Niche Marketing Plans

Marketing a Contractors' Referral and Information Services Business

There is little room for error in marketing a contractors' referral and information services business in today's economy. Fortunately, we have the information you need to stay ahead of the curve and outperform the rest of the field.

If you're hoping to leverage marketing to give your contractors' referral and information services business a larger market presence you're not alone.

By applying a few common sense tips and marketing fundamentals, you can avoid the pitfalls and set your company on the path to marketing success.

Managing Negative Publicity

Not sure how to handle negative PR? You're not alone. It's a probably faced by many contractors' referral and information services businesses. The worst way to handle negative buzz is to put off developing a response until reporters are pounding on your door, demanding a comment from a company spokesperson. PR savvy contractors' referral and information services businesses work with consultants to develop a crisis response plan that can be executed on a moment's notice. Mailing list providers can also provide quick access to accurate mailing lists, an important consideration if your crisis response plan contains a direct mail component.

Competitive Awareness

Competitive awareness is the starting point for creativity in marketing. There's nothing wrong with creativity, but if it precludes your messaging from being represented alongside other contractors' referral and information services businesses, it could be a sign that you're out of touch with the marketplace. At a minimum, we recommend seeking a third-party perspective before you adopt any innovations that dramatically alter your marketing model.

Broadcast Advertising

Broadcast advertising has clearly taken some hits over the past couple of decades. The number of consumers who tune-in to local TV and radio has plummeted, and the industry has struggled to regain its footing. But broadcast advertising hasn't disappeared entirely and contractors' referral and information services businesses can still use it to their advantage. Best practices for the use of broadcast advertising require businesses to evaluate their target audience's listening or viewing patterns and then tailor their media purchases to specific media outlets rather than blanketing the geography with brand messaging. When marketing contractors' referral and information services businesses, the target audience is almost always local or regional. For broader reach, you'll likely need to look beyond broadcast venues and explore other online and offline marketing vehicles.

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