4 marketing tips for contractors adapting to the pandemic

In a world where the vast majority of the working class is currently reduced to a laptop and the confines of their own home, many industries aren't operating and succeeding at the same levels they used to. Needs for certain services have gone down while others have skyrocketed. Find out how you can keep your contracting company relevant and see new and positive results with these four contractor marketing tips.

1. Update your website

For many potential clients, your website is their handshake and first impression of your contracting company, so it’s essential to create one that will naturally attract and encourage them to choose your business. 75% of consumers base their opinions on company credibility through its website design and functionality alone, so keeping your layout easy to navigate, easy to read and easy on the eyes should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy. Another way to build confidence and credibility is to have a testimonial section recounting past costumers’ positive experience with your company.

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If your website layout is already at a highly functional level, also make sure there are ways for consumers to tell it has been updated with recent content. Whether that’s a statement on how your company is handling COVID-19, updated employee headshots or new photos on the front page, it’s important for your audience to immediately be able to tell you’re active online. If you haven’t updated you home page header in a couple of years, now is probably the time. 

2. Social media marketing

81% of consumers are influenced by referrals and posts from friends, family and peers on social media when making purchasing decisions, according to research by Market Force. Whether your company is targeting businesses or consumers, no industry should dismiss this as insignificant. Similar to a standalone website, consumers will often search for a company’s public Facebook or Twitter page, another factor in making their purchasing decision.

While it might seem daunting, starting your own company page and creating those first couple of posts is actually a lot easier than you might think! Facebook even has some step-by-step tutorials to help get you started. If your company keeps making regularly scheduled posts, you may start to see positive results in leads and jobs.

3. Video content

One of the best reasons to incorporate video content into your advertising is the variety of content your company can produce! Each video can have a different focus and leave every viewer wanting more. More traditional commercials and company profiles can show off what your company can offer. "How-to" videos can directly provide value to prospective clients before even spending a dollar. Videos can be an effective method to help boost your brand awareness in ways you haven't seen before. 

However, don't let this tactic intimidate you. You might think video marketing must be produced with professional equipment and trained videographers, but it's just the opposite. Content can be created in many affordable ways, even a simple smartphone and an inspired idea would be enough to get your content off the ground. With YouTube being the most popular search engine behind Google, you can reach new audiences!

4. Search engine optimization (SEO)

What's the first thing you do when looking for the answer to a question, a specific product, or a service? You Google it. With around 5.8 billion searches per day, improving your website's SEO should always be a top priority. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to get organic (un-paid) traffic from search engines. Basically, it's all about getting you ranked above your competitors. With over 1.6 million searches for contractors every month, you'll want to be sure you're appearing higher on this search list.

A good way to improve your company’s SEO is to take advantage of keywords in text on your website. When someone looks up contractors, what type of work are they looking for? Make sure to naturally include key terms specific to your industry in sentences to help your company’s website show up in a prospective customer’s Google search. Be careful not to go overboard, however, as Google can pick up on this and hurt your ranking in a search.

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Hopefully this list has inspired some brainstorming and creativity during this unique time. We understand that these marketing tips are just the start of creating a relationship with your client. Once these relationships have formed, nurturing and maintaining them are just as important! 

To read more, click here for our tips on how to create a positive client experience in the contracting industry.