The Construction and Interiors sectors are plentiful with manufacturers and service providers all competing to influence the marketplace with their products and services. It can be hard to create effective marketing to be heard above all of the other brands out there.
But there is a way to give you and your marketing an advantage.
Rather than simply promoting your products’ features, which is commonplace within the industry, promote the benefits and how they can solve your audience’s problems. So when you are writing your PR or creating advertising copy, instead of writing “our product has this” or “we are a business that…”, write about your audience as though you are directly addressing them “your project will benefit by…”.
You’re not promoting a product, you’re promoting a solution.
For example, an acoustic panel manufacturer isn’t just providing soundproofing panels or other acoustic products, it is helping customers to achieve quiet interior spaces from noisy neighbours or a busy main road, and essentially a better life for the occupant.
And if the acoustic manufacturer targets architects or contractors working on a large scale residential or commercial project, again they are not just providing soundproofing products that comply with various UK Building Regulations. They are providing products to enhance the lives of their clients with a quiet space i.e. whoever is using the interior space, but also they are providing specification assistance and technical knowledge to assist the architect or specifier in the project. Essentially adding value to their project and making their job easier.
So how you do put this into practice and improve your marketing?
Think about your product or service that you are offering and think about its features. Use this information to then think about how it will benefit your target audience. Will it ensure their building project complies with building regulations? Or will it enhance an interior space with beautiful aesthetics?
When you communicate to your audience, whether you are sending an emailshot campaign, or promoting over social media, or whether you’re crafting your website text, write it with the audience in mind.
By doing this, it will resonate much more with your audience. This in turn will build trust in your brand. And people do business with people they know, like and trust.
An analogy we use is that it’s a bit like going to a party and just talking about yourself the whole time. Sure, you’ll get your message out there, but no one will particularly take any interest with what you have got to say, and you probably won’t form any relationships.
Instead, if you go to a party and talk about the other person and ask questions about them, you will build a much better rapport. People will like you and will start to trust you.
Apply this to your marketing and you will convert more prospects into customers and build better relationships. Use your marketing communications e.g. social media and emailshots, to find out about your target audience and their pain points. Do specifiers have difficulty obtaining the technical information they need for a project? Or do contractors have difficulty in finding reliable construction partners?
If you can find these pain points, craft your marketing message to tell your audience exactly how you can help with. Promote your products’ benefits. So ensure your communications are problem-solving centric rather than product-centric.
What next?
If you would like some guidance on creating the right message for your company or product range, talk to us. We are construction and interiors marketing specialists who understand the key drivers in the two markets.
The next 6 to 12 months will be hugely challenging for many businesses, but to give you the best chance of gaining new customers and building relationships make sure your marketing message is relevant and rewarding for your audience.
Email us here and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Leave a Reply