Warning: 7 Red Flags to spot before choosing a Marketing Agency for Your Construction Business.
Building a successful construction business takes more than just a hammer and nails.
It takes a solid marketing strategy to reach your target audience and attract new clients.
But what happens when you partner with a marketing agency that just doesn't measure up?
You could be putting your business's reputation and success on the line.
Imagine this scenario.
You've hired a marketing agency to create a shiny new website for your construction business.
But instead of wowing your potential clients, it's filled with spelling errors and outdated design.
Or maybe your social media accounts have gone silent, despite paying for regular updates.
Yikes!
To avoid the headache of a misaligned partnership with a marketing agency, it's important to know the warning signs before you sign on the dotted line.
Let’s explore some red flags to watch out for, and how to find the right marketing partner to help build a strong foundation for your construction business.
❌ Lack of construction industry marketing experience.
Let’s start with the big one.
There a LOT of marketing companies out there.
Designers, printers, website development, social media and companies, signage companies.
Before buddying up with any marketing agency be sure they have experience in the construction industry.
Here's why.
Working with a marketing agency without construction industry experience is like building a house with the wrong tools.
Sure, you may be able to get some work done, but the result will be subpar and may not meet your expectations.
Instead of a sturdy, well-designed structure, you'll end up with a wobbly, poorly constructed mess.
Yikes.
Just as you wouldn't build a house with the wrong tools, you shouldn't entrust your marketing efforts to a company without construction industry experience.
🚩 LACK OF INDUSTRY UNDERSTANDING.
A marketing company without experience in the construction industry may not understand your unique challenges.
🚩 UNFAMILIARITY WITH TARGET AUDIENCE.
Without an understanding of the construction industry and your target audience, a marketing company may struggle to create relevant and appealing content for your ideal clients.
🚩 INABILITY TO ADAPT TO MARKET CHANGES.
A marketing company without industry experience may not be able to respond to changes in the construction market in an effective way.
🚩 LESS EFFECTIVE.
Marketing efforts that are not tailored to the construction industry and target audience are less likely to produce the results you are after.
🚩 POOR ROI.
Marketing campaigns that don’t resonate with your target audience and industry can result in a poor return on investment.
Example.
You get to know a social media agency who do an epic job helping wedding industry professionals build their Instagram presence.
Photographers, cake makers, jewellers, bridal designers.
Because they totally understand that industry.
And how those ideal clients (engaged couples) tick.
Doesn’t mean they are going to be able to assist you in the same way for your commercial plumbing business.
❌ No proven track record of helping other Trade and Construction businesses.
Imagine you hired a marketing agency to promote your construction company.
They have a flashy website and impressive pitch.
But no proven track record in the construction industry.
Let me compare this to something you’ll understand.
It's like hiring an amateur carpenter to build a bridge.
They may have the right tools.
But without experience, they're more likely to make mistakes and deliver a final product that doesn't meet your expectations or the necessary standards.
What does that mean?
You end up getting wet.
Similarly, a marketing agency without a proven track record in the construction industry may have the right tools and ideas.
But they may not be able to deliver results that meet your needs and achieve your goals.
So, just as you wouldn't take a risk on an amateur carpenter for a crucial project, don't take a risk on a marketing agency without a proven track record in your industry.
What’s the quickest and easiest way to check out track record?
Well this point is a sure-fire way to help…
❌ No reviews or testimonials from other construction companies.
Think of it like this.
You wouldn't hire a DJ for your daughter's wedding without listening to their music first, right?
The same goes for hiring a marketing agency for your construction business.
If they don't have any reviews or testimonials from other construction companies, it's like they're playing music at a wedding without anyone having heard if they’re any good before.
You don't want to be the guinea pig.
Finding out if their marketing skills are up to scratch when it's too late.
(DJ Alan breaking out the old school vinyl to a bunch of millennial weddinggoers, anyone?)
It's best to choose a marketing agency with a proven track record and a portfolio of satisfied clients in the construction industry, rather than taking a risk on an unknown entity.
✅ Reviews and testimonials from other construction companies can provide insight into the marketing agency's effectiveness and success in your industry.
✅ Many positive reviews and testimonials from other construction companies can demonstrate the marketing agency's credibility and reputation.
✅ When choosing a marketing agency for your construction business, seeing many positive reviews and testimonials can increase your confidence in their ability to deliver results for you.
✅ Reviews and testimonials can provide valuable information about the agency's strengths and weaknesses, so you to make an informed decision before rushing in.
✅ Reviews and testimonials can provide a benchmark for the level of success you can expect from the marketing agency.
✅ By choosing a marketing agency with a proven track record of success in the construction industry, you increase your chances of success with your own marketing efforts.
Ask the agency where the best place is to find their construction reviews and be sure to take a read before making any decisions.
❌ Watch out for Construction Marketing Agencies with Poor Communication.
Think of it like this.
You need a plumber - you've got a leaky tap that needs fixing ASAP.
You call a marketing company to help with your marketing needs, but they take forever to respond.
It's like they're the plumber who takes forever to show up to fix your leaky tap!
In the same way, you need a marketing company that is responsive and can help you solve your marketing needs quickly and effectively, not one that takes 4 weeks to get back to you with the quote!
We all know a plumber like that.
Just as a slow plumber would drive you crazy, a marketing company that takes ages to respond can lead to frustration and missed opportunities.
So, choose a marketing company that is quick, responsive, and ready to help you achieve your marketing goals.
Here’s a few other red flags when it comes to communication that you should look out for.
🚩 EMOJI TALK.
If the marketing agency sends you an email written in emoji language 🔨🏠💰.
It's like they're speaking a different language!
Communication breakdowns can lead to misunderstandings and ineffective marketing strategies.
