Marketing Your Electrical Contracting Business In 2023

The first question you should answer is, "Do you want to grow your business?" If yes, read on...

As an electrical contractor, you need to stay on top of marketing trends to grow your business. In 2023, there are specific tactics you can use to implement a marketing strategy that can help you grow your business by $50,000 in 90 days. This blog article will provide you with the most effective marketing tactics to increase your visibility, attract more customers, and boost your revenue.

Figure 1. Typical Marketing Budgets by Industry

It’s 2023 & Marketing Your Electrical Contractor Business Has Changed! (or has it?)

If you want to grow as an electrical contractor, you need to understand the changes in advanced digital marketing tactics to grow your business in 2023 and beyond and you need to budget accordingly.

Marketing is not just about advertising your services; it's also about building long term relationships with customers, creating brand awareness, and generating leads that convert into sales.

The best (and shortest) definition of marketing and sales came from a man I’ve listened to for years, Jack Spirko of the Survival Podcast Blog. He says; “Marketing is the exposure of your beliefs, and sales are the transfer of your beliefs". So, let’s start there.

As an electrical contractor, what do you believe? Why should someone choose you over another company? What solutions do you bring to customers, and how do they find out that your solutions are the best match for their needs?

Let’s Look At 5 Key Trends That Are Changing the Marketing Landscape Forever…

In 2023, marketing trends have changed, and it's important to keep up with them to stay ahead of your competition. Some big trends include:

Make Your Website Mobile Friendly

1. More people are using mobile phones to collect information, book appointments, or purchase goods and services than ever before. Having a mobile friendly website it imperative!

a. 6.92 billion people around the world have a least one smart phone.Source: BankMyCell.com

b. 60.66% of traffic is mobile and 37.08% is desktop and only 2.26% is from tablets. Source: Statcounter

c. American adults spend an average of 5.5 hours daily on their cell phones (2022 data) Source: Earthweb

d. According to stats from Monetate, mobile traffic converts at less than half the rate of that on desktop, at 2.25% compared to 4.81% for desktop. So, as more and more people search online, the more important making mobile friendly websites is and making them easier to take the action you want them to take.

So,you better have a clickable telephone number so they don't have to write it down or try to remember it. Make sure to test your website for being mobile ready. Edit the mobile ready version to ensure your calls to action are large enough to be used with someone's fat fingers.

Hiring? What Makes Your Electrical Contracting Business An Attractive Place To Work?

Hiring and keeping the right employees has become harder for the small electrical contractor based on reasons below.

a. Veteran employees are retiring faster than replacement labor.

b. Labor costs are expected to increase 7 to 9 percent in 2023 and

c. From 2020 to 2030 the occupational demand for the electrical trade is estimated to increase by an additional 9%. Source: Larry Bailey, President & CEO at Trades Construction Staffing

Do you have a web page specifically for employees that you want to attract? You should embed a video telling a future employee what the opportunity is with your company and what it isn't. Be honest because you want to weed out the ones that aren't a good fit sooner rather than later.

Do you offer apprenticeships or need experienced electricians? What are typical working hours and compensation plans? What are your expansion plans and is there a good career path for employees?

Have you made it easy to submit resumes and/or applications. Do you send confirmations thanking them for wanting to work with you? How about automating the testing process and hiring oreientation with a heartfelt "welcome aboard" video? If you want long term employees then start by making them feel special. When you do, you will stand head and shoulders above your competition.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Grow Your Electrical Contracting Business

Figure 2. AI implementation strategy use cases

Artificial intelligence is drastically changing the landscape of marketing through content creation and distribution and online search. (Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon and more are all heavily investing in A.I.)

It is CRITICAL that you position your company to be in Google's 3 Pack. Content creation has been super charged with the advent of text to video, Chat GPT content creation, voiceover technology and so much more. Massive content creation will not be that thing that other people do, it will be the price of entry. Not doing it will soon render your online presence like the tree that fell in the woods...nobody heard it!

According to Google, the definition is: The Google 3-Pack is the way that Google displays the top results for a local business search. It includes three local businesses that Google deems sufficiently relevant, prominent and close in proximity to the user. The results include the three Google Business Profile listings and a map of the three results. 

Local Search is where you need to dominate. You do that by:

1. Make sure your Google Business Profile is up to date with your basic information across multiple sites online; that it is complete and updated weekly. Think of it as a mini-website provided by Google, for free.

   There are five key factors that affect your ranking on GBP and Google Maps:

   Relevance - Your business profile should be relevant to the search query. The intent should match content.

   Distance - Your business should be close to the user's location.

   Prominence - Your business should have a strong online presence. Use A.I., automations and multiple social media platforms to create your owns strong online presence.

   Reviews - Positive reviews can boost your ranking. Automate review requests for every single customer you have.

   Completeness - Your business profile should be complete with accurate information all across every platform. Don't let your listings look like this! 83% Inaccurate and minimal reviews. This Electrical Contractor ranks in the sub basement and will be lost online.

   

2. Photos and Videos: Share high-quality photos and videos of your work on your GBP and Google Maps listing. This can help potential customers get a better sense of the quality of your work.

3. If you don’t have a GBP page like you see here, you are condemning yourself to search irrelevance. People can call her, request a quote, and see all her reviews.

   

   Figure 3. GBP Typical view. Chat bot is not shown, but available.

