In a word: yes. Inbound marketing definitely does work to the advantage of contractors. When I’ve met up with contractors over the past few years to discuss internet marketing, they haven’t always been open and receptive to the idea of inbound marketing. Contract work usually is brought about through word of mouth marketing and advertising around the neighborhood, so the idea of gaining any prospects or leads over the internet seemed to be a bit far fetched for most.
If you don’t believe me, then I want you to go and download the HubSpot Competitor tool right now. Once it’s loaded up, check and see if your competition is on there, and how well they’re doing. That’ll probably get you changing your mind pretty quick about whether or not having an internet presence is right for you and your company.
What you’re going to see are your competitors’ websites, how much traffic they’re getting, and how much more business they’re driving in simply because they’ve decided to keep up with technology and new marketing techniques.
For more on generating customers, check out our FREE eBook “25 Simple Ways to Generate More Customers.”
You Need a Presence on Search Engines
More people each and every day are using the internet to find the services that they want and need rather than any other resource. Gone are the days when people read newspapers and looked through the classifieds to find contractors; now they’re hunting you down online. No online presence? No customers. Simple as that.
But there’s more to being on the internet than simply “being” on the internet. Creating a website, no matter how great it looks, is going to get you nowhere unless it’s optimized properly. This is where inbound marketing techniques come in.
Quality SEO firms and inbound marketing companies will shoot your website to the top of all search results and ahead of you competition through use of ethical White Hat SEO tactics. So when people go looking for a “roofer” or a “plumber” in your area, guess who’s going to come up first? That’s right, YOU are.
Also, be sure to check out our FREE eBook, “10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your SEO.”
A Personal Glimpse into your Company
A great way to sell people on your services is to get them to trust you, and there’s no better way to help gain that trust than by having a human connection with your audience. Blogs are perhaps the best and easiest way for you to do this. Maintaining a regular blog that details the jobs that you’re working on or things that are interesting and happening in your industry, are great ways to connect with the public, as well as connect with other contractors. You’ll be surprised by how many people will find your services just through your blog alone.
Blogs and other social media tools, like Facebook (click here to receive our free eBook on creating a great Facebook account for your biz) and LinkedIn give potential clients a real glimpse into who you are as a person. If they like ya, they’ll hire on you above the competition.
Keeping a professional yet genial personality online will go a long way in getting you business. Not only that, but blogs and social media allow people to contact you and ask you questions, and it gives you the chance to respond, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more on starting a blog, check out our FREE eBook, “How to Start a Business Blog.”
The Opportunity to Boast
Inbound marketing gives you far more outlets to boast and brag about your company, even in the very most subtle of ways. You can go all out and have press releases sent out about something new and exciting about your company (i.e. if you have been hired to help with the construction of a new housing development) or you can quietly boast by uploading pictures of your work and projects to your website, blog, or social media sites.
As an additional tip, never shy away from getting in front of a camera and talking about your work. Make a video about your favorite project, your most challenging project, and what really drives you to do what it is that you do.
Key Takeaways:
This blog is only the tip of the iceberg for what inbound marketing has to offer to contractors. I know that contractors, especially when they’re starting up, don’t have a whole lot of excess capital to get started. But a quick chat with an inbound marketing firm can open your eyes to many less expensive alternatives to help create an online presence (i.e. blogging, social media, YouTube) until you’re ready to invest in a comprehensive, full-blown website.
Need Help?
If inbound marketing is something you are interested in but are having trouble getting started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis!
Comments are closed