Marketing for General Contractors: How to Get More Clients and Grow Your Business

As a general contractor, in an ideal world, your phone would be ringing non-stop because people have heard about your exceptional work. Unfortunately, this scenario is rarely the case.

The reality is, running a successful general contracting business takes more than just doing quality work—you need a rock-solid marketing strategy to consistently generate new leads and clients. With so much competition, making your contracting business stand out requires smart, strategic marketing efforts across multiple channels.

Implementing an effective marketing plan can significantly expand your client base and grow your bottom line. This article highlights 17 powerful marketing tactics and specific general contractor marketing ideas to help you take your construction company to the next level no matter your marketing budget.

Why Marketing is Vital For General Contractor Businesses

Many general contractors mistakenly believe that as long as they do good work, their business will naturally grow through word of mouth over time. We wish it was that simple. The reality is that you need proactive marketing strategies. Here’s why.

Effective marketing establishes top-of-mind brand awareness so homeowners immediately think of you when needing a contractor. It also builds credibility and preference for your specific contracting services over lesser-known competitors.

Marketing helps provide a steady stream of qualified inquiries and new projects to bid on. When general contractors look more established through marketing, their bid close rates improve significantly.

Perhaps most importantly, a strategic marketing focus helps general contractors reduce over-reliance on unpredictable referral business alone, which inevitably leads to the “feast or famine” cycle. Consistent marketing efforts fill in gaps in the sales pipeline with new client leads. This enables you to maintain growth even when referrals slow down.

Professionally marketed contractor brands can also command higher prices thanks to increased visibility and trust.

When done right, strategic marketing gives general contractor businesses like yours a major competitive advantage in any market.

Your general contractor business needs to be proactive about marketing in order to generate leads and grow.

General Contractor Marketing Tactics and Ideas

The key is employing the right marketing mix based on your budget and expertise. Here are some of the top marketing tactics and channels contractors and construction companies should leverage:

Optimizing Your Contractor Website

Your website is likely the first impression many potential clients will have of your general contracting brand. That makes having a professional, mobile-friendly website optimized for your target audience extremely important.

First, let’s talk about your website design. The appearance and functionality of your website can significantly influence a potential client’s decision-making process. A well-designed website not only instills confidence but also conveys the level of professionalism and attention to detail you bring to your work.

On the other hand, when your website looks cheap, homemade, or outdated, it can undermine a potential customer’s trust—especially when you’re asking them to entrust you with their personal check written for several thousands of dollars. So, investing in an appealing and user-friendly web design is absolutely crucial to ensure that your website speaks to the quality of your craftsmanship and the trustworthiness of your company.

Your website should showcase past projects, customer testimonials, your areas of expertise, and have lead generating forms so visitors can easily contact you. Make sure to highlight your core services like kitchen remodels, home additions, bathroom remodels, etc. Use original, high quality photos and videos to build credibility and get site visitors to visualize hiring you.

With the majority of web searches now happening on smartphones, it’s essential that contractor websites are designed to provide an excellent user experience on mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website with easy navigation, clear calls-to-action, and contact forms can help generate more leads from potential clients.

Don’t neglect your company website–it’s your foundational marketing platform.

Your website is likely the first impression many potential clients will have of your general contracting business, so make it a great one.

Leveraging Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Naturally, you want your website to rank on page 1 of Google and other search engines for terms your ideal clients are searching for. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in – to drive more organic traffic to your site.

Optimizing your website for relevant keywords helps improve your search rankings so potential customers looking for local businesses like yours can readily find your services in the search engine results pages.

For example, if you’re a general contractor in Miami or Austin, throughout your website you should target keywords like “kitchen remodel contractors Miami” or “bathroom renovation contractors Austin” to appear for those high-value localized searches. Focus your SEO efforts on ranking for local keywords like “general contractors in New Orleans”, “construction companies in Chicago”, or “home addition contractors in San Diego” to attract clicks in search results with high intent from potential customers in your specific geographic service area.

Follow Local SEO best practices like optimizing your Google Business profile (formerly Google My Business), creating business listings, building local citations and backlinks, enhancing on-page elements, creating localized content, leveraging schema markup, and more. Track keyword rankings regularly and double down on the ones driving the most website traffic. SEO delivers huge returns over time.

Content Marketing for General Contractors

Creating helpful “how-to” articles, blog posts, videos, and other content proves your expertise while also indirectly marketing your services.

For instance, publish a blog post like “How to Choose the Best Countertops for Your Kitchen Remodel” or create a video “What to Expect During a Home Addition Project From Start to Finish.”

Optimizing this content with relevant keywords helps attract prospects during initial research stages and positions your construction business as a thought leader they can turn to for advice. Then promote your content across all marketing channels.

An example of a good general contractor blog

Running Google and Facebook Paid Ads

Paid advertising is a fast way to get your general contracting services in front of local homeowners actively looking to hire a contractor business for an upcoming project. These high-intent users are more likely to convert.

You can target your Google and Facebook ads geographically so only users searching in your specific metro area see them. Make your ads relevant to high-value services like “kitchen remodel contractor”.

