I had mixed feelings when I discovered the initial postings/site of Neil Brown’s Construction Marketing Association a few years ago. Was this a real association? And, with effective search engine optimization (based, of course, on solid content as well as site management), his site ultimately stole the top Googlerank ?from my blog for the “construction marketing” keywords.
(Good news at my end, after some gyrations and ups and downs, this blog appears to be in a solid second place now — and for some keywords, has number one spot. Of course, it depends on where you see the blog, as Google ranks aren’t universal everywhere, every time, these days.)
Regardless of my competitive instinct challenges, Brown indeed has created a truly useful blog — especially valuable for building products manufacturers seeking a way through the multi-channel minefield in finding markets for their products and services. The CMA also keeps tabs on industry trends through effective surveys. You can see this earlier posting, written after I visited Brown in Chicago a few years ago.
The blog posting: 5 Construction Marketing resolutions for 2014, demonstrates some solid advice and practical suggestions. ?I’ll post some of the content here, and excerpt other pieces (and of course I encourage you to read the original copy at the CMA Blog site.)
1. We Won?t Ignore Local SEO
The local search war for construction and construction-related brands has been heating up and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs) are increasingly important. And research shows that 49 per cent of local searches are conducted without a specific brand in mind (Google Places).
What are two tasks you can complete to build local SEO?
- Location landing pages on your website
- Build reviews
One element of your local search-ranking factor is the number and quality of reviews your business receives. Read the?Importance of Online Reviews For Construction Brands?for more information.
Optimize your website for local search by building location landing pages on your website. Learn more about this strategy here:?Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Construction Website With Landing Pages.
2. We Will Amp Up Lead Generation
Brown’s blog notes that “Lead generation has never been more important to marketers targeting construction decision makers, whether construction firms or building product manufacturers” and observes that 90 per cent of purchases begin with an Internet search.
3. We Will Get Visual
As attention spans decrease, and the oversaturation of information continues, visual (and micro) content will become even more important. Infographics, videos, pictures. The popularity of sites like Instagram, Vine, or Snapchat is a clear indication of a preference shift towards visual.?Visual content will dominate in 2014. Consider these statistics (Wishpond):
- 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, which is processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text
- Videos on landing pages increase average page conversion rates by 86%
- Businesses who market with infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don?t
Pictures of your machinery or tools, project pictures, infographics, company culture, tradeshows and events. There are plenty of opportunities for your construction brand to get visual.
4. We Will Optimize For Mobile
Brown rightfully says you should design your sites/marketing to encompass the mobile computing trend.
5. We Will Get Social
Slowly but surely, engineering, architectural, and construction (AEC) companies are recognizing the importance of social media in business.?Our?recent survey?found that approximately 97% of respondents employ social media.
Here are 6 reasons your construction business needs social media marketing:
- Social media marketing compliments, extends, and enhances your existing marketing efforts
- Social media marketing can improve search authority
- Social media can be more measurable than traditional marketing
- Social media marketing can be more cost efficient than traditional marketing
- Beyond marketing, social media can support other critical business functions such as customer service, recruitment, and more
- Social media marketing is building a huge body of evidence and case study examples
Big social media trends in 2014 include using paid advertising options, customized content, real time marketing, and more.
I think the CMA blog is a worthy contender for 2014 Best Construction Blog, though I’ll miss the CMA’s support in helping to judge the competition this year, as contestants cannot also be judges.
Best Construction Blog nominations continue to January 31, and then voting will begin, starting on February 1 and concluding March 31. You can nominate your own blog or one you really like here.
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