Marketing Yourself…as a Contractor

Marketing Yourself…as a Contractor

There’s plenty of skilled contractors out there in the world that are incredibly gifted and innovative in their trade.  However the problem in this industry isn’t skill level – it’s competition.  There are just so many options under the sun that it is difficult to separate reputable individuals from the clutter.  In our current digital world, the internet is an incredibly powerful tool to browse, evaluate, and compare various contracting professionals and their work.  Fire up one Google search for an electrician and you’ll have hundreds of electricians all claiming they’re the best in your area.  But with the all competition in the space, you are probably asking yourself…how on earth am I going to stand out?

Brand is King

Brand development should be the initial starting point for any construction business looking to broaden its marketing scope.  Contractors need to brand themselves in a creative fashion that speaks to their strengths in their field or trade.  Start with a logo and two complimentary colors that sum up your profession, giving some context to the look and feel of your brand.  

At this stage, it’s essential to think how a customer would when they’re looking for contractors – if you reflect their search behaviors and lines of questioning in your branding and collateral, you will have an immediate leg up on your competition.  Creating original content like a unique logo, a narrative, and a gallery of your best work helps you stand out – the best place to showcase these pieces is on a website, giving you professional credibility.

Pour the branding foundation for your business by creating a narrative about your strengths and capabilities, using testimonials and galleries of completed work to fortify your overall positioning.  The goal is to create a branded network of text, videos, photos, testimonials that speak directly to the reasons why a prospective customer should choose your services.  Get creative here – everybody seems to rattle off the same jargon about their years in business, expertise, and testimonials.  What makes you different?  Why should customers choose you?

Networking

Once you have solidified a brand position and image, it’s time to go out and build a network of companies, contacts and individuals that support your brand.  This is one of the most critically overlooked pieces of the marketing puzzle for contractors.  You can have a great logo, awesome branded collateral, and an engaging website, but if you don’t start connecting with other professionals and groups in the community like subcontractors, real estate agents, property developers, landowners, homeowner’s associations, engineers and architects, your business will be dead in the water.

Building professional relationships with a wide breadth of decision-makers and key players like the ones listed above is the best way to grow the impact and footprint of your company.  Develop a relationship with a realtor and you could source work from homeowners looking to remodel or add to existing properties.  Partner with leading engineers and architects so you can get the inside scoop on emerging projects before your competition.  Having these links in place not only gives you the opportunity to gain more exposure, but also provides you with a built-in network of people that can bring you referrals and new business, while vouching for your credibility.  

About CSLS:

CSLS is the largest contractor licensing school in California with over 25 locations throughout the state. We have the highest success rate of any school – 99% of our students pass their exam on the first try, and that’s guaranteed or your money back.

Our teaching process prepares you in a step by step manner for everything you need to know to pass the law, business and trade portion of your exam.  Our programs are designed for convenience. We have online programs, home study, crash-course and in-school options, making it easy and affordable for you to become a licensed contractor.