Walk into a Starbucks and you know you’ll be surrounded by hipsters and overpriced but delicious coffee. Go to
Disney and expect to experience “magic.”
Shop at Whole Foods and you can anticipate locally-grown or organic produce—and prices to match.
Originally published on Capterra Construction Management Blog
by Rachel Burger
But branding doesn’t stop at nationally-recognized chains. Creating a construction brand prepares your
potential clients for an experience they’re willing to pay for.
A great brand is a reflection of what your company is, what your company aspires to be, and how people
perceive your company—and your brand should also be based on what your target market wants and needs you
to be.
Establishing a quality brand takes perseverance and patience—but it’s worth the effort.
Here are four steps to help you brand your construction company.
When you’re deciding how much money to spend on a brand, know that you get what you pay for.
A home-made logo probably won’t be of the same quality as a professional design. Professionals suggest
that you spend 1%-10% of your overall revenue on marketing—and branding is only a part of that budget.
You could make a branding plan to be executed over the year and create a budget to solely meet those needs.
But this method doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room if an unexpected opportunity comes up and you need
collateral.
You could also analyze how much your competition spends—and then match it (though figuring out what
they are spending may be difficult, and you can probably use your own resources more efficiently).
No matter how you arrive at your numbers, looking into your company’s finances and
determining what you can spend will directly affect how successful your branding campaign is.
Setting a budget will also give you a clearer sense of guidelines as to what you are willing to
invest in—and what you aren’t.
It’s clear that these are construction companies and hints at the kind of construction that they do. These are
elements you want to be looking for in your logo.
Make your area of specialty clear—if not in the logo, then in the slogan. And choose colors that you will be
comfortable working with for a long time—they will be handy soon.
Consider using lower cost options like Fiverr, 99Designs, and oDesk for competitively-priced logos. For businesses
with bigger budgets, you can look for a local branding or advertising firm.
Your logo only does well if it actually gets people to call your firm or leads to market-leader recognition. Make
sure to include your company name in your logo. Connecting your name with your logo will mean
prominently pairing the two whenever you have the chance—on your stationary, on your trucks, and even on
your work outfits.
Make your brand synonymous with your name, and happy customers will start attributing great work to your
firm.
Once you’ve figured out your brand, it’s time to build a website around your logo. Choose the same and
complementary colors to further accentuate your brand. Set up social media to drive traffic to your site, and blog about construction to boost your company’s SEO. Your website will often be your first opportunity to make a
good impression on a potential client, so invest well in it.
Also, encourage your happy customers to review you on Yelp, especially for remodelers. Clients will be far more comfortable with a construction company that has a history of doing good work as opposed to one that is
known for its terrible customer service.
The Brand Constructors has a particularly good idea for branding your firm… or more specifically, your people. After setting up
your logo and your website, consider marketing your best team members. People want to hire experts, and they’re willing to pay
for it. Having a branded expert on the team guarantees your customers they will have access to someone they trust.
They write, “Being the expert in their industry is much more powerful than being a generalist in your field.”
So take your best people and send them to trade shows, advertise them on flyers, and set up their own social
media accounts for your business.
As a bonus, it makes those team members feel important, leading to more job satisfaction.
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