Electricians traditionally get new business through word-of-mouth referrals. If you work alone as a contractor, referrals may be the only way you generate new business. Some electricians work as a team for a larger company that has a budget for advertising on television, radio, or local networking groups. Those methods of advertising are expensive and there’s no way to track how successful they are. However, rather than spending an arm and a leg for traditional marketing, you can use the internet to your advantage, and win new business with digital marketing.
You are probably saying to yourself that you don’t know anything about the internet or digital marketing. And that’s okay. Electrician work is hands-on and you need to focus on your customers as your top priority. Or you may have a regular contract with a local builder, so you get plenty of business through them. The big question is what if that source of new business dries up, can an electrician marketing service help? What if your current client base doesn’t need an electrician for a long period of time?
Let’s face it. The internet is where people look for most things these days. While direct word-of-mouth referrals are still the best way to get new business, it’s hard to gain trust as quickly with cold leads from traditional ads. This is where digital marketing comes in.
What is Digital Marketing?
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Investopedia defines digital marketing like this:
“Digital marketing is the use of the Internet, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other channels to reach consumers. Some marketing experts consider digital marketing to be an entirely new endeavor that requires a new way of approaching customers and new ways of understanding how customers behave compared to traditional marketing.”
What are the Benefits of Digital Marketing for Electricians?
There are many benefits to using digital marketing to advertise your electrician business. Here are a few of them.
- Constant stream of new leads
- Easy-to-track lead behavior
- Drive new business when you are in the field
- Easy to find your company on local search
- Qualifies new leads before they contact you
- Shows your expertise and authority
- Cost-effective
Statista notes that “almost a third of online consumers in the United States used the internet to search for local businesses on a daily basis.” Your business should be one of them.
How Can Electricians Market Online?
First of all, you don’t have to market your business online alone. You can rely on the expertise of a digital marketing agency that has tools and experience. By working with a digital marketing agency that specializes in electricians, you can continue to focus on your customers. After all, doing electrical work is your area of expertise. Here is how you can get started:
1. Build a Website for Your Electrician Business
If you hand out business cards to clients and leads then you understand the basic function of a business website. Your website has your contact information, where you work, and what type of electrical work you do. If you primarily work on new construction, you can put that on your site.
Additionally, your website can link to industry directories or Angi for up-to-date reviews. You can add content that helps visitors learn more about what they can expect from your work, and help answer frequently asked questions (FAQ).
You can showcase former jobs with photos or the people you worked with. You can even add videos of you working on specific projects to show your expertise. This type of content helps display your authority in your field.
Then add a bio about your training, years in business, and other relevant information.
2. Set Up a Google Business Profile (Google My Business)
Google is the largest search engine and there are two ways you can leverage Google’s reach. The first is to set up a free Google Business Profile. This profile offers a lot of ways to highlight your business, links to your website, and also gives you the option for searchers to contact you and get a quote directly from Google. There’s room for images, descriptions, phone, address, etc.
The second way is through Google Local Service Ads. This isn’t free but it is designed to feature local service companies just like your business. This is a good tool to work on with a digital marketing expert. They can help you determine what keywords to use, what is reasonable pricing, and what results you can expect.
3. Build Your Brand
Your brand is how other people perceive you as an electrician and professional. It doesn’t matter what you think your reputation is, only how others see you. Having a consistent brand that is reflected in how you run your business and how you market yourself is a plus.
4. Use Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
In order to gain the advantages of SEO, you first have to know who your ideal customer is and how they would search for you online. Your digital marketer can research keywords to find out what search terms your ideal customer would use when searching locally to find a business like yours.
The next step is to add these keywords to your website and other places you are listed online like Google Business Profile, Google Local Service Ads, industry directories, Angi, and other relevant sites.
Local SEO helps the search engines connect your area of expertise and location with people who are searching for those things. This means that when someone lands on your website, they are already looking for an electrician.
5. Add Social Media Accounts
There are lots of ways to use social media to drive business. Many social media sites offer free business listings with basic information about your business. You can create these accounts and never do another thing on a social media site. It would still help you with local search. You can also connect with customers and leads on social media about new jobs, updates, hours you are working, discuss problems, and just keep followers informed. Your digital marketing agency can help set these up and maintain them to save time.