Any business that markets products or services to the construction industry should understand the unique challenges of the process. While some large development or manufacturing companies have offices full of administrative assistants or buyers to handle all incoming direct mail offers, some are simply active contractors who spend as little time in the office as possible. This dichotomy makes reaching your target more of a challenge in the realm of B2B direct mail marketing.
Even though direct mail has been shown to have a relatively high return on investment in any industry, you will not achieve the results you want if you do not carefully consider all facets of a campaign before you begin. Before you print out a letter and pop it into an envelope or have a colorful postcard professionally designed, there are a few questions you should ask yourself and your marketing team to improve your chances of a successful campaign.
Who Is My Construction Industry Target?
The answer to this question will depend largely on what you are selling or offering. If your company manufactures heavy equipment, your target audience will be very different than if you run a business newsletter for local contractors. Most of the decisions about what type of construction list to rent or purchase will be fairly intuitive.
For example, bulldozer manufacturers will most likely target large construction companies who require that the type of heavy equipment. Organizations who aim to inform self-employed one and two person companies how to improve their business will find no success if they focus on the big construction industry target.
If you want to specifically market to contractors, questions can still arise about who the precise target of the email or postal mail should be. Of course many of them do have people in the office who handle incoming mail and other contacts. You need to get past these gatekeepers or influence them in such a way as to convince them to pass on the information or offer to the contractor himself.
Where Can I Get the Best Construction List?
The best custom mail lists for the construction industry come directly from a reputable and highly professional source such as Bethesda List Center. The lists meet the major benchmarks for quality, such as keeping all information current and checking it for correctness. After all, a mailing list or collection of contact information that includes out of date, obsolete or incorrect names and addresses will not help you reach potential customers at all. Because the majority of people who receive direct mailers do not respond, you will have no way of knowing if they were not interested in your offer or if they did not even exist anymore unless you get the best construction list from a trustworthy source.
There are several criteria that go into determining if a list will get you a substantial return on your investment or not. If any of these are not met, you probably want to go with a different list otherwise you will be just wasting your time and the money you spend creating and sending out your direct mail marketing campaign.
Since you are interested in business to business marketing, the list you choose needs to represent professional contacts in the construction industry, such as general contractors, construction industry company owners, specialty engineers, architects, specific service industry professionals and even subscribers to industry-specific magazines and newsletters.
How Do I Market to Contractors Effectively?
First, pick the best custom mail list possible that includes the people who would be most interested in your product or service. The right construction list will be highly targeted to a specific subset of construction professionals, so it will be possible for you to ignore anyone not likely to buy. Many construction publications offer selections based on self-reported data such as Job Title/Job Function, Company Size, Products Purchased and the like.
Next, seek to understand how contractors, service providers and other people in the construction industry operate. You are much less likely to find a company owner who sits behind a desk all day sorting through mail and thinking about work topics. Many conduct business from a truck or a work site and direct mail marketing campaigns should coincide with this busy, active way of doing business.
The vast majority of contractors and construction industry people are men. Their trade involves a lot of information, measuring and considering outcomes. They want the best tools for a job and they want to know the best way to do it. With this in mind, building a mailer that focuses on the emotional side of the problem and ensures the recipient that you can help them feel comfortable and have a pleasant experience may not be the best method for getting your point across.
When you market contractors, stick to the facts. Outline identifiable and measurable results that mean something to a person in the targeted subsection of the industry. Perhaps your brand of bulldozer uses less fuel or your plumbing association newsletter has increased profits by 20% overall for members.
In Conclusion
When it comes to business-to-business direct mail marketing to the construction industry, it is important to reach your target the right way. There are plenty of ideas to try and sometimes multiple mail pieces should be created and then analyzed for their success or failure. This is a great way to figure out what method attract the most attention and get the best results.
Get the best custom mail list possible that targets the specific audience your product or service helps. Options are as diverse as large machinery manufacturers to the neighborhood home remodeling expert. Be sure this construction list is up to date and includes only correct and verified contact information.
Finally, construct a direct mail marketing piece that captures the attention of whoever sees it and follows it up with straight-talk information about the benefits your product or service provides. Do not waste time with pretty pictures or poetic language. Use an eye-catching graphic such as your company logo and neatly-organized data that a busy man on the go can scan quickly.
When you market to contractors it is important not to waste any time. People in the construction industry want speed, efficiency and power. If you can put all of these things into your direct mail or email marketing campaign, you have a much better chance of attracting attention and getting that sale or contact that you want.
