Marketing your construction business should not be taken lightly, but unfortunately too many simply have someone join their business because the know a little about websites or social media.  While we appreciate the desire to have a family member (or someone close via personal connections) join your company, you must take responsibility for the fact that limited marketing education and experience can easily derail your good intentions.

Marketing a Construction Company is unique

Too many like to think that marketing for this industry is easy, and it is not.  You can not assume that someone who has just general knowledge of websites or social media can come right in and support this business objective.  You need to appreciate the time it takes to build marketing momentum, and when it is lost due to inexperience, that it is difficult to get back.

Conflicting Time Frames for Marketing Success

MyOnlineToolbox begins the marketing education for one to five years of success, but then sometimes we find out someone is joining your company to help with the marketing.  The problem many times is they simply do not have enough experience to help as intended.  We equate it to the intent of giving someone experience at driving an excavator or a bulldozer simply because they have a driving permit.  Would you just let someone on a job site for this driving based on the hopes of getting experience?  The difference with this analogy is, any damage with an excavator or a bulldozer will be immediately seen, yet any damage with your marketing may take months to a year be noticeable.  Fixing the damage by an excavator or a bulldozer can be done on the spot, yet the marketing damage will take time to recover.

Much Time Passes Before Observing Ranking Downgrades

Many do not realize the time it takes to build the momentum, and many times it is often forgotten or not even understood when a new person arrives to work on the marketing efforts.  For example, MyOnlineToolbox takes a very focused approached to strengthen a specific set of keywords for a contracting business.  Then someone new decides to change the marketing strategy from a Quality perspective towards a Quantity perspective to impress you on their work without understanding the long-term impact.   Never forget that most results coming in today are traditionally from the efforts of months to quarters to years before.  The new marketing person should not be given credit for what is not deserved.  A worst-case scenario is giving credit for someone who is diminishing your marketing strength, and you do not want to wait until it is too late to understand.

Will you treat your family the same as outside resources?

You love your family, yet others do not.  You will probably let them get away with a lot of things that you would not accept with others.  Appreciate this while accepting the fact that many may not be in a rush to rescue your company simply because it was decided the marketing was just not for them.  Many family members use the company as springboard to update their resumes and move on to greener pastures – but the downside is your marketing may be suffering for months to years later.  Not only can you be in a diminished position, but you gave time to your competition to get ahead.  Will you be as forgiving with the family member as you would be with whomever you would work with that was not a family member?  The answer is a hard pill to swallow for most.

Will your family member be ready for the agitation?

Many will think that being in a distressed position, such as lack of current business or absence of leads will be an opportunity for marketing firms.  That may be true from a financial perspective, but not from an emotional one.   At least from the seat of MyOnlineToolbox, the last thing we desire is to have a past customer approaching us for help after a family member has crashed all the success that we helped create over a period.  We much rather have the family member be surrounded with the ongoing agitation and stress associated with recovering the marketing efforts.  Now that would be a real-world experience.

Marketing success with family members is achievable

We have also seen many victories with family members or close associates, especially when they are receptive to learning.   It is all recognizable in a short period of time when someone joins the company.  Do they just dive right into making website changes without any strategy?  Do they start making social posts on a self-imposed quantity or date driven deadline?  Did they measure things well in advance of making any updates where you can go back six months to a year later to then decide what is working and what is not working?   There are those who see victories from a physical perspective, then there are those who combine those physical topics with the technical and business measurable topics to celebrate.   It is good to have your new family member appreciate what success will be before one item is physically worked on.

Perhaps your family member has just a little website and social media background?  Then we suggest to take the MyOnlineToolbox Brand Marketing & SEO Basic Class since it will be the equivalent of you having an architect’s guidance before any building takes place.

Perhaps your family member has extensive website and social media experience?  Then we suggest to take the MyOnlineToolbox Brand Marketing & SEO Advanced Class so they can clearly see the long term objectives specific to a construction-oriented business.

Avoid an uncomfortable conversation

Helping a family member (or personal connection) out in business can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be painful for your business if it does not work out.  The smart thing to do is not just throw someone into a position without having a clear goal in mind.  Take a moment to establish the objectives, what will be measured, and when can you claim victory or defeat.  There are two things that matter, the company and the person you love or like that you are trying to help out.  Do not forget to separate the two to avoid an uncomfortable conversation for everyone.  There is an upside and there is an downside that should be recognized by all.