5 Quick Ways to use Internet Marketing to Increase Leads for your Construction Business

One of the perks of having a family of entrepreneurs is that it provides me with the opportunity to quickly test the latest Internet Marketing trends before recommending to my clients. During this process, sometimes we learn that the most time-tested tactics continue to prove most effective for our time + budget. And this is the case with our online marketing strategy for my husband’s company Berkley Construction.  Here’s a look at how we are continuing to reach San Diego property owners. 

1. Search Engine Marketing:

Search engines continue to be the top resource for consumers to find (and confirm they want to do business with) new companies. In addition to writing keyword-friendly blogs and posting weekly content on social media (which helps with organic search engine optimization), I continue to purchase keyword terms on Google AdWords. For the construction industry, AdWords can be very expensive - upwards of $10 per click for phrases like “kitchen or bathroom remodel”. Whenever possible, I bid on longer tail keywords, and never select “broad match”. I’m also sure to add “negative” keywords to the list. Words like “jobs” and “courses” make sure we spend our limited budget on potential clients, rather than people looking for work or education. Finally, with a limited budget, we’ve narrowed our search terms to only appear in select zip codes, rather than all of San Diego county. This helps increase the value of the potential leads that click our keywords.

2. Referral Sites:

Over the years, we’ve created profiles on a lot of construction related referral sites. We even recently started advertising on NextDoor. However, besides social media, the top referring website for us continues to be Houzz, and this is despite the fact that we don’t regularly post new projects. Plus I love that Houzz is free, and your project posts remain somewhat timeless. 

3. Social Media:

Despite Facebook's changes over the years that favor personal posts over company page posts, this social network still sends the most website traffic to Berkley Construction each month. Although when you look at our page, you don’t see a ton of visible engagement, in the backend, we see consistent clicks on posts that include links to our blog especially those with remodeling tips and ideas. For our new Instagram account, we find the most engagement and reach coming from our Instagram reels. The reels are short video clips with the CEO explaining some important things homeowners should know before starting a construction project.

4. Get Real Photos (Not Stock):

No matter which social media platform we’re posting on, actual photos of our team and projects far outperform any stock image we use - no matter how beautiful that stock image may be. People react to familiar faces, and can tell the difference between a actual local project. As any small business owner knows, getting professional photos takes time and money, but the authenticity it brings to your marketing efforts is well worth it.

5. Chat GPT:
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No, I did not use Chat GPT to write this blog. But I have started using it for some of Berkley Construction's recent blogs - especially those blogs that double as informational and provide SEO benefits, for example “Top Construction Projects to Boost Your San Diego Home Value” or “Reasons to Add an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to your Backyard”. Although I still need to edit the posts, Chat GPT has become an incredible time saver when it comes to this type of more general, informative content. 

That’s a quick look at some of the ways we are marketing Berkley Construction. I welcome your suggestions on what you are doing to market your local company.
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Holly Berkley is a professional Online Marketing Consultant and author of eight Internet Marketing books. She focuses on helping all size businesses increase online sales and dramatically boost web site traffic through proven online marketing concepts. Berkley’s most recent book is “The Social Media Advantage – An Essential Handbook for Small Business” Learn about her latest books and marketing services at www.BerkWeb.com