What IS Marketing?
What is Marketing?
Is it the same as advertising? Does my business need marketing if I've always gotten by with referrals? Why do I feel like I can't trust marketers? It sounds expensive, Is it worth it? How can I get the best value for my marketing dollars?
All great questions, read on for the answers.
Marketing is SO much more than print ads.
Does my business need marketing?
Our company, Clever Punch, prides itself on being honest about the services we recommend. We turn down work all the time because it would not be in the business' best interest. Should you spend money on marketing? Here are questions to ask yourself…
1.) How old is my business? We recommend companies to be established for 5 years before putting a budget together for marketing. Why? You need time to discover who you want to be and where you want to sit in the market. And you need to get to a place where your business can handle the growth that will come from marketing.
2.) Do I want to grow? The fact is marketing works. You cannot deny the research. If people know you exist and are reminded you exist, they are more likely to reach out to you when they need what you provide. Those are just facts. So the question is not, does marketing work? It's, do I want my business to grow? And how much is that growth worth? Some owners are happy with where their business is. They don't want to add more projects each year or change. Growth = change, and that can be uncomfortable for some people.
3.) How do I want to be perceived? Am I happy with how people see our company right now? Think of a company you look up to and want to be like. What gave you your opinion about them? How often are you reminded they exist? Does it feel like every time you see and hear about them, it's a positive reinforcement to your opinion. Now think of your business — how often do you meet people that didn't know you exist - have no idea what you do for work? How often does someone say, "I didn't know you guys did that kind of work, I wish I would've known - I would have hired you!" Sorry, but this is really your own damn fault. Step up and control (or create if it doesn't exist) the message that is out there.
4.) Do I have goals for my company? A marketing plan without goals is a ship without a steering wheel. You are just floating in the digital sea, and pirates are out there, more than happy to take your money and take you to the moon with every service you are willing to pay for. Your goals should be the foundation for your marketing, and you should use them like a map to figure out if your marketing is working to reach them.
There is no question if marketing works. The question is if you want your company to grow.
We believe all businesses will benefit from marketing. The secret sauce is the execution.
If you are still here, that means you want your business to grow and are open to learning more about marketing. So, what is marketing?
Our simple definition of marketing is —
the channels and tools you use to deliver your message.
In the last article, we learned that branding is your message and the materials you use to represent that message. Your message may be to "offer the highest level of quality and integrity when it comes to custom homes in Santa Barbara." The pieces you use to represent that message should be reflected consistently in your website, your logo, professional photos, vehicle decals, business cards etc — all of that is your branding.
Once you have your message, marketing is simply the channels and tools you use to deliver your message.
In today's digital world, Marketing is SO much more than print advertising. When it comes to deciding which marketing channels to use, here are some options…
Blog posts
Google Adwords
SEO
Networking / Speaking engagements
Editorial (these are un-paid stories in magazines or newspapers, picture you on the cover of DWELL magazine :)
Radio Ads / TV Ads
Snail Mail Flyers / Postcards
Brochures
Social Media posts including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
Paid social media posts
Online accounts including Houzz, LinkedIn, Alignable
Photo portfolio of projects
Submitting your projects for awards
Email Lists incl monthly newsletters
Referral Programs
Event Sponsorship
Charitable work
Don’t get caught up in the noise. Keep it simple, keep it consistent and you will stay on top.
So how do you decide which channels to use? We have some tips.
1.) Who is your target market? And where are their ears and eyes?
This needs to come first. Don't say, let's try Google Adwords. Instead ask yourself, "Is my perfect client googling for my services?" Instead of saying, "We need more followers on social media," ask yourself, "How does my perfect client interact with my business on social media?"
2.) Don't put all your eggs in 1 basket, or in 25 baskets.
Be realistic about how much time and money you want to spend. Getting on every platform means you have to keep those platforms updated and keep up with the changes. We find the longer someone has been in business, the more they want things to be simple. Keep it simple, and keep it consistent, and you will stay ahead of the competition.
3.) Remember what the data is for.
Watching and recording data (likes, hits, views, comments) from your marketing could easily be a full-time job. At Clever Punch, we use the rule, "We only look at data that would result in changing our tactics." Who cares if you got 25 likes here and 35 there. Does it mean you are going to change what you're doing? Decide ahead of time which numbers matter to you, and only keep track of those to compare back to your goals.
