Whether you are a novice or an expert at marketing building materials, there are common mistakes that should be avoided in order to see true success with your efforts. Be sure your marketing team is aware of what not to do as they create your strategy and execute digital campaigns.
With fierce competition in a commoditized marketplace, it’s crucial not to let easily preventable errors blunder your marketing efforts. With contractors and architects looking for quality products, you likely have hundreds of local or national competitors out there.
Attempting to differentiate yourself should become an automatic goal as your first marketing step. Standing out in a crowded field is essential, though it's not the only thing to focus on in your marketing efforts.
Here's a list of marketing mishaps and how to avoid them along with falling into a trap of complacency.
Not Targeting The Right Audience
It's easy to assume construction contractors and architects are going to easily find you on Google. You can't guarantee this if you don't know what kind of audience you're trying to attract. Don't think in general terms, because every contractor and architect have unique needs depending on what they're building and what their construction philosophies are.
Take some time to design buyer personas (ideal customer profiles) so you understand exactly who you're targeting. Most likely, you'll discover aspects about your customers you didn't realize. If you have specialized products, like using green materials, you can center your marketing on those adhering to green building practices.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin On Social Media
It's possible you're on too many social media accounts rather than focusing on the few your audience actually spends time on. There isn't any point taking the time to post content on every social media channel available since your target audience isn't on all of them. After doing research on your customer base, you may discover they spend more time on Pinterest rather than Facebook or LinkedIn.
You're better off focusing on the most important social channels so you don't waste time nurturing a nonexistent audience. Take the time to research where your audience is and provide content they will engage with to use social media effectively.
The Quality Of Your Content Is Questionable
Do you really know the value of the content you post on your building materials blog or website? Does it have the proper research behind it and is it written by someone with industry expertise?
Be sure whoever is writing your content takes the time to thoroughly research the topic before your content is created. Find a way for them to easily connect with the most experienced people in your company to give them factual information. You want the writer to have every resource available to them so they can give you a quality piece of content for your audience.
Not Paying Attention To The Mobile Revolution
Too many in the building materials industry don't yet realize how important mobile marketing is. Not doing any marketing on mobile is like denying the Internet's existence. With more people than ever finding information on a mobile device, you can't tuck this away as a "to do" later.
The construction industry uses mobile technology significantly to make their jobs and their lives easier. Consider that contractors and architects are on the go most of the day and aren't sitting in front of desktops all day.
Market directly to them on mobile so you can capture these people when they search for information. Mobile technology will only continue to increase and your target audience needs to have the ability to quickly find what's unique about your building material products.
Now that you have learned what is harmful to your marketing efforts, we hope you’ll implement the things that should be factored into your next marketing strategy. Learning what to avoid is equally as important as learning best practices.
