There are a lot of marketing tactics out there. For construction companies, tools like paid advertising and email marketing make a lot of sense. They're tools with tangible results that are easy to measure. What's more, everyone else is using them. It's simple to justify a tool that you can see your competitors using on a daily basis.
One marketing tactic that your construction company should be using, but probably isn't?
Content marketing.
If I'm starting to lose you, stick with me.
Content marketing sounds like a lot of work, but it is actually one of the best, most successful digital marketing tools available to you. And for most construction companies, it's pretty affordable.
If you're new to the idea of content marketing, or if you've heard of it before and just aren't sold, take a look at these 5 reasons your construction company needs content marketing.
01. You want to see your name on the first page of Google search results
If you hope to see your construction company on the first page of Google for a relevant keyword, content marketing is what you need. There's nothing that is more effective at boosting your website's SERP rankings than quality content development.
02. You want more qualified leads (and you want to big on bigger, better projects)
Content marketing draws in organic traffic.
Organic traffic = leads.
When you implement a strategic content marketing plan that's designed to help you rank well for keywords that are relevant to your ideal buyer's most common questions and searches, you can start to draw in more qualified leads who have an interest in the kinds of projects you want to bid on.
For example, let's say you want to build more apartment buildings. Your content marketing strategy should be focused on topics relevant to those types of projects. Content about building an apartment building, what permits to pull, what order to schedule subcontractors, etc, will only pull in leads who are interested in those topics.
That's what I call a qualified lead.
03. You want to stand out in a crowded construction industry
Construction is a notoriously competitive industry. In general, you're restricted to a certain service area, which means there is a finite amount of work that you can compete for.
Quality content marketing helps you stand out in that crowded market in two ways:
1. It positions you well on search engines for relevant topics — pulling in more qualified leads
2. It builds your authority in the market — the more authority you have, the higher you'll start to rank for topics related to your construction company.
Authority can be a complicated subject, but it helps to think of it like this: the more helpful and comprehensive your content, and the more content you have that answers the questions your ideal buyers are asking, the more authority your website will gain.
When search engines assign your website more authority, you're more likely to be a top result for searches like "commercial construction company near me."
04. Your sales team is sick of answering the same questions over and over
Another reason your construction company should consider investing in content marketing? Your sanity.
All jokes aside, I'm willing to bet there are a few questions your sales team hears from nearly every prospect.
When you create content that answers those questions, you not only save your sales team the work, but you can also gain some serious SEO cred.
If your sales team is hearing one question over and over, it's likely that prospects are typing it into search engines as well. If you can write helpful, relevant content around those questions, you'll save your sales team the headache, while drawing in more of the qualified traffic you're looking for. A win-win!
05. You want to shorten your construction company's sales cycle
Content marketing is essential to digital lead generation, it's true. But one aspect of content marketing many construction companies forget is its ability to nurture leads for you.
Today's consumer does a majority of their research online before they even consider talking to a salesperson.
For construction projects, that means they're researching top companies in their area, getting a sense of the type of work you do, the projects you've completed in the past, and more, all before they ever pick up the phone.
If you have content ready and waiting for them, you're getting ahead of that sales cycle.
By developing content that answers their questions, showcases your best projects, helps prospects get a good sense of how long their project will take, and what they'll need to have before they can get a quality bid from you, you're setting your sales team up for success.
Content marketing tools like:
- Email marketing
- Content offers
- Email workflows
- Automated sales emails
All work to take the pressure off your sales team.
When they have content they can send to prospects who aren't quite ready to make a decision — or better yet, when you've automated workflows to nurture those leads without a single sale person having to step in — you're working hard to pull prospects through your sales cycle faster, and with fewer repetitive tasks for your sales team.
Work smarter, not harder! Let content marketing work for you, and for your sales team.
If your construction company is looking for ways to get ahead of the competition, boost your digital presence, and draw in and close more leads, faster, then content marketing is a surefire way to help you get ahead.
If you're ready to jump into content marketing, but aren't sure where to start, I've got resources for you:
- 7 Content Marketing Strategies to Take Your Company to the Next Level
- Evenbound's Quick Guide to Content Marketing
- Topic Clusters: The Future of Content Marketing
- 8 Content Creation Tips to Boost Your Inbound Marketing Strategy
And if you get stuck, the Evenbound team is always happy to help! Feel free to get in touch with any questions you might have, content marketing related or otherwise.
