As a construction or home service pro, running your small business is already time consuming and costly enough. But you’ve always heard you have to spend money to make money, right?

Well, what if it didn’t have to be so expensive to dial in your marketing? Or how about so complicated?

In this post, we’ll dive into 9 steps anyone can do to hone in their marketing strategy, drive growth for their business, and do it all without breaking the bank.

Step 1: Know Who Your Customers Are

”Anyone that will hire me!” isn’t exactly defining your customer. Understanding who your customers are is like setting up the foundation for a house. Who is you ideal customer? What do they do, where do they go, and what do they want? Pin-pointing their needs or pains can help you establish what message you need to put out there and where to send it. Are they single families with no time to take on a home project? Are they other small business owners who need to fix up their brick and mortar shop? Define them and find them.

Step 2: Craft an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Once you know who your customer is, you can start talking to them! Think about your message… It would be different if your ideal customer was a small business owner versus a busy mom at home, right? Figure out how to craft your message to highlight what you bring to the table. Focus on what value you bring and the benefits. Are you offering a free quote to get work done that’s guaranteed to save them time and money? Is your value that you provide a stress-free experience? Be clear and highlight the benefits.

Step 3: Establish Your Digital Culture

Let’s face it, people scope you out forwards and backwards before they ever even talk to you. Your digital presence is essentially a window into what working with you is like. Does your website scream professional? Do you having raving 5-star reviews? If you’re DIY’ing your website there’s a lot of low-cost (and free) website builders out there with easy templates to make you look professional. Plus, it costs nothing to set up a social media platform like Facebook and Instagram. Posting your work and gathering reviews through those channels is invaluable. And, if you ever decide to run paid digital ads, you’ll have a leg up with an established social media presence.

Step 4: Don’t Neglect Your Listings

Having your name and business present across as many listings as possible is paramount. Make sure at the very least you have a Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). There may be other places to get your name out there like NextDoor, Bing, or a variety of online listings. Sometimes people don’t know where to look to find help, so they turn to these listings first. Be there.

Step 5: Creative Content is King

Now that you have an established digital presence, don’t forget to post to it! I can’t tell you how many local businesses I’ve checked out only to see that they don’t keep up with their social media. You haven’t posted in two years? Well, that makes me think you’re out of business. Oh you’re too busy to post? Well, then you may be too busy to get hired for a new job. We all prioritize what’s important. And, you should prioritize providing content on your social media platforms. AND, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Use your phone, film yourself talking about some tips or value you’re bringing your current customers. Post.

Step 6: Sponsorship or Partnership Hero

There are always opportunities to collaborate with other local businesses, organizations, and events. Are you a pressure washer? Maybe you offer to clean up the side-walks of a local festival in exchange for hanging a banner. People, especially organizations and events, love free. If you’re willing to collaborate by helping them out in exchange for a little bit of promotion, not only are you doing a good deed, but you’re getting your name out there too.

Step 7: Word-of-Mouth is the Most Powerful Form of Marketing

Nothing is stronger than getting a recommendation from a trusted source. If you do great work for one person, there’s a good chance they’ll tell someone they know. However, you can’t just assume they will, ask them to! Ask them if they know anyone else who could benefit from your service, people are always willing to help. If you want to make it more compelling, offer an incentive if they refer. They know people and if you brought them value, they want to connect you with other people that’d appreciate that same value.

Step 8: Local Community Hero

Being a local hero in your community means more people talking and knowing about you and your business. Make sure your brand is everywhere: local community events, fundraisers, or gatherings. We already talked about collaborating… become a sponsor or volunteer. The more support you show the better positive reputation you’ll build.

Step 9: Measure, Learn, and Adapt

Finally, remember to track your marketing efforts and evaluate their effectiveness. Pay attention to who referred and where someone heard about you. Did they find you on Google? See a post on Facebook? Have a friend recommend you? Knowing what’s working can allow you to double down your efforts where it counts.

Need more time for your marketing efforts? Lnvo helps carve out extra hours in your day: saving you time on paperwork and making it easy to keep your clients updated on projects. Start a free trial with Lnvo today and start getting your time back.