A look at the construction and property sectors here in the UK and how they’ve adapted to the Social Media revolution and Social Media marketing.
- Marketing and construction??
The construction and property sectors here in the UK have both had a hard time over the last few years and it’s only because of the banking crisis and subsequent collapse of much of the world’s economies that I moved back to my marketing roots. I’m very happy that I did, because Social Media has made the world of marketing a very exciting place to be, but it wasn’t through choice!
Ever since Web 2.0 or the Social Media revolution changed how all businesses approach their marketing, things have changed in many ways and even now, not everyone is fully aware of the very significant changes. The construction and property sectors were always very dubious about intangibles like marketing anyway, and personally, I think that they are much happier with the phrase ‘business development’. From my experience, most construction people are a bit too macho to get excited about marketing campaigns, Social Media or otherwise.
Urban renewal and regeneration
Many business people are aware that Social Media marketing is currently taking the business world by storm, but it is still not easy to convince a very skeptical and cautious construction sector. It’s tough to convince them that Social Media is not that technical and it is not that hard to understand. It seems to me that based on my conversations with the directors of some major construction companies, they consider Social Media to be as technically involved as IT. We all know that even a medium sized company needs an IT department or at least an IT specialist on hand 24/7 and construction doesn’t like depending on people who speak a different language to them. From what I can see, construction managers and directors see Social Media experts, as the new people they’ll end up depending on and they’re not keen on that idea.
A traditional business
Here in the UK, construction is and always has been a very traditional business and despite the radical changes in communication and marketing, the vast majority of construction managers seem to prefer networking and relying on word of mouth, traditional direct marketing. What they fail to realise is that many of their old contacts are no longer in business and that things have changed dramatically.
Looking ahead to the future
Just over a year ago, I was dealing with a substantial list of industrial and commercial roofing material suppliers, many of whom were based in what’s left of the UK’s manufacturing industry. I was carrying out some market research by telephone and asking these guys for their email addresses, they just laughed and proudly told me they did everything by fax!! I promise you that this is 100% true! I tried to explain how much quicker and more efficient email is and they wouldn’t listen, good job I didn’t mention Twitter!
So, no easy task convincing those construction materials guys about the benefits of Social Media connectivity!
Luckily, home builders are a little different and my favorite home builder is award winning Miller Homes. I have written many posts about Miller Homes and I know them very well. One of their senior marketers commented on my Blog just yesterday, thanking me for my comprehensive coverage of their Social Media engagement.
Miller Homes: Social Media advocates
Award winning Miller Homes are really into Social Media marketing and they’re using it extremely well! They have a great website, they have well over 2,000 Twitter followers, they have a series of videos on YouTube, a YouTube TV channel, an active Facebook page and the Miller Homes Blog. They continue to benefit from being ‘early adopters’ and I’m happy to see them thrive in the Social Media environment, it’s a very good advert for Social Media marketing.
The Blogosphere
I’ve been project manager on residential sites and I’ve been responsible for £1,000,000′s of new build property, I know construction people and how they think, if you used words like ‘Blogosphere’, ‘Klout score’ and ‘Permission Marketing’ construction managers will treat you with either contempt or suspicion, or both. Let’s face it, even before the Social Media revolution, construction managers weren’t that keen on traditional marketing, if I’d have mentioned ‘cognitive dissonance’ or SWOT analysis on site they’d have thought I was from another planet! Don’t even think about USP’s and the marketing P’s!
Modernism
OK, we all know the problem, but what’s the answer? Based on recent experiences, I really believe that construction professionals need help, they’ve suffered a very hard few years and they simply cannot afford to keeping relying on traditional outdated marketing plans. They can’t afford to! The old methods don’t work like they used to! It’s that simple!
The cost effective, reliable Twitter
Construction managers simply do not understand the way many Social Media platforms work, they think Twitter is for kids, for saying what’s for lunch and that Facebook’s for college kids, like in that movie! However, one of the major construction companies here in the UK, Willmott Dixon recently Tweeted about it’s biggest contract ever, the £86,300,000 ‘Tesco town’ and the construction press picked up on the Tweet and the message became serious headlines, almost instantly! What’s wrong with that?? Tell me that wasn’t cost effective!
