4 Ways to Use Video for Construction Marketing

It’s likely you’ve heard by now that video content is an integral part of marketing. But what does that mean for your construction business?

Recent data from Cisco anticipates that roughly 80% of all global Internet traffic will come from video content.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of your peers testing drone footage on build sites or streaming live video feeds of construction zones? In our current marketing environment, video content has become a necessity for many construction-based businesses attempting to showcase their firm’s capabilities, secure new project bids, and keep stakeholders in the loop.

Maybe you’ve also noticed that these companies share one thing in common: plenty of revenue and budget to accommodate video marketing, right? Wrong! Sure, some companies may have better means to launch video marketing, but “video” is not synonymous with “costly.”

Most construction firms have continued to shrug off the importance of video for marketing their brands due to this misconception. While a cost-barrier may have existed in the past, the democratization of video through numerous options and platforms (those that aren’t TV) has helped to level the playing field.

Even so, the harsh reality is that your business will live and die by its ability (or inability) to attract new clients and keep current ones satisfied. And while this may not be the revelation you hoped for, it certainly makes a strong case for the use of video in your marketing strategy. So, if you’d like to hop on the fast track to success and tap into a portion of that massive Internet traffic, follow along for our four cost-effective methods to kick off your video marketing efforts, and potentially land that next project!

The drone flies over the construction site

1. Virtual SOQ (Statement of Qualifications)

Business Developers in construction and other heavy industries have relied upon relationship-marketing to consistently win new projects and foster new customer referrals. It’s preferable in this industry, a very litigious and risky sector, to do business with people who are trustworthy, capable, reliable, and passionate about the build industry. Knowing who meets these standards and who’s just in it for a quick buck takes an investment of time and testing, and that means building and establishing professional relationships with whom we do business. This relationship-building process hasn’t lent itself well to digital marketing… then, along came Covid-19.

Virtual SOQs are loaded with quality audio and video impressive enough to match your reputation. What better way to connect with a prospect’s needs and goals than through a compelling visual aid? Show how your company builds, provide a walkthrough of successful projects, highlight how you innovate through challenges, and introduce potential clients to your leadership team and project managers while socially distanced.

2. Livestreaming

Depending on the type of construction business, live video such as Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube Live, etc., could act as a direct conduit to your contractors, vendors, and internal teams. It’s also worth noting that live video comes with a lower expectation for quality. As a result of the leniency afforded by viewers consuming live content, you can spend less time worrying about high production costs and focus more on the objective.

Don’t be afraid to engage with your crew, your stakeholders, or your vendors. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Start saving time and money by conducting everything from employee onboarding to company-wide meetings across geographic boundaries.

A video, no matter how rough, can make your brand seem more authentic and honest, which could lead to higher brand affinity – the coveted level of mutual interest between your business and its customer. It’s also a great communication tool for internal updates.

3. Presentation Screen Capture for Webinars

Have a lot of boring, lackluster presentations lying around from company meetings? These could serve as yet another tool for video production! By merely repurposing content as an interactive webinar, a bite-sized social clip and so much more, you could generate videos in little time with no added cost. Even if the initial purpose of these presentations doesn’t quite gel with your marketing goals, a few small tweaks could help to leverage that same content for video.

For example, let’s say that you’ve just posted a new project update blog or case study. Perhaps you’d like to follow-up with some posts to social media to help spread the word? You may begin by choosing your platforms, and maybe gathering ideas from your peers in the industry. It’s around this time you quickly realize that other companies employ the use of highly engaging videos that seem, by comparison, an impossible undertaking given your limited resources. Instead of competing head-on, why not take the most profound and easily understood excerpt from the blog you’ve just written, and transform it into a shareable video?

All you need are the right tools (like this one from Canva), a little effort, and some of the copy you’ve already written and voila!

4. HIT THE PANIC BUTTON

Okay, so maybe panicking is a bit extreme, but in an increasingly uncertain business environment, natural disasters and Covid-19 has taught businesses to always be prepared to adapt. If you genuinely feel overwhelmed by the thought of producing a video for social marketing there is another option: hire someone else to do it for you! While this may seem like the opposite approach to saving money, there are low-cost content creators, freelancers, and agencies specializing in digital marketing for construction companies eager to help your busy construction firm tackle this aspect of your marketing strategy.

An agency such as The Brand Constructors can often be a more cost and time-effective approach depending on the size and scale of your project. The skills, resources, and overall experience of an agency could lead to BIG savings! Check out the full array of digital marketing services from The Brand Constructors.