your logo.

Think of your brand as a thread woven through everything you do. It also guides potential clients through your marketing funnel – attracting them, nurturing their interest, converting them to leads and securing contracts. Each marketing activity strategically moves them closer to becoming loyal customers.

Top tips for building a brand

Start with your story: Don’t jump to visuals. Uncover what drives you – your ‘why’ and craft a brand voice that resonates.

Themes matter: Explore the common threads in your story and leverage them into powerful marketing messages.

Consider the marketing funnel: Each activity should move potential clients through the funnel and closer to becoming loyal customers.

Think of your brand as an investment: Build it right and your marketing and sales efforts will be more effective in the long term.

Strategies to drive marketing leads

Today’s consumers need up to eight touchpoints before engaging with a company, while the process of choosing a builder can take up to 22 months.

This highlights the crucial role of a marketing strategy that targets clients throughout their extended decision-making journey.

Before diving into strategies for generating leads, it’s important to distinguish marketing leads from sales leads. Marketing leads are at the very beginning of their building journey – they’re in your target audience and interested in building, but early in their research stage. They’re receptive to information and willing to trade contact details for valuable content.

On the other hand, sales leads have already engaged with your brand – be it through social media follows, blog reads, email newsletters or other interactions. The goal is to nurture marketing leads into sales leads and then convert clients through valuable content and strategic engagement.

So, how do you attract marketing leads? Educational content is key. By sharing insights, addressing common concerns and showcasing your selling point, you can establish yourself as an industry expert and attract prospects willing to trade their personal details for valuable content.

Remember, building trust and confidence takes time. By consistently providing valuable information and engaging your audience, you can gently move leads through the funnel, ultimately converting them into qualified sales leads ready for further engagement.

Nurturing leads through automation

Lead nurturing is the process of gently guiding prospects toward conversion. And in today’s landscape, where the journey from initial contact to signed contract can stretch up to 22 months, strategic automation becomes your secret weapon.

One of the best lead nurture activities you can invest in is a CRM system or, at the very least, an email automation series that delivers valuable content to prospective clients.

Crafting an effective email automation series requires a five-step approach. The first is identifying the trigger: what action will kickstart the journey, be it downloading a brochure, attending an event or making a website enquiry.

Next, you should align the length and frequency of the series with your contact-to- contract timeframe, determining the number of emails required and spacing them effectively.

Then, you will conduct a content audit to leverage existing resources and identify any gaps in your content bank.

Typically, two emails per month over four to 12 months do the trick in an email automation, but the first three emails are generally the most successful. Pack them with your best content – project showcases, insightful tips, answers to burning questions – to maximise engagement.

Once prepared, craft and design the automation, ensuring it seamlessly integrates with your brand identity. While automation works tirelessly in the background, remember to regularly audit and update your content every six to 12 months to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

By implementing these steps, you’ll harness the power of automation, nurture leads, build trust and ultimately convert them into valuable clients, laying the foundation for a thriving business. For more information go to Sea Salt Marketing.

Top tips for driving leads

Add value through educational content: Create content that showcases your expertise and addresses client concerns.

Nurture from the start: Capture early-stage leads with valuable content in exchange for contact information.

Engage across platforms: Be present on social media, email and elsewhere online, offering consistent information and engagement.

Think long-term: Building trust takes time. Consistently provide valuable content and engage your audience for lasting results.

First published on 25 March 2024