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When we talk about making changes to our business, whether it’s learning how to streamline our business processes or upgrade our marketing, the biggest problem many business owners have is that they do not know where to begin because of the industry they operate in. We see it time and time again, and this is down to the antiquated nature of the industry and the fact that it needs dragging into the 21st century, such as a plumber or an electrician.
But whether you are an electrician looking to boost your business or you are in the construction industry, as important as it is for you to use your tools to get the job done, it’s more important than ever to boost your client roster. So how can we do this in very simple ways?
Get a Website
This is the first port of call for any independent contractor. A website doesn’t just give you the opportunity to promote yourself but it also becomes the first step to highlight your reliability. When it comes to digital marketing in specialist contract practices, whether this is plumbing digital marketing or electrician digital marketing, the website is more than a way to show you exist but it is the foundation where you can build so much of your business. You can use your website for some of the following:
- Creating content
- Having people contact you through the site
- Showing your recent projects
- Highlighting positive reviews
And there is so much more. Because there are so many different ways to promote yourself, a website is the best way to showcase not just what you do but your personality, which extends into your brand.
Utilizing Social Media in the Right Ways
Any contractor will have a social media profile but the benefits of using social media will depend on the platform you use. For example, if you are a plumber, you can specialize by working for businesses, and in order to make yourself more appealing to businesses, you could go via Linkedin.
Conversely, residential plumbers would benefit from using Facebook as the clients are more likely to be active on that platform. Having your own social media profile is going to give you a boost but many people take it for granted that social media will equate to a lot more engagement. This is not the case. Firstly, you need to be more active on the right platforms but secondly, you also need to be able to promote yourself in the right ways. There’s an abundance of Facebook marketing tactics out there, so make sure you use them correctly.
Be Helpful to Your Customers!
The world of promoting is a very deep rabbit hole. You can go down one avenue and find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things that you supposedly need to do in order to improve your client list. The reality is that you only need to give good service once to instigate the most important marketing tool of all: word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is far better than utilizing an abundance of search engine optimization tools. While we’re not saying that search engine optimization is irrelevant, the goal of providing more worthwhile service will give you a better opportunity to showcase what you are all about. Your clients will always have access to more channels than you because they are active on social media but also they will communicate good service to people they know. Focus on delivering a good service first and foremost.
Online Reputation Is Crucial
A logical follow-on from getting positive word-of-mouth is about building that online reputation. You have to remember that in order to benefit you’ve got to deliver a good service. Approximately 91% of consumers will read online reviews before they purchase a product or service and approximately 84% of consumers will trust an online testimonial as much as a friend’s recommendation.
Therefore, you need to develop a service that will appeal to customers and set you apart from competitors. An online reputation is essential for this reason but in order to build this reputation, you have to do a good job first.
Be Helpful in Different Ways
We live in a time where everyone wants something for free, and one of the best things you can do is to give insights and hints into doing little things that show customers you are willing to help them without charging them.
For example, an electrician can teach people how to fix basic issues by themselves, such as repairing a circuit breaker. But rather than thinking this will turn people away from your service, you are giving them guidance by building a bridge between you and them so you will be at the forefront of their minds if they need help with complex issues.
Creating the Right Type of Content
“Content is king” as the expression goes, and if you are looking to bring more people to your website or help people with an abundance of issues, you can create simple content that is a logical extension of your service while also looming large in their minds.
When it comes to creating content, you can do whatever is convenient for you. You might think there’s a lot to consider or it’s just too much for you to deal with, in which case, you can outsource it to a content creation company. But boosting your reach through the right content will make a massive difference to the quality of the service you provide.
Boosting your client list might not be at the forefront of your mind, especially if you are working on a regular basis but more people becoming aware of the skills gap in professional contracting services means that in a few years’ time there will be more competition out there. This is why you need to start now to make yourself different from everyone else. You are at an advantage because you’ve already got the professional experience, but now it is time to get the marketing experience under your belt.
