agenda - a construction marketing journal

8/9/2019 Agenda - a Construction Marketing Journal

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agenda

May 2010

c o n s t r u c t i o n m a r k e t i n g j o u r n a l


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Whats your agenda?

Construction Know-How ?

Business Development ?

Marketing ?

Leadership ?

Whatever it is, agenda is here to give you

helpful advice, tips, links to great resources or

knowledge that lets you know youre on the

right track.

And in business, its important to know the

path youve chosen will lead you in the right

direction.

This issue contains lots of reasons why

construction contractors should use Web2

strategies in their marketing.

I can hear you now. Web2? I havent got my

head around Web1 when did it become

Web2? Good question. Web2 is different in

that the internet is now a meeting place where

people from all industries share knowledge

in a more open way than ever before. Web2

encourages discussion and shares knowledge

in a way that has revolutionised traditional

marketing and PR. Instead of websites being

virtual brochures with a one-way ow of

information, your website now offers a way

to communicate with existing customers and

attract new ones.

Its a revolution and a wealth of opportunities

exist for growing your business. With a

little innovation and creative thinking, you

can leverage knowledge and position

your company as a leader in your target

marketplace.

Read the article on Blog Builders and get a feel

for the difference.

Theres lots to think about. Much more to act on.

So get going and read all about it in this latest

edition of agenda.

Barbara Grace

0411 116254

[email protected]

www.madison-resources.com

PS Please feel free to share this journal with

friends and colleagues.


s t r a t e g i c m a r k e t i ng S E O k e y w o r d s b l o g b u i l d e r s b r a n d s o l u t i o n s m a d i s o n r e s o u r c e s


3/12

agenda

What inspires you?

The best thing Ive heard

lately encouraged me tochallenge thinking thats

meant to help me achieve

goals, but instead is possibly

limiting them.

So much of what we read

inuences us, but it can also limit

our mind-set or the way we go

about things if we dont recognise

the pitfalls.

Like setting goals with lowexpectations to avoid failure. Until

it was pointed out to me (through a

google blog), I hadnt considered that

the goals Im setting might be limited

because of the knowledge and skills I

currently have.

Im a life-long learner. My biggest

challenge is staying away from the books,

the blogs and the webinars to actually get

work done. So raising the bar and allowing

myself to reach further by connecting oldinformation with new and improving the way

things are seems a pretty freeing way of looking

at things.

This is what this e-journal is about. A way of

connecting with construction professionals and

providing information to improve the way you

manage and market your business.

So as for goal setting, Im aiming beyond my present

challenges and taking a note out of Renzo Pianos

philosophy book and designing things with morethan a little splash of innovation and creativity in the

way we communicate.

Heres to an amazing future.

Renzo Pianos building in Sydneys Araura

Place used materials not yet available in

the marketplace. A way to manufacture

products to meet his specications

had to be created. The way Renzo

Piano, as a world-class architect,

approaches his work redenes

the boundaries and limitations

that commercial builders

and contractors often

work within.

(its on the)


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4

The Big Deal

Having spent the past few months researching websites

from the construction industry, it seems many builders and

contractors understand the need to have an e-presence.

But while graphics and imagery are strong in many of the

sites I reviewed, I doubt if many are attracting organic

trafc or converting leads into sales.

And if this isnt happening, your marketing and quite

possibly your business may be falling behind.

Its a true addage that if your business isnt growing its

shrinking. Especially in times such as these with research

indicating that as much as 70 per cent of the population

uses the internet to research products and services before

buying.

While a lot of information about internet marketing is

available it takes time, energy, aptitude and a lot

of sweat equity to transform the ideas into workable

solutions.

In these pages youll nd resources that will help you get

the most out of your website without needing too much

technical know-how. Some of it may be challenging, but

basically its all about thinking like a Google (or search

engine) robot. Once you get your head around this its

not so bad.

In this issue, well talk about why blogs are receiving so

much attention and how you can put some simple ideasinto place. If youve ever wanted to build your business

then this is one way to do it.

While this journal aims to share marketing and

management ideas in the construction industry if you

have a particular topic youd like to see covered then

let me know, and Ill include it in upcoming issues.

Its all about meeting needs, and we hope this journal is a

way of connecting with people in the construction industry

in a meaningful way.



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If potential customers are looking for your products or

services on the web, they will begin by typing key words

or key phrases into a Search Engine (Google, Yahoo,

Bing etc).

If the key words/phrases you choose to describe your

business are relevant and match your potential customers

needs (and the words they typed into the Search Engine),

then your website will rise well in the Search Engine

Optimisation (SEO) stakes.

Now this is excellent if it happens according to plan.

But What If ...

