By Kathy Ziprik
You know that marketing and public relations can help your business, but oftentimes you don’t have enough hours in the day to develop these programs. What’s the answer? Partner for success and get others to make your life easier!
Idea #1. Hitch a ride with your local home builders or remodeling association, and you’ll find an easy way to gain recognition for your projects. Almost every group has an awards program. By entering these programs, you can win prestigious recognition that can go a long way with your customers when promoting your business.
Idea #2. If you find yourself constantly drawn to using the same manufacturer’s products, consider contacting that company. Most manufacturers have their own public relations people searching for building industry professionals who they can promote to local and national media. Many companies, including Fypon, Simonton Windows and Hy-Lite Products, will create case studies on your projects using their products at no cost to you. That means you get free professional photography of your projects and a professionally printed piece about them. Better still, these companies send the case studies to hundreds of media members who could run stories on you and your company!
Idea #3. Work with your local dealers to participate with them in local home and garden shows. Offer to staff their booth with them so that you can meet potential customers. Bring your brag book of project homes and supply your company literature to booth visitors.
Idea #4. Make the right people aware of your favorite projects. If there are some projects you are especially proud of, start by taking pictures. Then, share those pictures with your dealers, manufacturer reps and local builder associations. Good pictures usually spark great publicity ideas. A dealer may post the pictures and a story on his web site. A manufacturer may submit the project as a story idea to a trade or consumer magazine. A local builder association may feature you in their newsletter. Just by sharing your success stories you can widen the circle of publicity for your company.
Idea #5. Team up for success. While you may not want to join efforts with your competitors on too many efforts, when you pick out special projects to work together, everyone gains. Consider a community playground that needs to be constructed. If four builders join together to built the playground, everyone benefits. Signage at the construction site promotes all four companies. A press release to the local media gives everyone media exposure. A radio interview on the project helps promote the project. Ideas are endless ? and when you team up with other builders, you all share in the marketing efforts and the positive results!
For more ideas on ways to enhance your marketing and public relations efforts, read PR Power: Public Relations for Building Pros by Kathleen S. Ziprik, available through NAHB’s BuilderBooks or Amazon.com.
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