4.) Do more of what’s working.
If you've been a business owner for a long time, you know what works. Keep doing that! At Clever Punch, we recently learned that outstanding leads come from calling people and asking them a question unrelated to working together. After we have a pleasant conversation, they'll end up saying, "Hey, I'm glad you called — what do you know about _____." It's now part of our marketing plan to call targeted clients each week just to have a quick chat. We know you have excellent ideas too. We do not come in pretending we know more than you. We wish to take those ideas off your plate, make sure they get done and make sure they look good.
5.) Start with the low lying fruit.
One of the best marketing channels we have found for contractors merely is capturing and sharing their projects through online portfolios. That is so simple, right? It kills so many birds with one stone - it shows people what you do, it builds portfolio over time (which can also be used as a resource library for endless needs), and it's guaranteed to give you quality content several times a year.
6.) Remember the industry you are in.
There is a lot of noise in the marketing world. You probably get emails daily with something along the lines of "Did you know you are losing money every day because people can't find your website online. We found 1,892 problems with your website." Whenever you hear advice about what you SHOULD be doing, remember who you are. If you are a local, brick and mortar business, that is looking to get the attention of a small circle of people, does this advice really apply to you? Or is it more fitting for a highly competitive online business that is trying to stand out on a national or international level.
Stay focused on who you are, and who you are trying to reach.
I think my business is ready for marketing, now what?
You need someone that knows what they are doing to do the work. Here are your options in finding that person…
1.) Give marketing tasks to an internal person like an office manager.
PROS: They are already in the office, they know your company, and they can take courses online to learn more.
CONS: Marketing tasks always get put on the back burner. This person is not an expert in marketing. They may spend too much time on simple tasks, or on things that don't matter. They will rely on you for direction.
2.) Hire an internal marketing person.
PROS: They specialize in the industry and understand the principles of marketing, you don't have to catch them up on the latest projects because they are in your company day in-and-out and loyal to your goals.
CONS: A good marketing person in Santa Barbara should be earning at least $60k/year salary. It's hard to find down-to-earth people who understand business AND work in marketing. The industry tends to draw people that are creative with ideas that are hard to pin down. If they have a paid salary, they feel less urgency to complete projects asap.
3.) Hire a marketing agency.
PROS: They are marketing experts. They typically have teams (website, graphic design, digital advertising) so the quality of the work is exponentially better and more efficient than from a single person. They have more experience from merely being able to work with several businesses vs. being involved in one.
CONS: They work with other companies, so their focus is split. They are always looking to push new services to keep their team busy, and good marketing firms are expensive.
4.) Hire Clever Punch Co.
PROS: We specialize in helping construction business owners. My (Jade) background is in project management and business. I care about the budget, and bottom line and making sure what we are doing is moving the needle. We are practical, and our work is tangible. No fancy jargon. Our work speaks for itself - everything we create looks good. We crack the whip, keep things moving and make sure they get done. We are comprised of freelance contractors that specialize in graphic design, website, SEO, digital advertising and copywriting. Our team is paid by the project, no one is on payroll so we aren't forced to create work to keep ourselves busy. Plus, an unspoken benefit is that we sit on the SBCA Board, which opens you up to relationships and networking opportunities.
CONS: We are not cheap, but we are less expensive than hiring an internal person, and because we are a team, we will accomplish more. We work with other contractors who may be your competitors. (If this is a concern, please let us know - we can share some points that will put your mind at ease.)
5.) "Hire" your daughter, son, niece, aunt, etc.
We strongly discourage this for so many reasons and have yet to see it work out.
Whatever you decide to do, we hope these points help you in your journey as a business. Remember that you are the owner of your business, and no one knows or cares about your business more than you, trust your gut!
Regardless of if we work together, we are rooting for small business owners and want them to reach their goals.
Now that you understand marketing, we are going to dive deeper into each service of it, starting with Websites. If you have been thinking of getting a new website, we have 10 questions to ask your Website Designer. No matter how tech-savvy you are, this article is all you need to know about what matters when it comes to a website for your construction business.
Have questions about marketing your business? Get in touch at…
info@cleverpunchco.com
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