🚩 GOBBLED-Y-GOOK.
If the marketing agency uses marketing jargon that you don't understand.
CMS. JAVA. BLT anyone?
Where you need to take a Rosetta Stone course in ‘Martian’. 👽
You want a marketing agency that communicates clearly and effectively – meeting you at your level of understanding.
Not one that leaves you confused and in the dark because they are trying hard to impress.
🚩 ROUND THE HOUSES.
If the marketing agency always talks in circles and never gives a straight answer.
You know the ones.
It's like they're building a never-ending maze!
You need a marketing agency that is transparent and straightforward in their communication, not one that leaves you feeling lost and frustrated.
❌ Only doing half the job.
Be cautious of agencies that fail to deliver all necessary elements.
Example.
You're a carpenter. (We’ve got them on the brain today).
And you need to build a bookshelf.
You hire a marketing agency to help with your marketing needs.
But they only deliver half of the necessary elements.
It's like they're a carpenter who builds you the shell of the bookcase, without any shelves.
You must go figure that out yourself.
In the same way, you need a marketing agency that delivers all the necessary elements to achieve your marketing goals, not one that leaves you with incomplete solutions.
Having to then run around trying to finish the rest yourself.
For example.
You are having your branded vehicle graphics designed for your construction company.
You’ve seen examples of the agencies van designs and love them.
You pay them a healthy sum and are stoked with the result of the design.
They then give you the files and let you on your merry way…
To go and find your OWN signage company to install them.
You don’t know any companies.
The ones you’re finding online you’ve no idea are any good or not.
You don’t know what finish of vinyl to choose for the signage.
You had no idea that the design the marketing company created for you infact costs 10 times as much as you paid for the design - because they created you something very complex.
All of this you have to now sort out alone.
In your own time.
Talk about stress.
Versus.
Working with a marketing agency who works with you on the design but also manages the sign-writing with their team (could be in-house or external) so that the stress of any other decisions (like finishes of vinyl, concerns of quality of the install team) are out of your hands so you can get on with your day to day.
Just as a bookshelf with missing pieces is useless, a marketing strategy with missing/unfinished elements will be ineffective.
So.
Before investing and buddying up with a company, find out if you are going to be getting the complete article from them (like the vehicle graphics designed and installed etc) so you can make your decision BEFORE you start as to if this is the right team for you.
❌ Over promising.
Here’s are a few examples of what bad marketing agencies might overpromise their clients.
🤦🏾♂️ A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH.
They promise that their cookie-cutter approach will work for every construction company, no matter their specific needs or goals.
🤦🏾♂️ A QUICK-FIX SOLUTION.
They promise to turn your construction business into a marketing powerhouse overnight, with no effort or investment required from you.
🤦🏾♂️ A GUARANTEED WIN.
They promise a 100% guarantee of success, no matter what the competition or market conditions.
The worst one I ever heard (when being in ear shot of another marketing company having a meeting) was the director telling the client that he could GUARANTEE he could get them to the top of Google.
Unless you own Google (and even then!), can you really guarantee something like that when so much is out of your hands?
No.
I wouldn’t trust it.
There are certain promises that should be non-negotiable.
That they will call/email you when they have promised.
That they send you quotes or proofs on the date agreed.
That if you have purchased 10 videos from a marketing company, 10 videos are what you will be receiving.
Watch out for marketing agencies that feel like they are telling you what you want to hear with no proof to back this up.
❌ No strategy - A marketing agency that is led by you.
I hear you already.
A marketing company that does things how we tell them… what’s wrong with that?
Let me give you a comparison.
That is like a decorator painting my home and I tell them I want them to paint the ceiling in my favourite colour fence paint, with a toothbrush.
And that I think they should do this as it’s going to
a) look great
b) last forever.
I’m clearly no decorator.
A professional will tell me how this type of paint is not going to work on my ceilings and give me the finish I’m after.
Also that using a roller is going to be faster and cost me a lot less money than doing it with a toothbrush.
Extreme example but makes the point.
If you are buddying up with a marketing company, they should be leading YOU with what it is you need for your construction marketing… the asset, when you need it, how it’s going to work.
It's always of course your decision as to if you go ahead or not, but if you find you are micro-managing projects and the agency is just saying ‘ok’ to everything, then your decorator is painting the ceiling with fence paint and a toothbrush.
The professionals should be leading you and telling you the strategy behind everything.
Example.
We never take on a new construction client until we have undertaken an Ideal Client workshop with them – to get to know everything about their business and who it is they want to work with.
This is part of our strategy for our clients as we know If we don’t do this then all the websites, logos, vehicle graphics, brochures etc that we will design later will just be made from guesswork.
And our clients are throwing money down the drain.
A great marketing company should have a strategy in place for how to help you win the clients and work you want.
If you don’t feel like you are being confidently guided and that you are just telling them things you want and they don’t’ question the items (you may in fact need to sort your branded workwear designs out before you spend money on a website) then they may well just be taking your money.
Find a construction marketing agency that leads.
⬇️ Warning: 7 Red Flags to spot before choosing a Marketing Agency for Your Construction Business Rundown:
1. Lack of construction industry marketing experience.
2. No proven track record.
3. No case studies or references.
4. Poor communication.
5. Incomplete deliverables.
6. Over promising.
7. No strategy – just let you tell them how to do everything.
🛠 Need a little more help nailing your Trades and Construction Marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things Marketing.
Got 3 minutes?
Take our Trades Quiz to discover how you score with all things ‘Off The Tools’.
We have heaps of tips, tricks, and hacks for your Trade and Construction business in our cheat sheets, videos and ideas waiting for you on the other side… i.e., your results page.
So, you can improve your score. And NAIL your Trade and Construction business.
Nice.