4. Actively solicit reviews from every customer. Automate this process and suggest keywords that you would like them to use such as "EV Charging Station", "home generator", "backup power", or "upgrade panel". Words that specifically describe the type of work you did. Always ask for a 5 star review and ALWAYS respond to every review. If you need help automating this process, let us know @ info@MarketElectricalContractors.com.

5.  Create local backlinks from reputable businesses, organizations and associations. There are sponsorship, event hosting, directory listings and guest blog posts that you can utilize to get your website content linked from other local sites to yours.

6. Create high profile backlinks from trade association content that you write or widely distributed newsletters or mentions in high trafficked pages that cite or recognize something your firm has done. An example might be an article about how you installed the first tri-fuel generator at a nursing home to protect the elderly from losing power to life saving equipment with quotes from management and residents and their feelings of safety. Leveraging other people's lists and publications is a great way to build backlinks for electrical contractors wanting to rank higher in Google's search engines.

7. This one is basic...build your own reputation on multiple social media platforms on a regular basis. Content creation should be planned and put on automatic using a social media planner. This is a must to complete for Google's 3 pack listing.

a. What type of content customers and potential customers are interested in?

b. What the most efficient ways are to distribute our content to them?

c. Online search will be changed to give specific answers to “best electrical contractor near me” or “most qualified electrical contractor to install my Tesla charging station”. How will you rank with only 1-3 contractors being listed due to relevance, distance, prominence, reviews and completeness.

d. Improve your UI (user interface) and UE (user experience). Optimize your web loading speed as it really matters to Google in terms of rankings. There are tools you can use to check your speed and give you ideas on improving your website's performance.

Communication and Workflow Automation is essential in today's "instant gratification" environment.

Integration of SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms are consolidating features that are normally considered separate functionality and were paid for separately are now under one platform and at a much lower cost.

a. Having a “Global Inbox” where all your communications come into one, easy to use, connection point. So phone, text, chat, direct messaging from platforms like Facebook and Google, allow the smart electrical contractor to never miss another customer inquiry or request again.

NEVER LOSE ANOTHER CUSTOMER AGAIN!! You have a minute or two to respond to a customer or your chances of you losing them increase 391% in less than 5 minutes.

Figure 4. Harvard Busines Review Study

Important Marketing Tactics For Electrical Contractors in 2023

1. Google Business Profile (GBP)

Google Business Profile (GBP) is an essential tool for electrical contractors to increase their visibility on Google Maps and in search results. GBP is a free tool that allows you to create a business profile (essentially a mini website) that includes your contact information, hours of operation, photos, services offered and reviews.

To optimize your GBP, you need to provide accurate and up-to-date information about your business. You should also encourage your customers to leave reviews, as this can increase your ranking on Google Maps and search results.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in marketing, and electrical contractors can benefit from using AI in various ways.

• Content Creation: Use AI-powered tools to generate content ideas, optimize your content for search engines, and improve the readability of your content.

• Customer Segmentation: Use AI to segment your customer base based on factors such as purchase history, demographics, and behavior. This can help you create more targeted marketing campaigns.

• Sales and Marketing: Use AI to analyze customer data and identify trends and patterns that can help you optimize your sales and marketing efforts.

• Workflow Automation: Use AI-powered tools to automate repetitive tasks, such as lead nurturing and customer follow-up.

3. Set Up a Referral Program

4. Leverage Social Media to Reach More People

Social media can be a powerful tool for reaching new customers and building your brand. Here are some tips for using social media effectively:

• Choose the Right Platforms: Focus on the social media platforms that your target audience is most active on.

• Share High-Quality Content: Share photos and videos of your work, and provide helpful tips and advice for homeowners.

• Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and messages promptly and professionally, and encourage your followers to share your content with their friends and family.

5. Monitor and Respond to Reviews

Reviews and ratings can have a significant impact on your online reputation. Here are some tips for managing reviews:

• Monitor Your Online Reputation: Set up alerts so that you are notified when new reviews are posted about your business.

• Respond Promptly and Professionally: Respond to both positive and negative reviews promptly and professionally.

6. Know Your Target audience

Knowing your target audience is crucial to the success of any marketing strategy. As an electrical contractor, your target audience may be homeowners, businesses, or a combination of both. Understanding their pain points, preferences, and needs can help you tailor your marketing efforts to meet their expectations.

7. Leverage Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a powerful tool that can help electrical contractors increase their visibility on Google Maps and Search. Creating a GBP is free and allows you to manage your business information, interact with customers, and post updates.

To optimize your GBP, ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date, including your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. Additionally, you can use relevant keywords in your business description, add photos, and encourage customers to leave reviews.

8. Factors That Affect Each Marketing tactic

When implementing a marketing strategy, it's important to consider factors such as budget, time, system integration, and effectiveness. Some tactics may be more expensive or time-consuming than others, while others may require specialized skills or software.

For example, creating personalized content with AI may require significant investment in terms of software, training, and resources, but can result in higher engagement and conversion rates. On the other hand, optimizing your GBP may be a simple and cost-effective tactic that can improve your visibility and attract more customers to your business.

Conclusion

In conclusion, electrical contractors can implement a variety of marketing tactics to grow their business by $50,000 in 90 days. By understanding their target audience, leveraging GBP, and using AI, they can create a personalized, efficient, and effective marketing strategy that drives results.

If you need help with any of the above, text "help" to 832-479-1250 or email info@MarketElectricaContractors.com to set up a video call where we will do an advanced digital marketing audit to do an honest but frank view of your current competitive position and guide you to becoming the local dominate electrical contractor in your market.