The building products industry is making a slow—but steady—migration, from print to digital marketing. Venveo reports that building product companies are spending more and more of their marketing budgets on digital, especially in the areas of website optimization, video, SEO, email marketing and content creation. As a result, developing digital content has become more important than ever in establishing brand awareness, building customer loyalty and driving building product sales.
That’s because today’s buyers–consumers, contractors and builders, don’t want to be overtly sold to. They want custom content that complements their busy lifestyles and piques their personal interests. According to Marketing Tech Blog, 61% of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom content, and 7 in 10 consumers prefer to learn about a company through articles, not ads. And a Google study shows that more than 41% of buyers are now millennials, meaning traditional communications methods may not be most effective with this audience.
Buyers in every sector want and expect a flawless user experience no matter the medium. With the right content marketing strategy in place, you can reach your building products audience in a meaningful way that helps bolster your brand—and your bottom line.
Here are a few tips for getting started.
Help first, sell later.
Want to create a meaningful relationship with your builders? Instead of selling your product, show them how it’s used and why it would be valuable to their business. This speaks volumes about your brand, in that it establishes your concentration on the target audience above all else, and makes return business more likely.
Make it digestible.
Whether you’re explaining a complicated installation process or announcing a new product line, it’s important to make sure your digital content is easy to read, understand and share. Infographics are great for condensing long-form content, in place of outdated white papers.
Use video and other platforms to extend your marketing reach.
According to the report from Venveo, 88% of DIYers watch videos about how to use products from building materials companies. Video is an excellent platform for producing and sharing engaging content with your customer base. Plus, it can be leveraged across several social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Vine, etc.).
Keep content relevant—and timely.
Interesting content is a top 3 reason that people follow brands on social media (Source: Content+). Give your consumers information that is relevant to your company or product in a way that will help them in their own business. Notice a new architectural trend? Want to promote sustainability and your line of eco-conscious products? Write about it! Your audience will appreciate the insight and effort.
Encourage dialogue and engagement.
Making connections is another meaningful way you can provide value to your audience. Encourage conversation within your online community by posting a poll and writing about the results. Or crowd-source a blog post, asking your audience to weigh in on a topic that’s specific to the building industry. This makes your brand more accessible and shows that you’re listening to what your audience has to say.
And remember: be patient.
Establishing an effective content strategy doesn’t mean immediate results. It’s a process that must be analyzed and optimized over time. Don’t be deterred if you don’t see instant success. Just keep an ear out for hot topics within your industry, refresh your content and listen to your audience.