As you gather the materials for your construction marketing strategy, you’ll probably find the tradesperson is your bedrock. Equipped with technical know-how and responsible for installing someone’s dream kitchen or bathroom, tradespeople — or installers — often hold the most buying power for any building products brand.
In today’s blog, account consultant Zoe Gaffney will be discussing her top tips on how to engage installers within building products marketing.
- Know your technical stuff
It goes without saying that an installer knows their way around a pipe, fuse — or whichever apparatus their chosen trade deals with. And that means your communications have to match that. Before setting your construction marketing strategy into motion, it’s important to do your research and ensure that you have an in-depth understanding of the product and how it benefits the installer. Showing your brand as the expert in the market will position you ahead of your competitors and build trust with your target audience.
Once you’ve done the groundwork, start thinking about how product-focused content will fit into your content framework. For example, consider crafting technical blogs that clearly explain how the installer can use your products, offering step-by-step tips on installation and maintenance. Make life simple for them, but to do this, you — as a marketer — have to get technical first.
- Identify what’s important to them
The key to building trust with installers is showing them that you understand their day-to-day job and know what matters to them. Installers often work alone, meaning they don’t get to interact with like-minded people as much as they would like to, therefore having a sense of community is vital to them.
Consider positioning your brand as not just a supplier, but a trusted partner and friend, showcasing your support to the trade sector. For example, we created a dedicated installer Facebook Group for our client Bristan, the UK’s number one tap and shower company. This created a safe, fun and supportive space for installers to share advice and have friendly chat with their peers after a day’s work.
- Adopt their tone of voiceÂ
This goes hand in hand with our second tip; it’s important your customers view your brand as a friendly face, rather than a company that’s constantly trying the hard sell. This means putting the corporate voice back in the toolbox and instead, speaking to them as you would to a friend.
Of course, your brand still has to remain professional, so grammar and spelling must be on point always. However, take the time to understand how they communicate in their day-to-day life — either through social media listening or seeking out a plumber in person — and adapt your tone of voice accordingly. Have fun with it, brush up on your banter and don’t be afraid to throw some plumbing puns in there once in a while!
- Seek out their source of influence
The installer is a key destination in the purchase journey, but to successfully engage them, you may need to look beyond them. Consider who has a major influence on a tradesperson when they’re considering a purchase: the merchant. While installers are increasingly looking to social media to find the right products, many of them still see value in heading out to their local builders’ merchant and chatting to their trade counter rep.
What does this mean for your communications, you ask? Well, it means that you need to include merchants as a target audience in your strategy, creating content that effectively sells to the sellers. This could be brand-focused — for example, sharing an image of a sales team member visiting a merchant — or product-focused — for example, sharing a blog that runs through the key features and benefits of a product. Once you have a merchant on side, it means they can become champions for your brand and engage the installer with your products.
Want to find out more about how we can help your home and property brand? Get in touch today.
