The construction industry over the last 10 years has seen its fair share of boom and busy. From the housing and construction boom of the late 90's to the down turn in recent years, to things starting to pick up again.
The Olympic bid is just around the corner and the government is pushing to get the property market stable again by keeping borrowing rates the same and encouraging overseas investment.
Marketing in the construction industry has therefore been a tricky area as so much has to be taken into account.
Things are starting to pick up now and as a result, construction and property companies are looking at new and more creative forms of marketing to stand out.
The construction sector has moved on a lot in the last 5 years in terms of it's marketing and communications, as construction firms are now taking on external marketing professionals that have an in-depth knowledge of communication and how to get a construction firms message across to its target audience.
The construction sector is very diverse (product engineers, civil engineers, landscapers, lighting manufacture, flooring, ceiling companies, dry walls, plumbing, heavy plant, security, logistics, maintenance to name but a few); and has over a million different businesses within it.
As a construction/property company it is important to work with a marketing company that has an in-depth knowledge of the construction sector, how it works and how best to communicate your message to your audience.
There are three things that a construction company needs to look for when looking to select a marketing company to work with:
- The marketing company has a track record within the construction sector
- The marketing company is local
- The marketing company can get results
There are hundreds of marketing companies around the UK that have experience of working with clients within the construction and property sector (and there are a few that work specifically within the construction sector and with no other); so it is worth getting a few quotes and ideas from a few of them.
The second most important thing when choosing a marketing company (other than experience in the construction industry) is location. Working with a local construction marketing company will ensure that you have a level of control over the campaign and agency that you would miss if the agency were far away (or at the other side of the UK).
Working with a local marketing company means that you can meet with them without to much difficulty. Even though we are living in a cyber society and a world of text messages and e-mail; face to face meetings still play an important role in developing a relationship and understanding with clients and suppliers. Often overlooked as a way of saving time and bringing on more 'cyber clients' marketing companies can sometimes forsake meetings as not essential. However from a clients perspective, ensuring the marketing company totally understands your business, goals and objectives is essential.
Follow up meetings (reviews) are also suggested; to ensure that the campaign is running well and KPI's are being met (key performance indicators).
Marketing is a difficult thing to measure; however as a construction company you do need to have a way of measuring and cannot just write a blank cheque in the hope that it may work. Asking for current clients and testimonials should give you a feel for how other customers experiences are. How successful their campaigns are, what the marketing company is like to work with etc.
Once you find a few local marketing companies that have experience in the construction/property industry - it is then a case of getting them to compare campaigns and quotes to enable you to select the best marketing company to work with.
Popular Forms Of Marketing For Construction
The construction industry is struggling at the moment so does (as a whole) need to take steps to getting moving. There are many construction projects drifting around, but due to the competition, getting them is difficult.
For starters, most construction companies do not have good websites in place and as such, the online advert for them is poor. By having a few website designers to have a look at the website (or set one up) construction companies can massively increase their changes of being appealing to work with. Using website designers with construction experience will help ensure that the website fits in well to the constructionsector (yet stands out as unique).
The other thing (which is quite an important factor) is that the UK construction industry is not proactive. The industry still tends to work with out of date marketing relying on recommendations and referrals instead of proactive marketing such as telemarketing. Canvassing for new work when there is little around is sadly what is needed if construction companies are to survive the recession.
Lead Generation For Construction Companies
Many construction firms are looking into using telemarketing companies that know the construction sector for lead generation. This enables them to quickly follow up on prospective leads and generate tenders within days or weeks, showing quicker results.
Events And Exhibitions In The Construction Sector
Historically events and exhibitions have been a great way for businesses to generate new leads, meet business associates and network; however as the industry had died, many construction exhibitions have been cancelled. The cost of exhibition stands, renting floor space, taking staff out of the office does add up and many construction companies just cannot afford it.
Media and Marketing Exposure In The Construction Sector
There are many media publications in the construction sector:
- Building
- Building Talk
- Property Weekly
- Construction News
These magazines are read by most of the leading companies in the construction and property sector and are a great place for articles and press releases to be published. There are a wide number of PR agencies with construction experience that know the contacts at the above publications. Many PR agencies that have construction experience have been forced to close (as the recession has not just effected construction companies, but the marketing companies serving them.