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When my brother and I began working together as remodeling contractors nearly 40 years ago, we used several means to generate work. Needless to say, word-of-mouth referrals, new jobs for former clients, and Yellow Pages advertising were fundamental. In addition, truck and job signs, door-to-door flyers, home shows, newspaper and magazine ads, and radio constituted our lead generation arsenal.
The World Wide Web rolled around about 25 years ago, but it wasn’t until the last decade that “likes,” “tweets,” “pins,” “posts” and “follows” have become viable resources for companies of all sizes to showcase their wares and prospect for business.
Many of the old tried and true methods still work for us—as they do for others. However, like many, we have jumped on the digital bandwagon to explore new horizons and capture the Millennial market, in particular.
For our money, the World Wide Web is one of the most exciting advertising opportunities in the last 30 years. Nothing compares to being able to share an online version of your project portfolio with prospects. Text, which explains your mission and process, photos and video of previous projects, and an online contact form give you access to prospects like never before.
For most, a website is the destination for activity generated by traditional and “new” media. Your website should appear on every piece of advertising that you produce—trucks, job signs, business cards, e-mail, broadcast and more. If your business is active on social media, be sure to invite prospects to become a part of your digital and social world. But don’t stop there; give them a reason to digitally “socialize” with you. Offering useful tips and information, asking “polling questions” to pique interest and create a discussion can build your audience and following and produce bankable leads.
I know, you don’t have time to mess with social media, a website or any of that other nonsense. I hear you. You’re out on the job early, running hard making sales calls in the afternoon, and bidding jobs until the wee hours of the morning. Now, I’m not suggesting that you work harder, maybe just a bit smarter. Consider having a company that specializes in web design and social media development and integration pull the pieces together for you and manage it on an ongoing basis.
Tech is filled with talented and creative young minds, which has produced a competitive environment and made online, digital and social media available to everyone. I’m certain that the perfect “geek” for your company is just a click away.
