Diana Chrouch of Chrouch Consulting has teamed up with the National Association of Women In Construction to create a marketing toolkit for women in the sector.
As well as a range of marketing tools, the Marketing Toolkit will also include a range of procurement tools to help women in construction to market their skills and services more effectively and win bigger contracts. The tools will be available online and have been designed to provide user friendly, “How Tos,” checklists, templates and resources. In addition a range of masterclass training sessions and eBooks will also be available.
In the meantime here are 10 Useful Marketing Toolkit Tips
- Personal & Professional Branding – ensure your promotional material and/or CV is immaculate and says everything you want it to say about you and your brand. As well as explaining your skills and experience promote your achievements and successes. Use social media, a blog and website to maximise exposure and build your reputation.
- USP – define and promote a unique selling proposition that helps you and your business to stand out. It this is done well it can be a very valuable asset for your brand. If you can devise a USP that truly differentiates your business as unique to your customers and distinctive in the market or niche that you serve, that is great. If not focus on promoting your USP as being able to for example, add value through anything from being an award winner, to offering great customer service or offering a money back guarantee
- Network, Network, Network – get out and look out for customers, collaborators and referrers. Go to relevant industry events to meet potential buyers in your supply chain. Also think about events where you might meet influencers such as at open local authority planning meetings
- Niche – use time and resources efficiently, especially when starting out. Be a big fish in a small pond before going for world domination. Focus on growth areas in the sector and go promote your skills in those niches
- Blow Your Own Trumpet – Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet. If you don’t your competitors will blow theirs. You don’t have to wait to get noticed – be proactive. Share your skills by giving talks, writing blogs, answering questions on LinkedIn,
- Ask For Testimonials from satisfied customers. When you receive them don’t keep them to yourself. Share them
- Showcase Your Work – use photographs, presentations, videos, eNews, downloadable brochure pdfs on your website, articles and blogs to highlight your skills and achievements. Set up “Show and Tell” collections on social media sites with a strong visual element such as YouTube videos, Pinterest and Instagram for collections. Facebook have company pages that can be used as a showcase whilst LinkedIn actually has a ” Showcase Page” which is an extension of the Company page which can be set up via your profile to spotlight key aspects of your business
- Collaborate – to bid for larger supplier contracts that your business might otherwise not qualify for alone. Join forces with complementary businesses, professionals or trades to widen your service or product offering to reach a wider target audience
- Share Expertise that will be helpful and interesting to others through blogs or speaking engagements to build your reputation as a “go to” expert in your field.
- Create A Referral Network – link up with industry contacts and allied professions or trades and agree to pass each other business referrals. Get them to give you their elevator pitch and business card so that you are able to recall information about them more easily. The more you give the more likely you will be to gain referrals.
Diana Chrouch of Chrouch Consulting is the creator of the Construction Marketing Toolkit in collaboration with the National Association of Women in Construction
Contact Diana Chrouch For More Details
