Wow! Every third person I meet is a tile installer!
That is what I excitedly told my boss after only working with tile for 6 months. It seemed that almost every time the crew went out to lunch or I was making a stop on my way to and from work, I would run into someone who noticed the thinset on my shirt and pants or just asked me what I do for work. When I gladly told them I was working with ceramic tile it seemed that one out of three would say, “Oh yeah, I also install tile.” It didn’t seem to matter that they were currently working behind the counter of a gas station or coffee shop… They were also a tile installer!
So how can a professional, full-time tile contractor stand out from the crowd?
Say it with me... “It’s all about the Marketing!”
In order to differentiate your company and services from the vast sea of “tile installers,” you have to position yourself as the local expert. This is true in every economic situation, but especially when unemployment rates are high.
Here are the top 3 marketing strategies that are working for contractors today:
1. Branding
2. Social Media
3. Content Creation, including blogging, videos and podcasts
Branding
When you think about the people you do business with and how you expect a professional to appear when you’re about to spend some serious money, what comes to your mind? Is the professional wearing mismatched worn clothes? Or would you expect them to be in some sort of outfit or uniform? You perceive and judge people by first appearances, even before they open their mouths.
The same is true when it comes to your appearance and your potential clients. If you want to differentiate yourself, get your company logo printed on shirts, hats, all paperwork, pens, etc. Take it a step further and get your vehicle branded with your company logo.
One contractor, Ken Ballin from Skyro Floors, has done an excellent job with this. His van is so incredibly branded with a custom wrap that it has been in multiple national magazines!
Social Media: It’s Not Just for Kids Having Fun
Your potential clients are on social media every day. If you do not have your company on some of the most popular platforms, you are missing out on free marketing.
Multiple contractors are taking advantage of their local community groups and getting involved in any and all contractor related discussions. Even if someone in your area is asking for a plumber or electrician, you want to be the guy with all the best recommendations.
Of course this only works if you have your profile filled out complete with your business name, etc. You can also add a signature to every reply you make, mentioning your company name and phone number and website.
Content Creation
“Companies that use video’s in their marketing grow their revenue 49% faster!” There are various ways to create and distribute content these days. One of the very best ways to do this is via videos.
If you want to start showing up in local Google searches, start to answer common questions that people have about tile with videos. Upload these to YouTube as well as your Google “My Business” page. Some of these videos should also live on your website’s landing pages.
Think about the power of seeing multiple happy clients giving video testimonials! How about a short video introducing your team? These are the types of videos that you can and should be making now!
Blogging also has value. Blogs can drastically increase your SEO, helping you be found by your local market. This does take some time, but if you started a year ago and wrote 1 post a month, your 12 posts would now be rewarded by Google for your efforts.
Here’s a pro tip: If you are creating videos, utilize a transcribing service to turn your audio into written words. Double your reach with the same amount of effort!
Regarding podcasts, admittedly I am biased here. I enjoy listening to a wide variety of podcasts and have been podcasting myself for a year and a half now. But recently I’ve been excited to see multiple people in the tile and flooring worlds starting podcasts for the purpose of marketing their businesses.
This can work well for you in several ways. First, you could transcribe all your audio to turn it into blog posts, boosting SEO.
Second, you can interview other local businesses, to build relationships that can turn into new business. Imagine calling that Architect, Builder or Designer that you have been wanting to work with, only this time you're not calling to solicit work, you are calling to ask if they would like free exposure by being a guest on your podcast! Connect with them before and after the interview. Not only will they remember you, but they will be prone to reciprocate since you gave them something of value upfront.
Finally, you need to build your professional resume or body of work. Oftentimes blogs, videos and podcasts will not give you immediate results, but doing these activities over a period of time will pay dividends in the long run. When potential clients start researching tile contractors, they will find your website with articles, videos, links to YouTube and/or podcasts. They will know that you are the leading industry expert and they will like and trust you even before they call.
The contents of this blog are for informational purposes and represent the opinion of the guest author. If you have a question about TEC products, please contact us.
About the author:
Luke Miller founded Tile Money and launched the podcast in September 2018. With nearly 20 years of experience Luke observed way too many skilled people working late into their nights, weekends and holidays because they failed to operate a profitable business. Luke felt this method of operation was detrimental to the Tile & Stone installation industry and there had to be a better way. Driven with a desire to help his tile friends, he has developed a fundamental, educational body of work and presented it publicly in an entertaining way to support his colleagues in the Tile & Stone Contractor Industry.
