Seasonal businesses like home improvement may be tempted to ease up on marketing during the off-months, but this can be a mistake. It's very important to remain consistent throughout the year regardless of the activity level of the company. This helps to ensure that people have your business in mind when the time comes to make buying decisions. It also provides several other benefits, like building trust and driving customer loyalty.
The Importance of Consistent Marketing for Home Improvement Companies
Even though most home improvement work happens during the warm months, the buying cycle runs all year long. During the winter, potential customers are thinking of improvements they want done and researching which companies to involve in the process. According to Google, there is an uptick in searches for "home improvement" as early as January. And it typically takes people an average of 108 days (3.5 months) to research home improvement companies before making a purchase, according to Synchrony Financial.
By maintaining consistent marketing throughout the year, you ensure that your company will be known to people at all stages of the buying cycle. Then, when it's time for them to actually sign on the dotted line, there'll be a much higher chance of them coming to you.
4 Channels to Use for Consistent Marketing (and Why)
Regardless of the season, there are a few marketing channels that are great for getting your message to the right audience. These are:
1. Radio
Almost everyone listens to the radio, whether for music, talk shows, or general news. This gives radio great reach, but that's not all: For every dollar spent on radio advertising, home improvement companies typically see $9 in return. Exposure to radio advertising also drives a 4% overall sales increase. It's clear that radio ads are excellent investments for home improvement companies thanks to their ability to provide reach, enhance brand differentiation, and generate interest.
2. Digital Advertising
Digital ads allow you to retarget radio listeners or website visitors with your brand message and encourage customer action. These ads can be locally targeted, too, so your ads have the highest chance of reaching your ideal customers. For example, you can specifically target homeowners in the Joplin, MO, area with a discount on your home improvement services.
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media is great for creating ongoing relationships with potential customers. Offer tips, how-tos, maintenance advice, and other content that is of interest to your target market. You can also use this channel to post about occasional promotions, as well. The helpful content will keep your company's name in people's minds, keep them engaged, and in turn, help to ensure that they see your promotional posts.
Local SEO
This type of SEO is aimed at ensuring that your company's name and related info are visible when people search for things like "home improvement near me." Such exposure is essential for reaching customers who are ready to buy right away. In fact, 50% of consumers conducting local searches on their mobile device went into a store the same day.
While home improvement isn't an impulse buy, the first step to making a sale is connecting with prospects and demonstrating what you can do for them. Therefore, attracting potential customers through local SEO is a surefire way to get leads and future contracts.
Continuing to advertise on a consistent basis is important for home improvement companies. It allows you to reach customers throughout the buying cycle, which extends beyond the summer months. Try some of the marketing channels listed above to bring in new leads all year long and to take your sales to a new level.