Your landing page isnt inspiring potential clients who

arrive on your websites threshold?

The copywriting isnt convincing?

The website doesnt convey trust or engage with your

potential client?

The website is actually set up with you in mind rather

than your clients?

Well then ...

No amount of attention to key words will transform

potential customers to ones who will engage with you,

develop a relationship and become a new customer.

In this issue well look at both sides of the keyword

perspective. Well provide a broad overview of keywords

how to get them, how to build them and how to discover

your competitions and well talk about the importance

of keeping your websites visitors engaged when they

arrive.

Is this the Best Starting Point?

My concern with the current focus on Key Words is that

unless you have a strong marketing communications planwith key messages embedded in your company culture, it

will compound problems rather than x them.

Before creating a long list of potential words to use

(and ones which also may turn up in a Pay-Per-Click

campaign) consider a few basic branding concepts

that will become the core of a strong Marketing

Communications Plan.

The Beauty and Insanity of Key Words

My concern with the current

focus on Key Words is that

unless you have developed

a strong marketing

communications plan with

key messages embedded in

your company culture, it will

compound problems rather

than x them.


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6

1. Know Your Client

2. Research Your Target Marketplace

3. Identify Your Competitive Advantage and USP

4. State Clearly What You Want to Achieve

5. Develop Key Messages

6. Consolidate Your Brand

7. Train Your Staff

8. Invest in Innovation

9. Develop Relationships, and most importantly,

10. Measure, Measure, Measure (ROI, Client Lifetime Value)

Work on what your unique selling point is. Look for gaps in the

marketplace where you could position your services. Identify

your elevator pitch and consolidate this into every aspect

of your branding. Then youll be ready to tackle keywords in

your website with more condence.

While key words are only part of optimising your website, they

can be a good starting point as they help you think about

what to communicate to your target market.

Even if you have a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign running

working on these aspects will add to the overall effectiveness

of your business.

Develop a Strategic MarketingCommunications Plan

We offer workshops that help you develop

a strategic plan one that is practical and

based on outcomes. The document well

help you build wont sit in a cupboard.

It will become an active part of your

business and provide Key Performance

Indicators (KPI) and measures to

benchmark your performance.

If youre interested, call me on my mobile:

0411 116 254 to discuss the benets of

working together.

In our next issue well develop a thought-

leadership approach to building a

targeted communications plan for

construction-based businesses.


7/12

One of the rst things I do when assessing a web site is submit

the websites url (address) to a company called HubSpot.

They provide inbound marketing services and have a terric

free tool that rates websites according to their SEO in other

words what information Search Engines are nding on your

site.

Their web address is www.websitegrader.com. Once on

the site, enter your url and follow the prompts. The higher

your score, the more Hubspot estimates that your website is

optimised for search engines, which means more customers

will nd you when they type in keywords relevant to your site.

If your score is low, website grader suggests things to do that

will improve your SEO and your website grade.

This tool makes sense as to why its important to optimise your

website for search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.

I also nd it an excellent starting point to assess how well

keywords are used.

Understanding SEO can be complex, so in this issue well

focus on key words and key phrases as they are the

foundation for optimising your website and attracting

potential customers.

Theres so much information on this subject that it can

become over-powering. By using the right keywords your

websites ranking will improve.

Grade Your Websites SEO


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Youll need to use keywords in three main areas of your website.

1) Page Title

This is the title you see in the title bar of your browser when you visit a site.

Include your main keywords

Limit you title to 80-100 characters

Delete unnecessary words such as and, or, to, the (Search engines

ignore these words)

Well-optimised page titles can boost rankings by 200-300 positions in

24-48 hours

2) Anchor Text

Anchor text is usually found within the written copy of your website. It is

hyperlinked (underlined) so that by clicking on it, youll be directed to

another website.

Anchor texts are really important for high rankings. If google nds other

websites pointing to yours it indicates that others nd your website useful

so it ranks these keywords higher.

E.g. if your site has many links pointing to it with formwork contractor inthe anchor text, your site will rank well for the term formwork contractor.

In other words, whenever someone types formwork contractor in

Google, your site will come up higher than if these links were not there.

To get links you can:

Ask someone to place a link to you from their website

Buy links

Post comments on forums and blogs with a link back to your website

Submit to directories

Submit articles and include a link to your site

Write a press-release about your product or service

3) Body Copy

Try to naturally weave your keywords into the body copy of each page.

This is where the art comes in making it look, sound and feel natural so

when potential clients visit your site key messages are reinforced, placing

your business top-of-mind when they need your product or services.

Improve your Website Using Key Words

This information is adapted from SEO Success Blueprint: 7 Steps to Outrank

Your Competition. If you have the time to work through their e-book, an

excellent resource is at www.seoinpractice.com


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A good tool to analyse both

your own website and your

competitions is Rank Tracker.

