It is not a question of if you become a digital entrepreneur, but when. And if when isn’t anytime soon, your business will eventually disappear from the public eye.

This is the reality many businesses faced a decade ago, and digital imperatives are quickly catching up with the construction world – even earthmoving contractors and heavy / road contractors with a small customer base.

A “digital entrepreneur,” according to Brett Sutherlin, is one who uses all the technology available, especially technology that allows you to reach more customers, better collaborate with suppliers, and recruit a skilled workforce. first order. Technologies like GPS, BIM, and telematics are also important, but their value and necessity depends on the work you do. Not everyone needs the control of the GPS machine. But the technology you need to market your business is important to any type of entrepreneur.

Sutherlin is the Founder and CEO of Lead Revenue, a website and digital services company, and Founder and President of fusionZONE Automotive. He has helped dozens of automotive and industrial customers, entrepreneurs, and dealerships improve their digital game. We asked him how contactors can get started and master this new area of ​​digital marketing.

“It’s about exposure, it’s about being found,” says Sutherlin. “99% of our efforts are aimed at being found, in the first place, on Google. If you’re not there and can’t be found, that’s one of the main reasons you’re running out of customers.

1. Start with Google

Sutherlin highly recommends Google My Business, a free app that allows businesses and organizations to manage their online presence in the Google ecosystem, including search and maps. With it, you can help customers find your business, tell them your story, and edit your business information. You can also read and respond to customer reviews and post photos that show what you’re doing.

When your Google My Business pages and social networks are set up correctly and you regularly add new content to your website, you will start to see results. “Content is king with Google, it’s the key to really showing up and improving relevance,” says Sutherlin.

When you create social media content and posts, you increase your relevance score with Google and really help your business be found on Google. “This is all the first step. Without traffic, there is nothing else, ”says Sutherlin.

A business blog is a great way to help customers make informed buying decisions.Brett sutherlin2. Educate clients

A big part of marketing is educating customers, explains Sutherlin. For a paving company, this education could come in the form of web publications that show clients how to prepare sidewalks for winter, how to create a paving budget, or what to expect when the paving crew arrives.

“This is what is going to separate you from the guys who are constantly trying to sell hard,” says Sutherlin. “Once people read your blog posts, it’s more than likely that they will dive in and read more than one. “

“Above all, you want to provide a wealth of information for the customer to feel at ease,” explains Sutherlin. “Be that knowledge base where people go to learn. Once that happens, they will dive into your website, review all the products and services you offer, and ultimately convert to a customer.

3. Low cost advertising

Google AdWords and Facebook are two great ways to target specific customers and get your message out, says Sutherlin. Google AdWords is a pay-per-click online advertising platform that allows advertisers to display their ads on the Google search engine results page. Facebook retargeting shows your ads to people who already know about your business through Facebook or Instagram.

“It’s great to find customers on Google and then retarget them with social media, because once they see your name five or ten times, they’ll remember it rather than seeing it just once on Google. Says Sutherlin. “It’s the one-two punch that I love to use. And it brings great results for our clients.

Neither platform is particularly expensive. In fact, $ 5 a day may be enough to get your business message out to your potential customers, explains Sutherlin. “Facebook pays off. If you don’t have a budget, you will likely only reach 1% of your audience. But even a small budget will generate big results because the ads target a very specific and local audience, and are not shown to the general world. “

4. Recruitment via social networks

Almost all entrepreneurs struggle to find qualified employees. Many entrepreneurs rely on word of mouth, asking employees to spread the word, but you won’t find a bigger or better word of mouth network than your social media presence.

“Recruiting today is an extension of your marketing,” says Sutherlin. “You want to show how satisfied your current employees are with your company and broadcast it on social media. Post something like Five Facts About Why You Would Want to Work for ABC Company, then link to employee reviews that talk about the culture of the company.

Brett sutherlin5. The importance of photos

Photos and videos play an important role in how Google finds your information. In addition to scanning your text, Google bots read the metadata behind your photos and improve your search engine rankings accordingly. And, says Sutherlin, remember that YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world.

“Research has shown that if you have more than 100 photos on your Google My Business listing, your calls will increase by 500% and your visits to your website will increase by more than 100%,” explains Sutherlin. “So photos and videos are important and shouldn’t be overlooked. “

The research cited by Sutherlin was carried out by the Brightlocal Company and can be viewed here: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/google-my-business-insights-study/

Make it easy for customers to find and work with you.Brett sutherlin6. Don’t set it and forget it

While a lot of the functionality of any website is automated, making your digital outreach work for you still takes a lot of work.

“You need a copywriter who can come up with new content every day and tackle the job every week,” says Sutherlin. “Many hours are devoted to it. I think it would be a full time job to have a copywriter on the team to do what is necessary to be at the forefront in the eyes of Google.

And once your website and ad serving programs are up and running, you need to compile data and measure results, says Sutherlin.

Track things like incoming calls, route requests, form submissions, information requests, how many times an article or blog is read, how much time is spent on the site. A good website will give you all of these metrics and from them you can gauge what is working and what is not.

Brett sutherlinAdapt or disappear

Over the past decade, car dealerships that didn’t embrace digital marketing, who stuck with old-fashioned newspaper ads have faded, ”says Sutherlin. “I think it’s going to happen in the construction industry,” he says. “From a digital standpoint, construction is about a decade behind most companies. But if 96% of people start their research online, entrepreneurs will need to have a digital presence to thrive. “

If you’re looking for examples of construction contractors doing the digital good, take a look at the links below for some of the sites Sutherlin has developed for contractor clients: