4 Direct Mail Marketing Ideas for Home Improvement Contractors
For home improvement service professionals that conduct most of their business away from the office and out in the field, finding the time for marketing and lead generation can be difficult. However, there are some simple things home services professionals can do in order to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and effectively attract new business while working on existing job sites.
1) Make your service trucks and trailers advertise for you.
Vehicle wraps and truck-side billboard advertising isn’t a new concept but it is amazing to see how many service vehicles lack signage of any kind. Those that do often include the bare minimum of information and do little to address why prospects should consider one company over another. It’s no longer enough to slap the company name and a phone number on the car door and expect the phone to ring off the hook.
Use the same communication principles when designing your vehicle artwork as you would for any other advertising or marketing piece.
- Use a creative, captivating headline
- Feature bold, colorful images that elicit an emotional response or reaction
- Provide a clear call to action and even consider including an enticing offer
- Make it easy for prospects to access your contact information
In addition, remember that your vehicle is an extension and reflection of your brand. Keep your fleets looking as neat and clean as possible. Refresh decals if they become damaged, worn or faded.
2) Introduce your company to the neighborhood whenever you start a job.
As the saying goes, “birds of a feather tend to flock together.” The same is true regarding homes in a neighborhood; clusters of them are usually constructed within the same time frame, share similar features, and potentially have the same repair/remodeling needs. Hunt for those additional opportunities by letting local prospects know you’re in the area and working on a neighbor’s home. You can do this within minutes by utilizing various marketing tools.
By using marketing tools, busy, constantly-on-the-go professionals no longer have to wait to get back to the office to launch their home improvement marketing campaigns, rely on slow-moving word of mouth or invest in untargeted marketing channels to advertise their service offering. The result is timelier communications to a hyper-local target audience that helps to increase revenue-generating opportunities.
3) Be prepared with a ‘mobile showroom’ to shorten the sales cycle.
Keep a travel-friendly version of your showroom with your crew at all times. It can include before-and-after photos of your best work, hardware and/or substrate samples, an up-to-date pricing list, and a collection of customer testimonials. If a local prospect walks up to you at a job site or if you get an immediate response from one of the marketing efforts mentioned above, you’ll be ready to start the conversation and jump straight into the sales process.
4) Show off your stellar work and continue consistent communication.
After a job is completed, repeat tip #2. Send a direct mail campaign to prospects surrounding the job site and show off your gorgeous work in its finished state. Then, coordinate at least 3 to 5 more marketing touches targeted at that same audience over a 4 to 6 month time frame. In some cases, it takes multiple touches before a prospect will commit your name to memory and take action. (Need a direct marketing service provider? Check out QuantumDigital's free direct marketing website designed for business owners and marketing professionals.)
What other local marketing efforts do you think are 'no-brainer' home remodeler marketing tips? Leave a comment if you care to share.
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