Lead generation and digital marketing aren’t exactly areas of expertise for a construction company. They’re spending most of their time working onsite and bidding on new projects. However, just like any other B2B business, construction companies need a consistent flow of new opportunities. This is why lead generation for construction companies is so important.
4 Tactics For Generating Construction Leads
Since B2B lead generation may not be your area of expertise, where do you start if you want to generate more opportunities for your construction company? Each industry is different, and for construction companies, these four tactics have proven to be the most effective.
1. Focus on local search engine optimization (SEO)
One of the most effective lead generation strategies for construction companies is local SEO. When people are searching for construction companies in your area, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find your company. Local SEO efforts ensure that you show up in search engine results when companies in your area search for the services you offer.
Here are a few local SEO strategies to help you get started:
- Optimize meta titles and descriptions. Your title and meta description are the first thing a person sees when your website populates in a search engine; make it good.
- Get citations. Your company name, address, and phone number should be on as many sites that aggregate business data as possible. Also, make sure that it’s consistent.
- Get on Google My Business. Even though it’s a directory just like Yelp or Infogroup, Google My Business (GMB) is especially important since it’s owned by THE search engine of all search engines.
- Get online reviews. You need social proof to convince people to become your customers, so encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB page.
- Use schema markup. Schema.org markup is a way to give search engines more information about your business. If you’re not a web developer, you may need some assistance.
- Get backlinks from local non-competing businesses. Backlinks are great for SEO and can help your business rank above competitors in local search engine results.
This list is just scratching the surface of local SEO. And many of your competitors are probably neglecting to realize how effective these strategies can be when it comes to lead generation. Start using these strategies now to beat out competitors.
2. Create engaging content that drives leads
Your ideal customers are going to look for engaging content to determine whether or not you’re an expert. Plus, the more content you’re publishing, the more traffic you’ll drive to your website. Position yourself as an expert in the construction industry by publishing content that is helpful and engaging for readers. Some example topics to get you started might include the following:
- How to Install Drywall For Beginners
- How Weather Affects Your Businesses Roof
- X Signs It May Be Time For a Remodel
- X Things to Think About When Expanding
Develop a content strategy and a schedule for the content you’ll be writing and publishing. The more often you post, the better. When you drive a user to an engaging blog on your website, they may navigate to a service page and eventually end up contacting you. It’s all about guiding users through the buyer’s journey—the digital buying journey, that is.
Ready to win more construction jobs? Let’s talk.
3. Start a strategic B2B appointment setting program
In addition to local SEO and content marketing, which can help drive inbound leads, there’s also the flip side of that coin—outbound marketing. In an industry like construction, outreach is extremely important. If you’re not speaking to people in your market, a competitor is going to. It doesn’t matter how well known you already are; every business needs lead generation.
A B2B appointment setting program can help you build a pipeline that consistently generates high-quality leads. Key activity includes the following:
- Prospecting. Any great salesperson has one dedicated person who is solely responsible for prospecting and building lists.
- Cold calling. Cold calling is not dead; it’s just hard. But if you have a process and your sales team knows how to handle objections, cold calling can be an effective part of your strategy.
- Email marketing. Email marketing is important because it allows you to follow up with prospects and provide them with more information about your company.
- Lead nurturing. Lead nurturing and qualification is an essential component of a B2B appointment setting program. Once you qualify leads, they should stay in your pipeline. Outbound marketing is not calling thousands of prospects and hoping one agrees to meet. Instead, it’s calling hundreds of qualified prospects, asking discovery questions, building a relationship, and continuing to follow up until it’s the right time for them to buy.
- Scheduling appointments. The purpose of a B2B appointment setting program is for sales representatives to set qualified sales appointments for closing sales reps who deliver a more qualified sales pitch.
Outreach, especially when using a well-thought-out process like B2B appointment setting, is an extremely effective way to generate outbound leads for your construction company. Whether you’re thinking of starting your own B2B appointment setting program or considering sales outsourcing, having a team of appointment setters gives you more time to speak only with highly interested prospects.
4. Utilize marketing collateral to boost sales efforts
One other thing that can give your outbound sales efforts a boost is marketing collateral. Sales collateral can be your secret weapon and that thing that gives you a leg up in a competitive space. Not only does sales collateral guide the sales conversation, but it also helps your business tell a story. Brochures, sell sheets, case studies, etc. tell a prospect a lot; plus, they’re visually appealing and give your business a professional appearance.
You shouldn’t leave the fate of your construction company up to luck. Knowing where your next opportunity is going to come from shouldn’t be a guessing game. Even if you’re doing well, don’t let competitors catch up. If you need help determining a lead generation strategy for your construction business, Abstrakt Marketing Group can help. Schedule a meeting with us today.