Helping your business take off in 2018 Have you got your marketing communication strategy ready for the year ahead? Marketing communication essentials that will give you and your construction business a competitive edge… #1 Does your business’s brand identity and story reflect what your company does and the way that you do it? Greater value is placed on businesses and their products and services if we are able to understand the unique points of difference and unrivalled story it’s telling us. We are all meaning machines and read far more into the tone of language and feel of a business identity than we’d ever like to admit. In the UK there over 296,000 construction services businesses competing for their share of the £99bn spent in 2016. Are you happy with your business story and proposition? Can we help you reach your people and clients with a better story with a more appealing identity that engages and highlights what you do and the value you bring to them? #2 Making digital connection work The digital communication revolution is touching every aspect of our lives 24/7 in ways that we had never dreamed of 10 years ago. We’re all familiar with the way that retailers, entertainment channels and brands talk to us, and now the digital communication revolution has reached the construction industry. Clients and stakeholders want to build relationships with businesses that they understand with values similar to their own. Pre-qualified familiarity and sentiments will become the order of the day. The people we talk and communicate with are changing, whilst we are working and living longer, businesses are now multi-generational; from baby-boomers to generation Z post millennials known as ‘Linksters’. Whatever you say and how you say it needs to embrace the digital revolution – are you ready to embrace the benefits of faster, more responsive contact with tangible measurement? We can help you navigate your way to the most effect way to engage and reach your audiences ahead of competitors… #3 Is your website up to scratch and fit for purpose? Websites are essential to build credibility with both your people and clients. It is the one central ‘real time’ information hub that tells your story to your people and the ‘outside world’. Websites don’t need to be cumbersome beasts with tons of copy and waffle to get to the point, rather simple and clear with interesting facts that touch upon the key needs of your audiences. The overall experience you user gets from the site is key! Don’t forget it’s not only clients that check you out, but future employees and candidates for a range of job roles that may be vital to the future of your business in the ‘post Brexit’ world that we all now compete for the best people in… Our expert team can package your story, proposition and services in a language that gives a good feeling for the culture and kind of business that you have. We also can keep your website up to date, manage case histories and set up and look after your social media accounts. #4 New business development is the lifeblood of every business – are you and your team making the best of your customer contacts? Every construction business has client contact databases – an essential component of the new business pipeline. Have you a good understanding of how they are kept and maintained? Do you know who keeps them where and whether they are safe and secure and up to date? Is there a common system for logging new client and prospect data/information, and how is it used to create contact campaigns to build ‘touch points’ with potential new clients – keeping them up to date on what you done and have accomplished. In our experience, databases can be out of date and inaccurate and fragmented in the way that they are stored and accessed. We are able to update, tidy up, create relevance and communicate via campaigns where the impact of activity is immediately visible. Let us create and care for your ‘dream client’ list and let you focus on winning the work. Better still, we can build a powerful comms strategy allowing you to broaden your network and meet contacts that you never knew existed… #5 Internal communications to build stronger teams, improve performance and focus on the vision for the year ahead Every business is only as good as its people and their understanding of what the business does and the part they play in it. If you agree with this sentiment, do you have a plan in place to broadcast and engage with your people so they know what you expect of them and the values and principles that are to be adhered to? Is what you say consistent and varied in style across a range of mediums so that everyone ‘gets the message’? Do your internal communication channels and environment reflect what you do in a way that engenders pride and excitement? Effective internal team communication lifts spirits, improves performance reduces costs and provides a sense of ownership. Our simple five point communication strategy – vision to delivery puts pace and tempo in your business to create a sense of togetherness and positively impacts upon the culture – to the point that your clients and stakeholders feel it as well. Tell us what matters to you and let’s start the dialogue to a better way of doing things in 2018