As a home improvement contractor, you are the expert when it comes to providing quality craftsmanship to your clients. But have you considered your next sale, and from where it will come? By taking the time now to maximize—or even implement—your marketing campaign, you can secure your future leads and help grow your business.
Consider these 15 tips.
1. Borrow Email Template Ideas
When you come across an email that really stands out to you (and that’s probably a rarity), take note for your own email campaigns. Litmus, an integrated email test case management tool, has an impressive free tool called Scope. Use it to see the code behind your favorite emails, and duplicate the elements you like most.
2. See Who Opens Your Emails
Sidekick, a software plugin that is compatible with Outlook and Gmail, gives you powerful insight into your customers by letting you know who opens your emails and when—giving you the edge on following up with your contacts.
3. Take Advantage of Free Images
A picture is worth a thousand words—but it shouldn’t eat into your budget. There are several websites that provide great visuals—all free of charge. Some of those include Flickr, Public Domain Pictures, Wikimedia Commons, and Creative Commons Search. Just be sure that you properly attribute the photo according to the licensing stipulations.
4. Go Visual with One Simple Tool
If you’re not a graphic design guru, you need Canva—a tool that enables you to design visual elements for print and the web. Subscriptions are free, along with a free online design school.
5. Schedule Email Delivery
If you are an email user, then having a tool that schedules personalized deliveries at specific dates and times in advance may be just what you need. Try using Boomerang, a service that schedules out your emails to arrive right when you want them to.
6. Preset Social Media Postings
IFTTT enables you to connect your online software seamlessly, making it possible to schedule out social media postings using your Google calendar. Plan out your promotional posts, bearing in mind If This Then That.
7. Research Keywords the Easy Way
If you’re looking for an easy way to uncover the best keywords you should be using to maximize your SEO results, simply go to Google and begin typing. For example, you might start typing “roof replacement.” As you type, take note of the options that Google provides in auto fill, like roof replacement cost and roof replacement estimate—these are the most popular search terms, and you should look to incorporate them in your copy.
8. Tweet Tweet
Twitter is an excellent social media platform that allows you to follow the conversations that matter most to you. Keeping up with this platform is an easy way to monitor discussions, such as when a competitor has poor customer service (giving YOU a great opportunity).
9. Mesmerize the Masses
Setting up a camera to do a time lapse video of one of your projects is a great, shareable piece that showcases your craftsmanship—and undoubtedly gets a lot of “likes” and “shares” on social media platforms. Try it during your next project!
10. Keep Your Company Top of Mind
Stay in the forefront of your potential customers’ minds, particularly in the days leading up to an appointment. Ideas include:
- Have a “Get Started Survey” hosted on your website to be filled out prior to the appointment
- Load a Pay-Per-Click cookie on your site that will place your ads in front of visitors upon running an internet search
- Run a retargeting campaign that sends your ads to your website’s visitors as they peruse the internet
11. Focus on Employee Advocacy
Encourage your employees to share branded content as this type of individual sharing is much more likely to receive traction. The easiest way to start is by having a blog. Periodically post to your blog, highlighting employee contributions to jobs and photographs of finished projects.
12. Let Customers Do the Talking
Customer-generated content is critical as the internet provides an outlet for online reviews. Make sure you receive the best comments and feedback so that potential customers feel confident moving forward with your services. Keep two things in mind:
- Give your customers an incredible experience
- Ask for online reviews (customers are more often than not willing to leave you a positive review; you just have to ask)
13. Double Dip with Pinterest and Houzz
As the most visual social media sites, take this opportunity to display your quality work. Post pictures of your completed projects to your blog, then pin your pictures to your boards on both sites as you update your blog. Remember: blog first, pin last (as this helps to drive traffic to your site).
14. Connect Offline to Online
When running an ad, make the focus be your online picture gallery of completed work for potential customers to see. This sets you apart from competitors that are fighting for crowded ad space and that offer the same “buy now” calls-to-action.
15. Stand Out with Payment Options
Mandate that your sales representatives provide your customers with a choice of payment options. Those that have the money may want to use the Bank’s money interest-free, while others may not know upfront how they plan on paying (especially when hit with the estimate). That’s why it is best to offer a choice of a Same-As-Cash Loan and a low monthly payment option—then allow them to choose which option works best.
Were these tips helpful? Interested in learning more EnerBank USA’s unbeatable choice of payment options that will make you the most competitive in your market? Call us today at 888-704-5376.
