Are you looking for budget-friendly ways of marketing a home improvement business?
If you're running a small business, you're probably looking out for smart ways to get themost out of your money when it comes to marketing - and you may be worried about throwing your budget down the drain with Google ads that just aren't getting good enough results (if so, read this).
And as for home improvement lead generation companies - they can often provide poor quality leads that just aren't always worth the money.
What you really need is a steady stream of quality leads so you can grow your business now, allowing you to invest more on marketing in the future. So what can you do?
The good news is, I've spent 10+ years specialising in helping home services and contractors just like you build their businesses inaffordable ways, which is why I've decided to write this blog post.
So below, you'll find five of the best ways to market your home improvement business economically.
1. Drive more traffic and sales to your site with a blog
This is a tip I've shared before, and I'll share again, as it's simply THE most effective way to not only drive more traffic to your site, but also educate your customers, so they can make a buying decision faster - plus, creating a blog is 100% free.
This is known as content marketing, and an amazing 61% of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom content - plus, it makes them more likely to buy from that company.
Your content should focus on helping your customers by addressing the questions, problems and challenges they ask you and your team on a daily basis, and your blog titles should mirror the language they type into Google search, and publish this content at least twice per week.
Here's more about why content marketing is so successful, whether you're selling conservatories or cat food. As for how to create a good content marketing strategy, you can read all about it on my blog.
TIP: You can also capture more leads by introducing multiple touch points and call-to-actions on your website and blog, to help visitors move onto the next stage of their buying journey.
2. Reach more potential customers via social media
Once you've created some lovely, helpful content, it's time to share it on social media. Facebook alone has 1.09 billion daily active users, and sharing your content here and on other platforms will help you reach a lot more people - giving you more potential customers to engage with.
It's particularly helpful if you know where your ideal customers (or buyer personas) spend most of their time, whether that be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube or elsewhere.
But don't just share your content - try to engage with your followers where possible by asking questions, joining in on conversations and replying to any comments or questions that are important. Try to dedicate no more than 20 minutes per day to social media, as it can soak up your time otherwise.
3. Get more click-throughs with clever email marketing
Did you know you're six times more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign that you are from a tweet? That's why email should never be ignored when it comes to reaching out to new leads.
Your website should ideally have an option to subscribe to your blog, newsletter or email updates. Once your visitors opt-in to your email lists, or become a lead, you can begin crafting clever email marketing campaigns to help you promote offers, content and anything else you think is relevant to your business.
Just remember not to come across as overly salesy, keep it entertaining, and try not to 'spam' people with too many emails (or repeating the same email multiple times - they'll just unsubscribe).
You can use a marketing automation platform like HubSpot to see how people are interacting with your emails, including which type of subject lines work best, and which emails get the most engagement. You can then tailor future emails for better results!
4. Bypass search results with a Google MyBusiness Listing
Having a Google MyBusiness account can make it so much easier for the right customers to find you - you'll probably be one of the first things they see on Google when they search for your products or services! Along with a description of your business, photos, contact details, reviews and opening times.
Pretty nifty, eh?
It essentially integrates Google search, maps, and Google +with Reviews, Insights and Google Analytics, so you have everything in one easy-to-use dashboard - and if you don't already have an account, you could be losing out on a lot of local business.
Conclusion
I hope you've found this blog useful when marketing a home improvement business on a budget - I can assure you that if you spend time trying the above tips, you're bound to soon notice a difference in the amount of leads and sales your business acquires.
Just remember that these things can take time, but if you continue to build on regular, helpful content that provides value to the right people, more of them will begin finding, reading and sharing your content and website for others to see.
Got any questions about marketing your business economically? Let me know in the comments section, and I promise I'll answer you.