Retargeting ads that follow site visitors across the web after they leave your website can also effectively nurture leads and drive conversions as they keep your brand in front of their eyes. Paid ads, including social media ads, help get your brand on the radar of prospective new customers right when they’re ready to hire.

Examples of Facebook Ads for a general contractor

Maintaining a Strong Social Media Marketing Presence

Maintaining an active presence on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and even TikTok exposes you to new audiences, helps build brand awareness, and nurtures relationships with past/current clients.

Share real-time photos/videos of projects underway, introduce clients you’re working with, post renovations tips, run special offers, or highlight your capabilities. This humanizes your brand and strengthens connections.

Driving followers to your website from your social media posts increases visitors and potential leads. Social content also helps with SEO by signaling relevance. Don’t ignore the power of social media marketing for contractors like many of your competitors are.

The Power of Customer Reviews

Positive customer reviews should be a core part of any general contractor’s marketing strategy. Review sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp and Houzz are critical places homeowners look to evaluate potential contractors they might hire.

Reviews directly from past clients help establish credibility and trust in your business. The more five-star reviews you can accumulate, the more confident prospective customers will be in choosing your services.

Make sure to politely ask satisfied customers to leave an honest review after project completion. If they had a great experience, they will likely be glad to help out and positive reviews about your contracting company will steadily grow. You can even have special business cards designed just for this very purpose with direct links and instructions on how to leave a Google or Facebook review.

Respond professionally to any negative reviews received to show you care about feedback. Being transparent and making things right goes a long way.

The number and average rating of your customer reviews factor heavily into local search rankings. So quality online reviews also help you gain visibility in Google’s local search results.

Continuously encouraging reviews year-round should be part of your customer relationship strategy. The social proof provided by reviews is some of the most effective marketing general contractors can leverage.

Your online customer reviews can make the difference between getting a call or not.

Video Marketing for General Contractors

Video is an incredibly powerful medium for general contractors to demonstrate expertise and impress potential customers. Video marketing helps general contractors like you make an emotional connection with potential customers. Key tactics include:

• Post project videos on your site and social media to showcase quality work visually. Provide before/after views of renovations.
• Create behind-the-scenes construction videos to give a glimpse into your process and skills.
• Film customer testimonials to build trust and social proof.
• Share live videos on social media showing projects in progress to engage followers.
• Use drone footage to get stunning visuals of completed projects.
• Optimize videos with keywords so customers find them on YouTube and Google. Promote the videos across all of your marketing channels.

Video marketing helps general contractors like you make an emotional connection with potential customers.

Email Marketing for General Contractors

Email marketing is one of the least expensive ways of generating leads and it has a very high return on investment. Here are some email marketing tips to help general contractor businesses generate more leads and repeat clients:

• Offer free guides or checklists in exchange for email signups through your website. Send subscribers helpful content.
• Notify your list when you publish new blog posts and videos related to your services.
• Create professional email templates designed specifically for contractors to send newsletters, promotions, etc.
• Segment your list by service area, project type, spend, etc. to personalize content.
• Automate follow-up emails to website inquiries to nurture leads.
• Follow up post-project to request online reviews from happy customers.

With email marketing best practices, general contractors can boost brand awareness, nurture leads, and gain repeat business.

Networking In-Person and Online

Personal, face-to-face networking establishes critical relationships with referral sources that often become your best customers.

Seek out relevant local events like home builder conferences, chamber meetups, industry networking events, or seminars where you can interact directly with other professionals who may recommend you for projects.

Come prepared with a polished elevator pitch highlighting your unique value proposition, strengths as a general contractor, and the types of clients you love working with. Collect business cards and connect on LinkedIn after to nurture relationships.

Networking online via LinkedIn to connect with builders, remodelers, designers, realtors and other allied pros in your area can also generate referrals as you build their trust and form strategic partnerships.

Direct Mail Campaigns

For homeowners who don’t find you through your online marketing strategy, a well-executed direct mail campaign can be highly effective. Many older homeowners still rely on vetting contractors through mailers.

Create compelling postcard-style mail pieces showcasing your most successful projects and satisfied customers. Target homeowners in affluent neighborhoods most likely to hire a general contractor.

Include a strong call-to-action to visit your website or contact you for a free estimate. Time mailings around seasons when people are more likely to start renovation projects.

With so much digital noise, physical mailers stand out and can give you top-of-mind presence during the research phase. Just make sure your mailer looks professional and not like junk mail.

With so much digital noise, physical mailers stand out and can give you top-of-mind presence during the research phase.

 

Referral Programs

Referrals from past satisfied customers are often a general contractor’s best source of new business. Giving clients an incentive to refer you makes it more likely they’ll promote you actively.

For example, offer a discount on their next project, gift card, or free upgrade for any referral that becomes a customer. Or send a thank you gift after a successful referral.

Make it easy for happy clients to refer you by having a referral page on your site and referral cards printed with quick response codes and details. Referral programs encourage positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Billboards

Billboards located on high-traffic commuter routes can greatly expand your brand visibility in a metro area. While pricier, they enable you to be seen by those in your target audience daily.

