The word “marketing” conjures up all kinds of weird and wondrous images – SuperBowl Dorito ads, Sunday fliers with cheap grocery coupons, junk mail with diaper samples, and targeted Facebook ads for GM trucks – just because you visited their website.
There’s a certain randomness about it. And a certain annoyance about it all. You’d rather be building homes and booking remodeling jobs 12 months out, right?
We all suffer from information overload, and yes, it can be overwhelming. So how can you break through all that noise and find the customers you really want? Are you able to filter through leads – and quickly cull out the good from the bad? Are you able to choose your customers?
Ditch random lead generation
It’s about quality over quantity when it comes to new customer leads. Meaning, that a dozen QUALITY leads are better than hundreds of GARBAGE leads. The key is knowing exactly what your ideal customer looks like – and in the context of the kinds of custom build and remodeling projects that make up your winning job mix. You want customers that match X custom homes, Y whole house remodels, and Z kitchen remodels.
So, leave behind random and reactive leads – as if “any job is a good job”. Shift instead to targeted audience marketing and qualified targeted leads. That means being proactive and knowing exactly what kinds of customers and projects best fill up your already-known ideal job mix.
Find the right customers
That is the trick. You want to target homebuyers and owners who already have purchase intent. For others who are thinking about it or getting to know you as a remodeler or custom builder – you keep nurturing, educating, and communicating with them. It may take two-plus years for them to be ready for that big investment.
But for homeowners with purchase intent, your goal isn’t so much to build awareness. It’s to find customers who are already researching and considering their home project options – which are plentiful. Convince them that you are the best solution that matches their desires.
So don’t waste your money talking to the masses. Instead, talk to smaller market segments – or audiences – who match your unique value proposition and strengths. Your target marketing efforts will attract higher-qualified leads – and you will have a higher chance of converting them.
Remember, Your Job Mix Drives Your Customer Target
The thing about target marketing is that you can’t be everything to everyone. That’s why “mass advertising” doesn’t work for residential GCs. It’s more effective and affordable to pick one or two slices of the market and do them well.
Then intimately describe your audience size – your buyer target – putting a big circle around it. Describe their buying motives and communication preferences:
- Message: Does your brand and value proposition appeal to them?
- Medium: Are you reaching them through media channels where they already have purchase intent? (An example is the home renovation section of a city’s online magazine – or posting regular photos and finished projects on Houzz.)
- Messenger: Who is the voice of your message – is it always you, or have you trained your staff to always lead with your unique value proposition, key messages and in a style and manner that reflects your personal brand as the business owner?
- Measurement: Test and measure all of it – if something is “off” – is it the wrong message or the right message delivered through the wrong channel?
The more you narrow your audience, the more you can finetune your business processes and measurement systems to customer needs and your business profitability goals.
If you would like to discuss marketing strategy and qualified targeted customer leads or any other business strategies, please give us a call or contact us!
Read more about how to find and choose Good Jobs and the Right Customers in our popular paper: Why Contractors Take Bad Jobs.