Regardless of your industry, a solid marketing plan will enable you to grow your business by helping you win new work and increase service for existing customers. As an electrical contractor, the aim of marketing is to raise awareness of your services and make your company the first choice of consumers when they are looking for an electrician. You want homeowners and corporate properties to retain your services, to recommend your business to their friends and family, and to tell everyone that you offer the best electrical contracting services in town. Strong marketing strategies will also help you develop services that meet customers’ changing needs. Here are some tips to help you attract and retain more clients and to grow your business with satisfied customers.
Customer Service
It is less expensive to keep an existing customer than it is to find a new one. Businesses that embrace this fact know to use customer service as a marketing strategy instead of as an afterthought. One of the most effective long-term growth strategies that any electrical contracting company can use is top-notch customer service. The first step to evaluating your customer service strategy is to find out how well it’s working in the first place. And if your customer service representatives aren’t meeting expectations, provide some extra training.
Your Website
Your website is the 24/7 face of your company and often creates the first impression of your business. Most people who hear of your brand or get referred will jump on their phone or computer to check out your website. It should also be the landing point for most of your digital marketing efforts as you guide potential clients to it from both social media channels and direct advertising pieces.
Your electrical contracting business needs an informative and engaging mobile website with top-notch user experience. Your website should be convenient to use, intuitive to navigate, and helpful for current and prospective customers looking for more information about their electrical needs. The more intuitive and easier it is to use your website, the lower your bounce rate and higher your conversions will be. For more specific website tips, see our article:
Website Tips for Electrical Contractors
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a must for any website. Search engines rank and display websites according to an always evolving algorithm. While specifics of a search engine’s algorithm are not entirely understood, we’ve learned many vital aspects over the years and search engines, like Bing and Google, continue to share more detail with each major update. Each time a new iteration comes out, your website may need some tweaks to make sure you are giving yourself the best opportunity to rank well in the search results.
Speaking of search engines, search marketing has become an important component of any brand’s marketing strategies. Search engine marketing is a blanket term for any series of strategies used to help a website rank higher within search engine results. Successful search engine marketing campaigns are built upon strong keyword strategies.
Brand keyword strategy should include the selection of high-performing keywords that will drive traffic to your website. Highly relevant keywords closely related to your business or industry are essential. Keywords used within advertising can make the difference between a winning and a losing campaign and will determine how well your advertisements rank with search engines. For more information, see our article:
It's Time to Reevaluate Your SEO Keyword Strategies
Email Marketing
Email marketing is an effective strategy for any business. It’s a good idea to feature an opt-in form on your website in order to help build your list of prospective and current clients. To encourage a higher open rate, vary the types of emails that you send. Alternate plain text with images or interactive emails to keep consumers interested in your content. It helps to use a specific format for each type of communication (i.e. blogs, ads, product announcements) so customers have an idea of what they’ve received.
Segmenting your target audience will allow you to send more relevant information and special offers that will increase engagement rates. Messages to targeted subgroups will let you provide value-added information to all your clients. Email marketing is an especially impactful retention tool for existing clients. You can use email to send reminders to existing clients that it’s time to schedule a seasonal or annual type of service. For more on the benefits of segmenting your email communications, see our article: Personalized Email Marketing
Social Media
Consumers have been shown to readily engage with brands on various social media platforms. As such, a solid social media presence has become almost an expectation. The first step is to understand which channels your target audience frequents so you can meet them where they are. Depending on your ideal consumers, you may need to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, or some combination of those platforms.
People crave authenticity and will quickly reject superficial content so, avoid outright marketing ploys on your social media channels and instead, use the platforms to be social. Engage your followers by listening, commenting, and sharing high-value content. Create a community by asking questions, asking for input and feedback, and utilizing user-generated content when you can.
It takes time, effort and money to properly establish and maintain a robust social media marketing presence. The goals are simple. Let consumers know you exist. Show them how your electrical contracting services are superior to your competitors. And convince them to give your business a try.
Online Reviews and Ratings
Online reviews and ratings influence today’s consumers and shape the way they interact with businesses. Reviews posted on sites like Google allow customers to compare different electrical contracting services based on other people’s experiences. 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
The content in online reviews for your business is an important resource as you work to persuade potential clients to utilize your services. It helps to be proactive by asking satisfied clients for reviews. You can also encourage them to share their experience on social media by including your social media information on your business cards, pamphlets, or any other material you regularly leave with your clients.
Be sure to monitor all channels on which people can leave comments about your practice, including Google, Yelp, and so on. Negative reviews are inevitable. Simply respond to them in a professional and compassionate manner to resolve the issue.
Wrap Up
Remember that marketing is an ongoing investment. It not only involves advertising but also client support, public relations, media planning, and more. The right combination of online marketing strategies can help you create a self-sustaining flow of quality leads and booked jobs that will not only boost your bottom line but also establish you as the electrical authority in your market.
The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing are ready to help you integrate marketing strategies that let you grow your client base over time while still allowing you the flexibility you need to respond to changes in your client needs. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer and how we can create a personalized marketing plan that works with your specific business goals and budget. Let’s get started!
Cover photo by Rodolfo Clix from Pexels