Type the following url into your

browsers address bar and

download their free software to

your desk top.

If youre serious about optimising

your website (or at least

understanding whats involved)

this is a terric tool.

http://www.seoinpractice.com/

seo-software-bundle.html

The bundle includes four useful

tools:

Rank Site Tracker

Web Site Auditor

Link Assistant and

SEO Spyglass

Another excellent tool for

discovering keywords is from

Google and can be found at:

www.googlekeywordtool.com

Here youll see a range of tools

that can walk you through a

basic introduction to not only

keywords, but analytics and

their ofcial SEO starter guide.


10/12

10

Blog Builders

Search engines love blogs. So what? you say. Well ...

The days of set-and-forget websites are over. Its like having a box of 20-year-old

brochures in the cupboard nobody sees them, no-one knows they are there, and

theyre probably obsolete.

Its the same with a website. A static site is as effective as the over-run order of old

brochures you have stored in a cupboard out the back.

The great thing with updating a website is that you dont have the cost associated

with printed publications. If something is outdated, it should be as easy as entering

the back end of your site and changing it.

What Can I Blog About?

And if youre unsure of how to do it, take the time to learn or have someone on your

staff learn. Basically, blogs are a communication tool. A way of linking with your

clients needs. Try thinking of yourself as your client what would add value to the

business?

If you have a new product write a blog about it.

If you solved a problem

for a client in a clever way

write a blog about it.

Expand on your frequently

asked questions(FAQs) and

build a blog about each one.

Do your staff excel in their

work? Then blog about it.

By thinking deeply about

what you do every day, youll

have a wealth of information

to share and in the process

search engines will nd your

blogs satisfying.

In business language, its

a strategic ally. Used well,

youll position yourself as

an industry expert and be a

trusted source of information.

While it may be out of your comfort zone to begin with, there are many people who

can help. A writer or journalist can edit your thoughts. A little polish on style can

make a big difference and is well worth the investment.

Why are Blogs Important?

Think of them as fresh meat for your website. Feed your site regularly with new

content (blogs) and search enginges will return regularly to check it out and lift your

ranking. What this means is that you are more likely to be found when someone

types in a relevant keyword. While none of this is rocket science, there is an art to

it and persistence, tweaking and monitoring your competition are all part of the

sweat equity you need to keep this marketing tool sharp.



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Whats it about?

Our Branding Workshops give you time to think about your

business from a strategic perspective.

They are highly interactive, with as many questions posed

as answers delivered.

We aim to help participants look at marketing from both

a relational perspective and a critical one that takes into

account what a competitive advantage looks like.

The goal of the day is to have the framework for a strategic

marketing communications plan in place. Well work with

you until that is achieved.

We provide all the scaffolding and templates and

encourage a style of thinking that allows you to develop

action plans and key performance indicators suited to your

business.

We encourage two to three key decision makers to attend

and be part of the solutions created as without a consensus

from senior management, rarely will things change.

Brand Solutions

Why should I attend?

Strategic Planning is part art, part science.

Initiating a strategic marketing comms

plan for your business takes wisdom,an intuitive feel for your customers and

knowledge.

Knowledge to leverage your intellectual

capital in a practical way.

Who should attend?

Decision makers without their input

and direction, the process stalls from the

beginning.

What about staff?

We also run Brand Solution workshops for

admin and front line staff to include them in

the total focus for delivering quality service

from a strategic perspective. Having

a branding strategy that works needs

everyone in the organisation on board.

Give your staff the knowledge, skills and

perspective to achieve the impossible.

More information?

Contact Barbara Grace at

Madison Resources

email: admin@madison-resources

mobile: 0411 116254



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Madison Resources provides Construction Management and

Construction Marketing services. With over thirty years experiencein the building industry gained from local and international

projects, we offer developers, builders, engineers, architects and

contractors professional knowledge.

Our Construction Manager, Bill Grace, brings an exceptional

talent that positions him as a leader in his eld. He consistently

provides site solutions to difcult projects. His reputation for

nishing complex buildings before timelines and under budget

is well-known in the Australian construction industry. With

experience, knowledge and a fearless attitude to achieve goals

he is well positioned to help your business.

Barbara Grace is the Director of Madison Resources and provides

marketing knowledge and communication strategies that help

position construction companies as leaders in their market place.

Visit the website www.madison-resources.com to nd out more

about our work.

MadisonResourcesQuality People Quality Projects

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[email protected]


Bill Grace: 0414 066 640

Barbara Grace: 0411 116 254

Madison Resources Pty Ltd (est 2000)

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