So you want to grow your business, attract buyers, and serve more clients but you realize that the internet is a humongous place and you have no idea where to start. In addition to that, it seems that everything requires learning which is time-consuming, technology that is ever-changing, and money, boatloads of it! Not to mention that none of this guarantees success. Sigh.

Don’t stress. The good news is, you are not alone. Lots of data on successful businesses indicates that there is indeed a starting point and it is simple. Start with what’s working right now. Most people jump into the latest tactics of social media marketing and advertising but quickly run into frustration because they are pouring water into a leaky bucket. To avoid that, begin with optimizing what is working right now.

You see, the point of marketing is to generate more sales conversations. Where is that conversation happening in your business today? For most construction companies, it is over the phone or in person. How can we get more people to that phone or in-person conversation? It is more productive to pour gasoline on a spark than it is to create multiple new sparks.

Let’s say the majority of your current customers are generated from referrals. How can you ensure that every single one of your customers refers two more people? A great way to do this is to create a follow-up system to capture testimonials and ask for a referral. Assign a member of your team to call back recent customers to talk about their experience with your service and if they are satisfied, ask for a referral. Simply asking a customer to refer their friends has been shown to generate more leads than traditional advertising. And it’s FREE.

Another way to optimize your existing flow of business is to improve your conversion rate. If you are currently converting 10% of your leads into buyers, how can you double that number? A great way to do this is to introduce a low-risk offer or a micro commitment that whets their appetite. Think in terms of the free food samples you get at Costco. What can you offer for free or a very low price that is packed with value and irresistible? Some great examples include a free hour of consulting services, free swatches or renders, material lists, construction plan audits, etc. The key is to give so much value for free that the prospect wonders how awesome is the stuff that you actually sell.

Once you have maximized the opportunities from your existing customer base, it’s time to explore new channels. But wait, before you blindly dive into Facebook, you need a strategy. Otherwise, that boatload of cash that we talked about is going to go down the drain. The first thing to think about is your who. Who are the people that you’re after and where do they hang out?

The best place to start marketing is with people who are actively looking for the service that you offer. They may not know you or your brand, but they are aware that they have a problem and that a solution already exists for that problem. In this case, you will only be selling them on the fact that YOUR solution is the best one.

This is the point where you start to employ the different tactics of social media and content marketing. This ensures that all the new leads that you attract are funneling into an optimized system of converting leads to buyers and buyers to advocates.