Posts Categorized: Marketing Strategy
Measure what matters with Google Analytics
In this digital world we are overwhelmed with large amounts of data, some of it useful and some not so much. The big problem with data is that many people do not know what to look for. Insights can only be developed when data is properly analysed against business goals and objectives. Why are you wasting time looking at reports if you have nothing to compare them to or benchmark them against? How will you know if you are succeeding? Reporting just website views or page clicks doesn’t tell you anything about how it’s helping to grow the business and increase profits. Marketers need to work harder at reporting outcomes not just observations.Read More
Don’t blame the technology: Social media marketing requires a solid strategy
Some construction professionals still view social media as a waste of time and cannot see the benefits it can have to their business. Sure, social media takes up a significant amount of time and effort but what marketing doesn’t? How much time do you spend in meetings discussing how to raise your brand awareness, how to plan and execute the next product launch, where to place your next ad and how much of your budget will be allocated to all these different activities? Hours? Days? Even weeks?!
Social media is simply another channel that can help communicate, listen, engage, react and educate your target audience. Time is only wasted on social media if you have not developed a solid social media strategy and set clear objectives. If you are scared your employees will waste time online instead of using it to productively grow your online community and build up your reputation – then do not blame the technology, blame the internal education and culture. Inspired and motivated employees will gladly take up the job to use social media to promote and strengthen your brand online. This quote from Mitch Joel explains the point I am making:
“We’re always quick to blame the technology and not the people. I always argue that those who are not wasting their time on YouTube (because a company has blocked it) have probably figured out something else to do to waste their time (hint: they’re not happy and energized to be doing their jobs … it’s not YouTube).”
Is your online marketing legal, decent, honest and truthful?
ASA will be regulating website and social media content from 1st March 2011
In September 2010 the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) announced its first above-the-line marketing campaign in 5 years to generate awareness of the new online marketing regulations that will be coming into effect on the 1st of March 2011. The ASA confirmed that the Committee of Advertising Practice’s (CAP) non-broadcast codes of conduct will now apply to all online marketing communication. Read More
The Difference Between Social Media Marketing & Social Media Networking
Updated 2015
The growth and prevalence of social media has changed the way companies and brands are communicating – forever.
No longer a fad, social media platforms are part of modern communication; in life and within a business’s marketing plan.
The various and infinite social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat etc) are allowing businesses to connect, share information and even collaborate on projects online.
Social media is conversational and facilitates user participation and dialogue… Read More
Content Marketing for Construction Companies
Social media marketing for construction companies
What is social media marketing?
Social media is all the hype at the moment. Everybody wants a piece of the action. Social media has been around for several years but has only just hit the mainstream over the last couple of years. It really has changed the way businesses go about developing their marketing strategies.Read More
Search marketing for construction companies
A Tesco superstore, I’ve decided, is a lot like Google in the sense that a superstore, as the name suggests, has a super amount of products stacked and placed neatly for us to choose from. Those products are, for the uninitiated, strategically placed (or ranked) in terms of relevance, popularity and the ability to make Tesco money.Read More
Building strong brands: Essential for construction companies
The current economic climate is tough for many businesses in the AEC sector and seeing companies such as ROK go into administration was a real eye-opener. It is exactly in times like these that branding becomes even more important. Achieving growth and acquiring new business opportunities is increasingly challenging, especially when the industry is becoming even more competitive. In order to stand out you need to focus on your brand and remind prospects and clients why you are ‘the right man for the job.’ A strong brand is not achieved over night. It needs constant investment to sustain it and build strong brand equity.
A brand is much more than a logo or positioning statement. It is a promise. A promise from the company to its customers and clients that they will receive a product or service that consistently delivers added value.
“A brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of value.”
Without branding all products and services are perceived to be the same without any differentiation. Strong branding sets you apart from the competition by providing benefits that others do not. Through this, a relationship is formed. The construction industry is built on many relationships – relationships with clients, suppliers, employees, architects, contractors. The list goes on. It is these relationships that fully define your brand. You may think your brand represents reliability, performance and sustainable development but if your clients, customers, prospects, employees and even the general public do not think (or see) that, then something is wrong.
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Why your Construction Website needs Targeted Landing Pages
Studies have shown that nearly begin the buying process by searching on the Internet. They use specific keywords to find companies that provide the products and services that they are looking for. Since they have a specific need in mind, they do not want to spend hours searching through large amounts of jargon and useless information. Instead they want valuable facts, information, results and most importantly, why they should pick you over your competitors. What makes you stand out? What is your USP? Your website represents you, your company and the products and services that you provide to your target market. Each page on your website has a different purpose with a set objective. Therefore all pages need to be optimised to work effectively and communicate your brand message to visitors.
A landing page is a page that prospects reach either through a direct link (maybe sent through email), search engine results, online advertising banners or PPC campaigns. Landing pages are not a website’s homepage but instead are separate pages that contain keywords matching the search phrases used by visitors. They should be designed to give visitors all the necessary information in one place so that it is easier for them to make an informed purchase decision. Visitors do not want to click through various website pages to find what they are looking for. They will simply move on and find one with a targeted landing page. There goes yet another missed opportunity! Therefore, targeted and optimised landing pages need to be a core part of your online marketing strategy to maximise lead generation.