Darren

Email Marketing You Can Do in 5 Minutes a Month

By Darren Filed Under: Email Marketing

Whenever I talk to a client, no matter how big or how small, the conversation of blogging always comes up. The first thing I hear is ‘I/we don’t know what to write about.’ OK, here’s a million dollar idea.

Think I’m full of it? Let’s dig into the numbers before I give this great idea away to you for free…you’re welcome!

Take your average customer value (including referrals) and times that by 12. The tip I’m going to give you on blog content will help you land one more client or customer a month (after your first full year of following this advice.)

OK, to the million dollar idea for monthly blog/newsletter content

Instead of focusing on what to talk about inside your business, making it all about you, write one post or newsletter a month that is a monthly home maintenance guide. Yeah, it’s that simple.

Come up with a seasonal tip, write about it and get it out to your customer list. After 3-6 months, people will look forward to getting it.

For the first year, just offer the newsletter no strings attached. After the first year, you can insert offers or discounts to your email list.

That’s it, now go get your million dollars. You’re welcome!

Money follows attention

By Darren Filed Under: Construction Marketing

There never was, and never will be such thing as being overexposed. You remember the line your mom told you about that too much of anything is bad, right? Not when it comes to promoting your business. When the market goes bad we think about cutting back. Cutting back on marketing, cutting back on people, you know the drill. But the truth is that money follows attention. So why scale things back? PUSH ON!

What’s that look like?

Keep marketing, keep pumping out postcards or ads or podcasts or videos or whatever it is you are doing. Don’t think you are overexposing yourself, that’s not your problem. Your problem is obscurity.

Run towards attention. Every chance you can get to be in the spotlight, take it. Social media, traditional media, Youtube, whatever it takes. Say yes to everything. The more attention you get, the more people know your name. And the more people know your name, the more chance they have to buy more of whatever it is that you’re selling.

Video Done Right

By Darren Filed Under: Strategy

Video is the best way to build a relationship with your customers. You can’t educate them better in an entertaining way that evokes personality…yours.

And it’s easy

Create a video series that explains your business, what you do and the nature of the ecosystem that surrounds and supports your business. Now put yourself in the videos so you create a friendly, passionate expert they can begin to trust before they ever meet you.

Sell The Dream

By Darren Filed Under: Selling & Sales Help

Even though we as consumers buy things every day, we hate being sold to. If you can change the focus of selling off of the service you offer (decks, additions, drain snaking) and focus on how you can serve the customer, the more money you will make. When thinking about the client base you serve, ask yourself:

What are you really selling them?
What do the really want?

The real answers will surprise you, and if you said your primary service, you’re wrong and we should talk.

What Are You Selling to Your Employees?

By Darren Filed Under: Strategy

The number one issue I hear today during consults is keeping and/or finding good help. Most companies think the best thing to do to fix the problem is to throw money at it; at new hires, at current employees, at subs.

But a recent study found that 58% would choose to be happy at work vs. money.

You may be making your people more money, but if they aren’t happy, they’re gone. It’s just a matter of time. Think about it, it’s probably why you left and started your business in the first place, right?

New Construction Marketing Ideas

By Darren Filed Under: Construction Marketing

Let me start off by saying there are no new construction marketing ideas. The way to win the game is to iterate and improve upon what is already out there. Its the fastest, cheapest way to market. But…

You have to know your numbers

Big company, little company, it doesn’t matter. You have to know where your new business is coming from. Only then can we start a deep dive into how to make that channel work better for you, or improve on it.

If you don’t know or need a hand, we should talk. Get a free, 30-minute call with me and let’s get you marketing a bit better.

I love Email Marketing

By Darren Filed Under: Marketing & Advertising

Funny story. I started a non-profit to help kids who want to participate in the performing arts. When I built the website, I used the code for my newsletter as a placeholder expecting to change it once the site went live.

Well, I forgot

And for 60 days now, I’ve added emails from parents who want their kids involved in the theater to my construction marketing email list.

Guess what…?

When I realized it and I sent out info to some of the people subscribed, about half said they wanted to stay on it, and that they could use the information in their jobs.

Having an email list that you can talk to on a regular basis is awesome. Having one-on-one communication with people who want to hear what you have to say helps you rise above the noise.

Just make sure to make your emails mobile friendly, since 66% of all email is now being opened on a mobile device.

Chasing the Wrong Game

By Darren Filed Under: Blogging

I was reading a few articles today and came across one titled ‘Business Blogging. How to Go Viral.’

That is absolutely the wrong metric to shoot for. It doesn’t matter if you are a plumber trying to get $69 drain cleaning jobs or a major remodeler looking to talk to people who want hundred thousand dollar additions, you should look to speak to one person; your best client or customer.

Not a hundred thousand people who have no interest in what you are selling. This is why marketing is broken for so many contractors, because they are being told the wrong things about marketing online.