Many leaders of facilities management businesses think of marketing as a low priority. It may fall outside the specialist skill set of the core team, and this can mean marketing as a concept is given a lower level of priority.
Your business may have survived on word-of-mouth recommendations, but as the market gets more competitive, other operators in the sector will be investing in more ways to get new customers. Now could be the time to start thinking about investing in digital marketing.
But what does this really mean for facilities management companies? Digital marketing is a huge field, and there is an almost endless range of possibilities when it comes to investing—including everything from upgrading your website, focusing on email marketing, or getting more from social media channels.
With the growth of the digital world, there are now more opportunities for facilities management companies to use digital marketing strategies to enhance their reputation, increase visibility, and gain more clients.
Better Targeting of Customers
One significant benefit of digital marketing is the ability to target specific customers. For facilities management companies, this means identifying potential customers with facilities and maintenance needs and tailoring marketing efforts to meet specific requirements. By using digital advertising, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO), companies can create specific messages that reach their target audience.
“The beauty of target marketing,” said Susan Ward, writing for The Balance, “is that aiming your marketing efforts at specific groups of consumers makes the promotion, pricing, and distribution of your services easier and more cost-effective, and it provides a focus to all of your marketing activities.”
Being able to focus your efforts on businesses that are actually going to be interested and move forward with your service can be a huge advantage.
Revolutionize with a Redesign
One of the most effective ways to enhance your digital marketing strategy is to redesign your website. It is, unfortunately, the case that the digital sector moves quickly, and so websites that were state-of-the-art five years ago may now no longer even meet the majority of Google’s best practice advice for sites.
However, a redesign is a huge project and it is absolutely essential that you ensure not only that the website is redesigned to look fantastic, but also that the technical background work is done to lay the foundations for success. Any redesign should always factor in issues like SEO and cybersecurity.
“We get enquiries from businesses all of the time where the migration to a new website has not gone well and they’ve lost rankings, traffic, and enquiries,” said Justin Aldridge, Technical Director at Artemis Marketing. “It’s unfortunately all too common. Search engine rankings are delicate things, and when migrating to a new website, it’s all too common for the SEO aspect of the website not to be taken into account.”
Cost-Effectiveness vs. Other Marketing Methods
It is worth talking about ROI and how money impacts everything you do from a marketing perspective. Of course, you want your marketing work to provide as much bang for your buck as possible. Traditional advertising with trade publications has myriad benefits, such as direct exposure to industry decision-makers, and facilities management companies should not overlook the value of spending marketing dollars with a reputable publication.
However, it is generally considered digital marketing may be more cost-effective than some other traditional forms of marketing, and this is where it then becomes smart to look into the possibilities on offer. Facilities management companies can use digital marketing to reach a broader audience without spending large amounts on traditional advertising campaigns. By using cost-effective digital marketing strategies such as email marketing, social media, and SEO, companies can significantly reduce their marketing budgets while still achieving significant results.
“Digital marketing helps you track day-to-day campaign performance, so you know what channels are performing well and which aren’t, helping you optimize your campaign budgets for high ROI,” explained Lucy Alexander, writing for Hubspot. “The same can’t be said for traditional forms of advertising. It doesn’t matter how your billboard performs—it still costs the same, even if it doesn’t convert.”
Improving Customer Engagement
As with any kind of business, if you want to have success, you need to build great relationships with your clients. This can be done effectively by using social media channels. Facilities management companies can use social media to engage with their customers on a more personal level.
Platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook provide an opportunity for companies to communicate with clients, share updates, and respond to feedback. This not only shows customers that the company cares about their needs, but it also creates a positive brand image and helps to build long-term relationships.
“Putting yourself out there on social media can be scary. Will people like what you have to say? Are you putting your brand in its best light?” said Mike Eckstein, writing for Buffer. “Having an authentic voice on social media is important but not as easy as it sounds. It’s essential because it humanizes your brand and encourages people to respond and talk about you positively.”
Digital marketing is a very effective strategy that will greatly complement traditional advertising with reputable trade publications. When placed together you have the provision of significant opportunities to enhance your reputation, increase visibility, and gain more clients. With a stronger marketing strategy, facilities management companies can further target their ideal customers, engage with them on a personal level, generate leads, and reduce costs.
Chester Avey has over a decade of experience in business growth management and cybersecurity. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with other like-minded professionals through his writing. You can connect with Chester by following him on Twitter @ChesterAvey