15 Marketing Ideas for Construction Companies

Working in the construction field has its ups and its downs over the course of the year. Although some of those down periods are out of your control, you can reduce the amount of your slow time by focusing on a concise marketing effort. These ideas will help you get noticed, be more involved in your community, and hopefully increase the amount of bids that you’re invited to submit.

It all starts with the value that you’re able to bring. What is your core skill? How is it better than any other construction company within your region? Once you know what it is that sets you apart, you’ve got the ability to be noticed by people who need your skills.

Marketing Ideas for Construction Companies

1. Get the Neighborhood Involved
Whenever you do a job in a neighborhood, make your presence known by going door to door with your business information. Door hangers are a low-cost option, but interacting with the neighborhood on a person-to-person basis will let you get to know people and receive the favor in return. This process starts relationships and can help you grab some more business from an existing job.

2. Make Sure You’ve Got Signs
Your work testifies to how awesome you are, but how can people know who you are when you’re working? A branded sign that’s large enough to convey information, yet small enough that it won’t be bothersome to the work site, is a simple, yet perfect way to let people know who you are so they can follow-up with you later.

3. Get Your Vehicles Branded
Your vehicles are mobile advertising that is cheap and affordable no matter where your vehicle happens to be. Even if you’re just running a family errand, people can see who you are and what you do. Make sure you include your logo and if you can pull it off, a QR code on your vehicle is a creative way to direct even more information to interested parties.

4. Put Your Phone Number On the Back
You’ll receive more phone calls when your number is on the back of your vehicles instead of on the side of a vehicle. A driver can’t look over during a pass or while in traffic to jot down your number, but they can memorize it or even verbally call it with Bluetooth tech if they’re following behind you.

5. Be Transparent
Bids often fail because there isn’t a level of transparency to the process and that turns a lot of businesses off. Save this paperwork for after normal working hours because you’ll be able to dedicate more time to them and make them more transparent.

6. Network Everywhere
Everywhere you go at any time is a chance to network, so take advantage of that when you need some extra business. Even religious services on Saturday or Sunday are a way to get to know people to determine what construction needs they might have.

7. Join a Local Service Organization
Being part of the local community will always generate attention in some way and this is especially true if you join a local service organization. The Lions and the Kiwanis are often the primary organizations considered, but there are also the Elks and even the Oddfellows who can provide you with additional opportunities and even resources.

8. Have Your Chamber Recommend You
Joining the local Chamber of Commerce isn’t good enough. Work with your local Chamber to have them recommend you to others when they are asked about who provides your services. This recommendation will automatically generate the request for a bid in many instances, so building this relationship up is essential.

9. Pay Your Bills With a Card
Maybe the person who opens up the mail needs construction services? Putting your business card in the mail with a check that pays the bills might just be that added push that someone needs to book your company for a job.

10. Don’t Be Afraid of the Phone
Phone calls are always a good way to contact people if it is done correctly. Even if you don’t have a lead, a simple call can create one with just a couple questions. Ask about their needs, talk about the value you can provide, and then thank them for their time. How hard would it be to call just 10 businesses per day to do this?

11. Stay Away From Voicemail
If you don’t talk to someone who has called you, then you’re losing that customer. They’ll call a competitor who will pick up the phone. Answer the phone whenever possible and if someone gets to your voicemail, send them somewhere else where they can get into instant contact with you, like your website or an email address.

12. Get Local With Google
More people use Google than they use the Yellow Pages to find a business so you need to get yourself armed with local listings and searches. Make sure you’ve got your contact information online and you’re in for every local construction search. Maximize your SEO to get higher rankings.

13. Solicit for Referrals
A lot of construction business comes from referrals that are specifically solicited, which means you’ve just got to start asking people about what they need and if they’d recommend you. What you’re doing is planting a seed in their minds that just might grow and blossom later on down the road.

14. Direct Mail Still Works
Mailing postcards or simple letters to a neighborhood is a cost-effective way to get information directly to the consumer. You can print out 50 pages a week and mail them out to addresses around where you’ve got a work site, right? This way people can see your advertisement, take a look at your job, and decide on their own how good your work happens to be.

15. Make an Offer People Can’t Refuse
A good deal is hard to turn down, so make it hard for you to be turned down. Figure out what people need and then give them a good price that you can live with as well.