Single-family home construction and renovations will continue to boom well into 2021. With many contractors booking jobs into May, June and even July, we expect 2021 to be another very successful year for our industry. The difference is that this year, we can – and must – plan for it.
Some companies feel like the current economic situation means they should dial back their
marketing spend. We disagree.
History has shown us that this is absolutely the time to be ramping up marketing efforts. Yes, 2020 was great for our industry, and 2021 looks like more of the same, but smart businesses know to play the long game.
Don’t let yourself get distracted from the big picture – your company needs to be front and center next year, so that you are well set up for times when our industry’s growth is a little less certain. The time to secure your growth is now.
Step one in planning is to map out the messages you want to convey to your customer groups (or audiences) throughout the year. You may go with a monthly theme, a quarterly theme, or even a seasonal theme. The idea is to bring in your customers by talking about things they want during that time.
For example, at the beginning of the year, homeowners are looking for inspiration to finalize details they want to see in their backyard renovation. If you have an indoor showroom, this is a great time to invite homeowners in to see samples up close. In contrast, contractors may be looking to invest in new tools to increase productivity, or to reserve/pre-order products for their sold upcoming jobs. January is a great time to talk about which tools are going to help them grow their business, and to launch new services such as advanced product ordering and reserving.
Once you have your theme for each of your audiences, plan out how you will communicate those messages. You can broadcast messaging for both audiences, or choose one to focus on for the time period. Take into consideration the time of year, your budget, and what you feel will be most effective. You could hang a sign in store or train your staff if the message concerns your regular customers, or, for your broader messages, you could advertise through marketing initiatives like Facebook ads or an ad in a local paper.
In 2021, there is zero doubt about it – you NEED to advertise online. You should be putting money into either Facebook or Google (preferably both!) – because if you aren’t, your competitors are, and they are getting business that should be yours. Take advantage of the current Buy Local trend. Many consumers are choosing to avoid big box stores these days, but they need to know you exist. To drive down your acquisition cost through online advertising, you should diversify – which means you should have at least one other initiative that is not online. This works because your audience has seen you before, so they are more likely to click on your ad and to be converted. Repetition leads to familiarity.
Click here to download our Marketing Plan Template. In it, you will find suggestions of monthly topics that are relevant to your two main audiences – contractors and homeowners. Customize the plan to your store’s specific needs. If you have any questions along the way shoot us an email at coop@techo-bloc.com. Let’s get ready for another successful year!