I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t lack marketing ideas. You attend educational sessions, webinars, talk to colleagues, receive countless emails, and read books and trade publications. You’ve read all kinds of great ideas on how to better market your business. You don’t lack marketing ideas. What you lack is how to determine which ideas are most important to focus on and which will produce the best return on investment. And after that—which is most critical—how to get to work and consistently implement those ideas.
Based on my work with remodelers around the country, I’ve compiled a list of fundamental marketing activities to focus on each month, seen on the opposite page. Yes, there are some of you who may look into investing in radio/TV/print options. Perhaps you’ll make some strategic investment in SEO/Google AdWords or participate in home show, your local Parade of Homes, and other activities. However, before you do any of those, make sure these tried and true basics are focused on and consistently implemented.
Activity | How? | Why? | Goal |
| Google Review | Pick one client who loves you and ask for a review. Don't be shy about following up to make sure it happens. | Builds trust with prospects and improves SEO. | 1 per month |
| Call Previous Clients | Follow a simple script: "I was thinking about you today. Wanted to check and see how you are doing and how the job we did for you is holding up." | The majority of dollars you put in your bank account this year are coming from repeat work or referrals from previous clients. Don't neglect them. | 5 per month (very doable) |
| Thank You Cards | Handwritten, please. Send them out after you return from the initial in-person meeting. Everyone knows to do this - are you actually taking two minutes to do it? | Shows your attention to detail and that you care; helps you build "know, like, and trust." | After every initial in-person meeting |
| Update Your Website | Take a good look at your website. What is one update you can make this month? It could be a blog post, new photos, a testimonial you received, etc. | It's the central hub of your marketing system. Keep it fresh - Google likes that. | 1 per month |
| Networking/BLBs | Develop your list of strategic partners. (Think realtor/landscaper/designer or, outside our industry, CPA/financial advisor. Anybody who shares the same ideal clients as you do.) Schedule a BLB with three people. BLB stands for Breakfast, Lunch, or Beer. | You're already going to be eating. Invest some of that time into developing your relationships with key people who you can help and who may be able to refer you. | 3 per month |
| Referral Program | First, reach out and thank every person/company who refers you. Second, after you sign that client, get creative. How can you thank them? Surprise them with tickets to something they would enjoy. Give them a gift certificate. Donate to a charity of their choice. | Please don't neglect this. Put effort in here and have fun with it - it's the right thing to do and it's really good for business. | After every referral and when you sign a job from a referral. |
| Excellent Job Photos | Get solid before and during photos yourself. Invest in a pro to capture the end of job photos. | This is often overlooked. Develop a system to make sure it happens consistently. | Every job |
| Review and improve the elements that make up your image | All of the elements that make up your image are important: your trucks, shirts/hats, letterhead/forms, business cards, jobsite signs, email signature, employee attitudes, telephone hold message, etc. | All of these elements are either supporting, neutral (not helping or hurting), or disrupting your overall image. Focus on improving one of them this month. | 1 thing each month |
| Pardon Our Dust Campaign | Are you working in a great neighborhood? The neighbors are seeing your vehicles, jobsite signs, and the activity. Hand-deliver or mail a letter/postcard to them. Introduce yourself, "pardon our dust," and tell them to contact you if they have any concerns or if you can be of service to them. | They may hold onto your letter for 6 months until they are ready. Tha's OK. Be proactive in reaching out to them to generate know, like, and trust - and perhaps a new prospect. | At the start of every job |
| Videos about what makes you different | Imagine you are on one of your jobsites and have an ideal prospect standing next to you. What are the little things on the jobsite you would want to tell that prospect about? (Think creative design, what's behind the drywall, process, products, jobsite cleanliness, attention to detail, etc.) | Now pull out your iPhone and record a quick 45-second video explaning one of these things on the jobsite. Upload that to your website, use it in your follow-up emails to a prospect, and post it on social media. | 1 per month |
This is where the rubber hits the road. Are you going to implement these practical ideas? What is one thing you can take action on today? Is there anything here that you can delegate to one of your team members?
If you do these things you will:
- Have a strong and standout website.
- Be proactive in reaching out to your previous clients to generate repeat and referral work.
- Be differentiating your remodeling company from anybody else the homeowner may be in contact with.
- Be developing a strong team of strategic partners who you can mutually benefit from.
- Be rewarding and consistently thanking the great people who trust you enough to refer you, which will spur more referrals.
- Have great photography of your projects to show new prospects.
- Have all of the elements that make up your image be in alignment with the professional company you seek to be.
- Proactively market to a very targeted list of neighbors around your jobsites who may, in turn, become your next client.
Remember: Focus less on what to do and more on doing it. Work the list above and be consistent with them. They are very proven, practical, and effective. Best of all, they produce quality remodeling leads and just plain work.