I have also explained to construction managers that I consider YouTube a great marketing tool and they look at me as though I am crazy! Look at this video and tell me it would capture a customer’s attention sent as a link!
Some construction managers aren’t even on LinkedIn! I recently updated my LinkedIn account and was amazed to see all the great new features! A lot of the construction and property managers I speak to think LinkedIn is where you go when you need a job!! These guys don’t ‘do‘ Social Media, while all the Social Media revolution was kicking off, they were trying to save their companies, they’ve not quite missed the party, but they need to be aware that it is still on and it’s a great party.
Here’s what they’re missing on LinkedIn!
Construction Marketing UK Ltd. Products and Services
(CLICK on the links for more information)
- Blog design and maintenance
- Marketing plans and strategies
- Social Media connectivity
- Website design and maintenance (CMS)
- Corporate video
- Twitter account design and maintenance
- Work wear and office wear, screen printing and embroidery
- Klout score connection and improvement
- Facebook business page design and maintenance
- Professional construction and property photography
- Screen printing and embroidery services (branding)
- Corporate branding
- Hi Viz and PPE
That is pretty comprehensive and what company wouldn’t want that kind of exposure to 100,000,000 other professionals?? Give me one good reason you wouldn’t want to there?? It can’t be cost, because it’s FREE!!
That’s pretty much explained where the UK construction and property sectors are right now with Social Media and Social Media marketing! Why not let me know how your company is coping with all the new developments, I’d really like to know!
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If you want to know more about any aspect of marketing or Social Media marketing and branding, call Peter on 01473 435308 or email peter@constructionmarketinguk.co.uk
www.constructionmarketinguk.co.uk
Related articles
- 11 Keys to Social Media Marketing Success (blogs.constantcontact.com)
- Five Myths about Pushing Social Media Marketing Content (socialtimes.com)
- Is social media marketing more cost-effective than traditional channels? (smartblogs.com)
Peter,
You have proven that there is a great place for Social Media in construction. You have carved out a wonderful niche by making it fun to read and adventurous. Construction related SM can be about satire? Yup, you have proven it with some of the greatest posts I have read recently. It doesn’t have to be about hammers, nails and two-by-fours. You are a great writer and thinker and kudos to you!
Yoni
Yoni, thank you so very much!! I saw your comment before, but didn’t expect to see it here too, I am so flattered. I love to write and I always have, but when I was a kid you just took a job, generally a trade of some kind if you lived in my part of town. When I was training to be an engineer, years ago, I wrote a poem in our ‘social activities’ class and the teacher just couldn’t believe that I’d really written it! A rare moment of joy amongst the monotony. I really feel that the construction industry can shake off the recent down turn and reinvent itself, it wasn’t that many years ago I was on site building blocks of flats and rows of new houses, so it is possible!! Thanks very much Yoni, all the very best, Peter
You are an awesome writer and a great thinker!!!!
yoni
Hi again Yoni, I’m blushing here!! Thank you mate, I’m very grateful for the encouragement!! All the best, stay in touch, Peter
Peter,
I too am very impressed by your work.
It would seem that blogging about construction might not be the easiest subject, but with wit, insight, and humor you have done a very impressive job! The entire industry could and should learn a valuable lesson from you!
Rivkah
Hi Rivkah, thanks for your encouragement, it really helps! I had never considered construction difficult to write about because it is so vast, from the foundations to the roof is a long way and a lot goes on between!! I loved building all the places I worked on and it gives me great pleasure still, to walk or drive past and see the houses or flats looking good and standing proud. It’s good to think that they’ll be there for years to come and that people will enjoy their lives in the places you and your team built. That’s something very special to me! Having said that, I do prefer to be writing on a freezing cold wintry morning as opposed to arguing with a gang of brick layers whether it’s too cold to lay bricks or not. Once again, I am so grateful for your time and kind words, thank you very much! Take care and stay in touch, best regards, Peter
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