(Originally published on the Let’s Fix Construction Blog). To automate or not to automate? That is the question many AEC firms face when it comes to social media. Like everything else in life, there are pros and cons. My assessment is that the cons outweigh the pros for most AEC firms. This blog; however, will [Read More]
Start Spreading Your Company News
Frank Sinatra wasn’t talking about your construction firm’s public relations practice when he sang “Start Spreading the News,” but his words apply nonetheless. You need to create a steady flow of company news to build your reputation, generate leads, and support business development. The Company News Vacuum Most construction firms operate in a vacuum when [Read More]
Why the Google+ Shutdown Matters for Construction Firms on Social Media
Google announced plans to shut down its failed social media platform Google+ after admitting to covering up a security breach that affected millions of users in March 2018. (Click here for details.) Even if you’ve never used or heard of Google+, there are some important lessons to be learned if your construction company engages in [Read More]
13 Construction Blogging Questions Answered
There are one of three responses to the idea of construction blogging: “We already have a blog.” “Blogs are a waste of time.” “It sounds like a smart idea but we’re not sure what’s involved?” This blog is for those of you in the third category. The following are brief answers to 13 common questions [Read More]
R.G. LeTourneau: Content Marketing Pioneer
Heavy equipment manufacturing titan R.G. LeTourneau was one of the original practitioners of content marketing because his newsletter, “Now,” contained advice-driven information. His approach contains some valuable lessons for modern construction companies that may be on the fence about this new approach to marketing. Who Was R.G. LeTourneau? R.G. LeTourneau requires no introduction in the [Read More]
The Infinite Value of Online Publicity
Gone are the days when you showed up in the print edition of a construction magazine and your reach was limited to total circulation, shelf-life, and pass-along sharing. Those that get published in the trade media or on influential blogs will feel the positive effects for many years to come thanks to the internet. The [Read More]
Low-Bid Contractors Don’t Need Marketing…Or Do They?
(Originally published in Construction Business Owner Magazine) Do construction contractors that win 100 percent of their business through the low-bid process need marketing? If you are this type of contractor, you will likely insist wholeheartedly that you don’t. After all, as a low-bid construction business owner, your fate lies strictly in the ability of a [Read More]
How General Contractors Can Win with Blogging
By Heather Grossmuller, J.H. Greene & Son, Inc. In modern day construction, a digital presence is an easy way for a potential customer to feel comfortable with a contractor’s specialty. This match-making scenario becomes challenging when there are countless resources providing the exact service all listed on a search engine’s output. Without a budget for [Read More]
Building a Construction eNewsletter that Generates Leads
The construction eNewsletter is among the most powerful tools in your arsenal because it gives you the means to speak to and influence your audience over time. Not to mention you own the contact list and content and can usually measure the results depending on which platform you use. The underpinnings of an eNewsletter that [Read More]
How to Fine-Tune Your Heavy Equipment Ads
Dealers could potentially sell and rent more iron by making some simple tweaks to their heavy equipment ads. To be clear, most of these ads don’t need a complete overhaul; a simple fine-tuning will suffice. Contractors looking through these publications are usually looking at busy pages. That means your ad better be flawless and easy [Read More]
Fraley Returns to Judge Best in Construction Marketing, Editorial
Brian M. Fraley, owner of Fraley Construction Marketing, will once again serve as a judge for the Construction Media Alliance (CMA) Annual Editorial & Marketing Awards. Trade publications, manufacturers, and marketing agencies and consultants will submit their best work from 2017. Categories for Editorial will include: Best Editorial Column, Best Single Issue, Best Website, Best [Read More]
The Social Media Aftermath of the Florida Bridge Collapse
On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge collapsed on the campus of Florida International University (FIU), killing and injuring several people. It took only minutes for social media trolls to begin feasting on Munilla Construction Management (MCM). The accident was a painful reminder of the new risk social media can present for contractors in the [Read More]
How Construction Companies Can Survive Facebook’s News Feed Change
Facebook announced on January 11th that it would adjust the news feed algorithm to show more posts from family, friends, and groups, and less promotional content from businesses and publishers. There’s smoke and mirrors about exactly how this complicated algorithm adjustment will affect businesses, but the consensus is that it will decrease reach for firms [Read More]
15 Press Release Ideas for Your Construction Company
When is the last time your construction firm issued a press release? It may seem like small potatoes, but being featured in the right trade magazines on a regular basis can build up your brand and even lead to new business. Perhaps you’re interested in getting publicity, but not sure what qualifies as newsworthy. Read [Read More]
5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn from Amazon
(Originally published in Construction Business Owner Magazine) Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos spent his summers doing gritty work on a remote ranch with his grandfather, according to Brad Stone in his biography, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon. Together, they repaired windmills, graded dirt roads and even built a crane to move [Read More]