Marketing can be a very effective way to find clients whether it is by word of mouth or finding you through a targeted campaign, your business is directly or indirectly marketing all the time.
Marketing Essentials
1. Uniforms
The holy grail of constant advertising, uniforms. I for one, and I am sure you too, notice when a uniform looks sharp. Be creative with your uniforms to stand out from the crowd. Think about each angle that your work clothes can be seen from, and maximize your exposure of all those angles. Don’t forget to use the back of your shirt, they’ll be seen while you are standing inline.
2. Flyers or letterbox drop
While you are in the area doing a job, get your team to do a quick letterbox drop up and down the street you are working in. Create a small handout with some basic information on who you are, what you are doing, and how they can contact you.
This works especially well when backed up with ute or site signage so that the neighbors can do a drive-by and check you out if interested. Remember, for someone to buy from you, they need to know, like and trust you.
Your letterbox drop gives them an opportunity to know and like you, and your tidy, professional site allows them to feel a sense of trust.
3. Signs
As mentioned above, ute signage and a simple corflute sign or even fancier still, banner mesh, is a great way to grab the attention of those passing by. 5 years on and we still receive calls from when we built a manse for a church, simply due to site signage.
Having 5 corflute signs printed is not expensive and creates a great opportunity for exposure.
4. Referral programs
I cannot tell you how often we hear from tradies that their biggest source of new work, is word of mouth, our answer is always the same, “what are you doing to nurture this”?
People are not going to keep referring you without motivation, which is easy to create with an effective referral program. These programs should have a reward for the referring client in mind, and that can be a voucher to a hardware store or a discount of service with you if you offer a recurring service or consumable.
As builders, we offered a voucher to a hardware store for each referral we received that turned into a contract. It was simple, easy to run and very effective.
5. Business cards
As tradies we run into multiple people every day, we forget though, that many of these are an opportunity to create a connection that could lead to work. Carry business cards with you to ensure that you are always able to effectively share your contact information immediately.
As business owners we are constantly marketing, some is subtle like those we outlined today, but just as necessary.
Are you ensuring you’re always marketing? Do you know who your market is?