Focus copy and imagery on a highly-specific service like “Seeking Kitchen Remodel? Call Today for a Free Consultation!” and include a strong call to action.

Place billboards strategically near affluent neighborhoods where homeowners are more likely to hire a general contractor versus the do-it-yourselfers. Billboards can make a bold brand statement.

Radio Ads

Local radio ads let you reach homeowners during drive times when they’re in their vehicles. Craft ads focused on one service like bathroom remodels and include a memorable jingle or slogan people associate with your brand.

Airing ads on stations popular with your demographic – like NPR for higher income households – helps target the right listeners. Radio ads break through the digital noise and help make an emotional connection via audio.

Vehicle Marketing

Branding your truck or van with eye-catching signage transforms it into a moving billboard seen by thousands of commuters.

Highlight your brand name/logo, key services like “We Specialize in Home Additions”, and include a call to action to generate calls. Keep designs clean and legible.

Having a properly branded work vehicle builds credibility and makes you look more established when parked in front of a client’s home. It’s passive but powerful marketing.

When I was a contractor, I hired a local graphics company to put my company name, logo, phone number, website, and main services on my truck. I can’t tell you how many calls and jobs I got just from people seeing my truck, and I’m sure many other contractors have had similar experiences. It works, and after the initial cost, a branded vehicle provides you with free 24/7 marketing.

Vehicle graphics provide you with 24/7 marketing everywhere you go.

Door Hangers

Door hangers allow you to target specific high-potential neighborhoods with your branding and service offerings. Hire a graphic design agency to design some nice-looking door hangers showcasing your capabilities and past projects with strong calls-to-action.

Door hangers enable you to get on the radar of homeowners right as they’re considering a renovation. Time the deployments in the spring when homeowners are planning summer renovation projects. You can hire some help to hang the door hangers and also be sure to measure ROI.

Angi & Houzz

Homeowners looking for contractor services rely heavily on sites like Angi (formerly Angie’s List) and Houzz to find professionals rated highly by other users.

Having a complete and optimized profile on these sites is extremely important for lead generation. Focus your profiles on keywords tied to services you want to rank for.

Respond promptly to any leads or inquiries generated through these sites. Seek client reviews to build your rating on these trusted platforms. Don’t miss out on leads from Angi and Houzz.

Join Relevant Associations

Industry associations like the National Association of Home Builders and National Association of the Remodeling Industry offer contractors networking, education, resources, and exposure.

Join relevant chapters in your state and metro area. Attend association events to connect with other contractors who may refer overflow work as well as vendors/partners that work with general contractors regularly.

Getting involved raises your profile while also providing helpful benefits and peer connections.

Implementing Your Contractor Marketing Strategy

With so many potential marketing channels, the key is picking a mix that maximizes your budget and unique strengths as a general contractor. Here are some best practices when implementing your strategy:

• Focus on Digital First – Today’s homeowners primarily research general contractors online before hiring. Optimize your online presence through your website, SEO, ads, content, and social media.
• Highlight Your Specialties – Identify your core service offerings like kitchen remodels and highlight those across all marketing channels through messaging, images, videos, etc. Build a reputation as a specialist contractor.
• Target Locally – Ensure all marketing strategies focus on driving leads specifically within your service area. Geo-modify online and offline channels.
• Appeal Visually – Show don’t tell. Use high-quality original photos and videos of past projects on your website and in your social media posts to build credibility and get prospective customers to visualize what their property will look like if they hired you.
• Promote Reviews – Testimonials directly from past clients help create social proof. Make it easy for happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, Houzz, etc.
• Follow Up Diligently – Quickly respond to all inquiries generated through your marketing channels. Set up a defined lead follow up processes.
• Track Results – Utilize call tracking numbers, UTM parameters, and Google analytics to monitor marketing ROI and double down on your best channels.
• Be Consistent – Marketing continuously over time is more effective than one-off efforts. Stay nimble but keep core channels running consistently.

Proper marketing implementation ensures you get the highest return from the channels employed. Rinse and repeat what converts.

Today’s homeowners primarily research general contractors online before hiring, so your contractor marketing ideas should focus on a digital marketing strategy first.

Implement a Strategic Marketing Campaign for Contractor Success

Increasing brand awareness and leads via strategic marketing should be one of your highest priorities as a general contractor.

An effective, multifaceted marketing approach tailored specifically to resonate with homeowners needing renovations or construction services helps you win more jobs and grow your business in any market.

Use this guide to build a balanced contractor marketing plan leveraging digital and traditional channels. Track results closely. With consistent execution, you will see leads, bookings and referrals increase substantially.

About the Author

I’m David Deering, the owner of Touch Point Digital Marketing Agency and a former licensed contractor. I’ve transitioned from the construction industry to digital marketing and my goal is to empower contractors with the knowledge and tools needed for success in today’s digital world.

If you’re a general contractor looking to become well-known, generate more leads, and expand your business, let’s connect for a brief chat to discuss how you can start achieving your goals.