There are many reasons you might find yourself reading this article. Are you thinking about starting a carpentry business? Are you looking to grow and expand your existing business? Are you a carpenter that just can't seem to find enough leads? No matter where you are at now, we want to help. ProMatcher helps carpenters find new marketing strategies and lead generation tactics. Learn how to get more carpentry work today!
Here is a list of 14 marketing ideas to get you started:
1. Do quality work at a fair price
The best way to promote your business is to do high-quality work! Who doesn't want to hire the best carpenter in town? When you do a great job, your satisfied customers will be happy to refer you to their friends and neighbors. If you are able to generate a steady stream of referral business, you will stay busy all year long. You might even have to turn down a few jobs! In some cases, you might just have to raise your prices.
Find the right marketing strategy for your carpentry business with ProMatcher →
2. Build a strong brand around your business
Think about what makes you the best carpentry contractor in town. Is it great customer service? Is it quality craftsmanship? Building a brand is about discovering what sets you apart from other carpenters and communicating that to your customers. It's not just about designing a logo and coming up with new slogans.
3. Hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your work
It's much easier to show than tell! Potential customers want to see what you are capable of before they decide to hire you. High-quality photographs can help to set you apart from the competition. These pictures can be printed in your brochures, posted on your website, and included in your portfolio.
4. Set up a solid website
It's important for every carpenter to have a website. If you don’t have one set up already, it’s time to get one up and running. More and more consumers are using their cell phones, computers, and tablets to find local service providers. If you don't have a website, how will customers find you online? There are many affordable options available. Some may even be free!
Make sure you clearly the list the services that you provide on your website (like this company has done well). Before the prospective customers contacts you for a quote, they should already have a good idea of the type of work you do.
5. Optimize your carpentry website
Search engine optimization (or SEO) is one way to help increase traffic to your company website. If your site is properly optimized, you might be able to rank highly for popular searches, such as "local carpenters in the area" or "carpenters near me". Unfortunately, SEO can be very complicated. There are many factors that influence these search rankings. There's only so much you can do your own. If you are serious about optimizing your website, you may need to work with a professional SEO firm to see tangible results.
6. Build relationships with local business owners and other contractors
The word "networking" often scares people away, so let's call it "relationship building" instead. Anyone who owns a business knows there's nothing more important than making connections. Getting to know other people in your industry, such as general contractors, real estate agents, and home builders, can be super helpful. Not only are these people good referral sources, they may also provide helpful business advice.
7. Purchase carpentry leads from a lead generation service
There are several lead generation companies that sell leads to carpentry contractors. You are typically charged a flat fee for each local lead that matches your account preferences. You can purchase leads for a number of different jobs, including crown molding installation, custom furniture construction, wood cabinet fabrication, or framing repairs. Every lead generation service works a little differently so it is important to do some research before signing the dotted line. You can learn more about carpentry lead pricing in this article.
8. Run a PPC campaign
Pay-per-click advertising can be an effective way of getting more targeted traffic to your company's website. Your ad can appear against keyword searches that are relevant to your business. For example, you might want to bid on keywords like "best carpenters near me" or "local custom furniture builder". It is very important to set a budget that you feel comfortable with though! Your ad spend can get out of control quickly if you are not careful. Another important note: a PPC campaign does need to be carefully managed and optimized to achieve the best results. If you don't feel up for the challenge, it may be helpful to bring on PPC agency to help you out.
9. Join online business directories
If you haven’t done so already, you need to claim your local listings. You should have a profile on all of top directory sites for carpenters like Yelp, Google, Bing, HomeAdvisor, and Yahoo. Make it easy for potential customers in your local area to find your business online. It can be quite difficult to manage these separate accounts. Fortunately, there are now several online platforms that allow you to manage all of your listings or business citations in one place.
Learn about buying carpentry leads to grow your business »
10. Get new business cards
It might seem like everything is happening online these days, but that's just not true. Shaking people hands and meeting people face-to-face is still super important. Keep a few business cards with you at all times! You never know when you could meet your next client. You could be at your son's baseball game or standing in line at the grocery store. Everyone needs to hire a carpenter at some point, right?
11. Create a great brochure to showcase your best work
Most carpenters should consider putting together a marketing brochure. Show off some pictures of your best work, describe your credentials, and provide a way for interested customers to contact you!
Your brochure may even help turn tire kickers and window shoppers into paying customers. Make your brochure includes a call to action. This might be something like "Call to Get a Free Estimate" or "Call for Your Free Consultation". Give people a specific reason to pick up the phone!
12. Use customer reviews to your advantage
Consumers love to read reviews. Positive reviews help consumers to feel confident in their hiring decisions. A 2016 BrightLocal survey found that many people trust online reviews just as much as they trust recommendations from their friends and family members. Highly-rated carpenters with many positive reviews usually end up at the top of the list! This additional exposure can mean more visits to your website and more calls to your office.
13. Turn your vehicle into a moving billboard
A vinyl truck wrap with your company name and logo is great way to grab people’s attention. The truck goes where you go - whether that be your showroom, your next job site, or your daughter's dance recital. Make it easy to see at a glance that you're a carpenter. Don't leave people guessing. The initial cost of the vinyl wrap installation may seem expensive to some businesses. If you cannot afford to have your truck permanently painted or wrapped, you can always opt for vehicle magnets or smaller decals.
14. Keep in touch with past customers via email
It's important to maintain good relationships with your former clients. Don't let them forget about you. Every time they need to hire a carpenter, they should remember to call you first. You also want them to refer your business to their friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Something as simple as sending an email every few months will do the trick!