Ten years ago, a significant avenue for a lot of contractors to advertise their company was by placing an ad in the Yellow Pages. In 2016, the Yellow Pages are a distant past.
Contractors are getting more creative in marketing their businesses. They’re relying on company websites, social media and hands-on interaction with their customers.
“The Yellow Pages is the biggest rip-off,” says Bob Biagini, owner of an excavation company in Marshfield, Massachusetts. “Through the years, we used to have half pages and then we went to quarter pages, then we just went with the name and got rid of the actual ad. We now just have a listing. I don’t think people use it anymore.”
The 70-year-old Biagini is trying to adapt to the times. He’s been in the excavating business for over 50 years and his family-owned company, Biagini, has been running since 1932.
“I put the ads in the Yellow Pages again this year, but next year I’m not going to,” says Ken Baker, owner of Baker Hydro Excavation in Mountain View, Wyoming. “The reason for that is everybody has cellphones. If you need to know something, you just type it in there, and everybody’s in multimedia where you can pull the number right then.”
Different methods of advertising
Mike Morehouse, owner of Davids Hydro Vac in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, swears by Google AdWords. The company pays every time someone clicks on his website when keywords are used. “We mess around with keywords — we add some and remove some,” says Morehouse, who has been in business for seven years. “It’s trial and error. You don’t want a lot of wasted clicks.”
When a prospective customer conducts a Google search using words such as “Hydrovac Minnesota” or “Hydrovac MN,” Davids Hydro Vac is one of the first results to appear.
Morehouse started using AdWords one year after starting his company. He’s had good luck from using AdWords, having received positive feedback from first-time customers. Morehouse places a limit on what he’ll pay per month on the search engine, but he has a hefty advertising budget. Morehouse figures he spends roughly $20,000 per year on advertising.
Even though Morehouse has been in business for a number of years and is well established, he hasn’t scaled back his marketing approach. “We’re keeping it consistent. We’re not changing anything because it works.”
Placing that logo
One of the main marketing tools for Baker Hydro Excavation is having its logo and phone number on hydroexcavation and support trucks.
“When you’re out driving, what do you look at?” says Baker. “The back of the truck. So we put a logo on the tailgate with our number.”
Baker says the company spends about $2,500-$6,000 per year on advertising. Using the on-truck advertising has proven effective for Baker. New clients have mentioned that they’ve found their contact information by following one of the trucks.
Other forms of marketing
Morehouse, Biagini and Baker all have different advertising philosophies, but they all agree that having an active company Facebook page and website are important to get their business names out to the public. “We try to keep it fun,” says Morehouse. “It’s all about being personal so our customers get to know us a little bit better.”
Many contractors already on Facebook post photos of their crews on job sites and pictures of new trucks. Industrial Hydro Excavating, based in Ohio, is active on its page posting updates on what events they are attending, showing photos of jobs and even about general community events.
Morehouse, Biagini and Baker haven’t branched out to use any other social media websites like Twitter or Instagram, but Morehouse says he may consider it in the next few years. Morehouse notes, however, that he doesn’t want his competitors to know too much about what’s going on with his company.
Baker, who started his business in 2011, still uses old-fashioned word-of-mouth as a primary advertising platform. Both he and Morehouse says when the companies perform good work for his clients, they tend to pass along a good word.
“This is a competitive industry,” Morehouse says. “You can have the prettiest website in the world and everything, but when it comes down to it, the first and last contact you have with your customer is the way to get your marketing done.”
SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS
- Follow the one-in-seven rule — Only one of every seven posts should overtly promote your business. The other six should be focused on sharing content, including posts from the community. You can still promote your business in those, but pair it with great content.
- Ask conversation-starter questions — Most people enjoy sharing their opinions, so ask Facebook fans to weigh in on topics that are relevant to your business and interesting to them.
- Share your expertise — Post little-known, fun facts in the form of questions with a special give-away like a company shirt or hat for example.
- Post often — Don’t just post one time a month to Facebook. The more active you are, the more followers (fans) you’ll start gaining.
