Digital Marketing for Contractors

You’ve got s*** to do, so I’ll keep this short.

Word of mouth still reigns supreme, but there are some free things you can do right now online to reach new clients that you need to do today.

I’m going to rank for priority, but will also explain some background (if you don’t already know what digital marketing entails)

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Understanding Digital Marketing

Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use electronic devices or the internet. It involves strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Let’s break each of these down:

1. Local Search Optimization: This is maximizing your impact with your Google Business Profile by filling out everything you possibly can and updating frequently.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is about optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), thereby increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website.
3. Social Media Marketing: By promoting your services on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, you can reach a broad audience, engage with customers, and build brand awareness.
4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: With PPC, you pay a fee each time one of your ads is clicked. Google Ads is one of the most popular PPC platforms.
5. Email Marketing: Email campaigns allow you to nurture relationships with potential and existing clients by providing relevant information, promoting services, or offering discounts.
6. Content Marketing: This involves creating and sharing valuable free content to attract and convert prospects into customers and customers into repeat buyers.

Implementing Digital Marketing Strategies for Contractors

For anyone to find you within a 30-mile radius, your Google Business Profile is going to be the place to work on to get ranked better. This is the top task in digital marketing for contractors.

Here’s where to go: https://business.google.com/locations

Here’s what to do now:

• Edit Profile: Pick your primary business category and any other categories that describe what you do. These update from time-to-time, so if you haven’t done this in awhile, check now. Not sure what to pick? Google the services in your area you’d like to show up for and see what your competitors are choosing.
• Edit Profile: Make sure your description is 750 characters and has local keywords like “city, state” for the areas that you serve.
• Edit Profile: Make sure your service area is appropriate for how far you’re willing to drive.
• Add Photo: Add as many pictures as you possibly can of your work in the pictures area.
• Edit Services: Add your services with a price range
• Ask for Reviews: Get the link and send it to past clients. This is one of the most important ranking factors. Get a review-acquisition strategy like texting a client after a job well done with the link from here.
• Add Update: Add an update every 30 days or more often to show Google you’re staying current.

Simple is better here.

Check out this one: https://www.insuseal.com/

Have a clear message about what you do and who you do it for.

Create a single, clear call-to-action.

If you like to get texts, put your number and say “text” for a free consultation. If you respond to e-mails, get a contact form. If you prefer calls, list your number. Pick just one.

Include City, State in your heading and title of your website. Try to list your services or have a page for each service you offer as a page (check the header of this website).

A simple, yet effective way to get a website live is to use the Google Website feature that will pull your pictures, reviews, and updates straight onto your website. https://support.google.com/sites/answer/6372878?hl=en

If you’re ready to upgrade your existing site with search engine optimization and local search schema connections, check out our website design services.

Start with Facebook only.

Facebook marketplaces and local groups are a great place to post about services and availability. You’ll also see people ask things like “who would you recommend for a bathroom renovation” and local people will recommend.

Help them recommend you by having a presence here.

You can boost posts too in a 30-mile radius as a paid upgrade feature, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that until you have at least a few posts and a few followers.

If you’ve completed the first 3 steps and have a good flow of money coming in, then you can move onto the other parts of digital marketing.

1: Search Engine Optimization

This will help you outrank competitors for search terms, but is not very important for local contractors. Your website strength does help your Google Business listing, so if you’re in a competitive market, this may be a necessity.

2: Paid Advertising

This can help get your Google Business Listing boosted higher by paying to be on the maps. For a local listing that is ranked 20+, you can pay to be listed #1. This is a complicated task and you would need to hire an agency that specializes in local search. Clear Skies can help: Paid Advertising Services.

3: E-mail Marketing

It’s always a good idea to collect e-mails. You can take a QuickBooks e-mail list and export into an e-mail system like MailChimp or Hubspot. You may not have anything to e-mail about now, but keep a list going. In the future you can do an outreach for reviews, new services, saying hi, etc.

4: Content Marketing

This is a surprisingly effective tactic. In digital marketing for contractors it’s a bit different. You could hold local classes on how to do “quick fixes” on your house and invite the community. The local library usually has event space for free for things like this. The idea is to provide value. You could also do a “checklist” of things to look for if you think ______ is starting to fail.

Measuring Success in Digital Marketing for Contractors

Digital marketing may seem overwhelming at first, but with a solid strategy in place, it can be a game-changer for your contracting business. Start with one or two tactics, measure your success, and adjust as necessary. Remember, the goal is not to be everywhere but to be where your potential customers are and to provide them with valuable, relevant content.

Final Note: As digital landscapes continue to evolve, so should your digital marketing strategies. Keep learning, stay flexible, and adapt to new trends and technologies to stay ahead of the competition.

Contact us if you need help!