Nine actions you can take right now to create a better impression.
Effective branding communicates your company’s mission and personality to the world. It builds trust, creates an identity in the mind of your target audience and is your equity in the marketplace.
Customer misconceptions about modular homes mean that a modular builder needs an especially strong brand. “Branding helps you to confront stereotypes,” says industry veteran and systems building consultant Scott Stroud.
How do you strengthen your brand? Here are nine suggestions.
Market Your Sets
Though not as newsworthy as it once was, a house setting still garners attention from local residents, especially if it’s an atypical structure or if it offers a wider community benefit (like affordable housing). Invite people you believe could benefit from watching a set — loan officers, building officials, people in town government, local news media, etc.
Photo courtesy of Creative Brand Content
Builders who are new to modular should wait until they have a few successful projects under their belt before sending out invitations, though. It’s also a good idea to showcase a simple house the first time, as more can go wrong with a complicated structure. And, it’s important to get permission from homeowners before inviting anyone to the set.
John Garrett, owner of Virginia Building Solutions, a modular builder in Tappahannock, Virginia sees house sets as educational opportunities. His sales team invites prospective customers and others to what he calls his “home installs.” Neighbors and friends also come by to watch, and Garrett says these people have been some of his best sources for leads.
“Seeing an install takes the mystery out of modular building, and at the end of the day, they see a home that is dried in and as much as 80% complete,” Garrett said.
Be an Expert
The media is constantly looking for content, and for experts to quote and source in stories. You have more knowledge than most about modular building, so becoming a sought-out expert may be easier than you think. You can position yourself by sharing what you know with local organizations, chambers of commerce, networking groups and others.
Opportunities include:
- Volunteering to speak at a meeting of your local Home Builders Association
- Writing an editorial about how modular can help provide affordable housing to your area
- Contacting the host of the local DIY radio show and offering to be a guest
- Starting your own podcast about modular building
- Creating a YouTube channel and posting your set videos, as well as tours of finished homes
Brainstorm ideas with your staff and delegate responsibilities. And remember that these efforts only pay off if you’re consistent and committed for the long term.
Claim Your GBP
The goal of branding is to get noticed, and claiming your Google Business Profile is a no-cost way to do so. Of all internet searches, 92% happen through Google, and a Google Business Profile (GBP) helps people find you when looking for a local builder. A GBP will also improve your search engine optimization (SEO) results.
Claiming your GBP is simple:
- Log into your Google account if you have one or create one if you don’t
- Enter your business name
- Select the appropriate category for your business and click Next
- Enter your physical location or service area
- Fill out your contact info and verify your address
You can customize your GBP listing with details like hours, business description and photos. To confirm that you are for real, Google may ask for photos or videos of your location and related signage.
Tip: Have an employee ask a basic question about modular building in your GBP listing. This will set the tone of future discourse.
Ask for Reviews
Never post fake reviews — they will ultimately damage your reputation. However, always ask legitimate customers for reviews.
You will get more reviews if you give customers ideas on what to speak or write about. Possible topics are endless, but include comments about the modular process, the home quality, your customer service and how quick the construction went.
Make asking for reviews part of your standard operating procedure. An excellent time to do so is during the final walk-through. Ask customers if they would post their reviews to your Google Business Profile and also send them a link to your Facebook page to post their comments.
Of course, you only want to ask customers for reviews after you are convinced they are totally happy with their home.
Have Lots of Signage
Construction signage is a relatively cheap way to get your name out there.
A basic sign will have your name, contact information and logo. For a special project, consider a larger, custom-built sign with the rendering of the specific dwelling.
The great thing about signage is that if you use it on all your jobsites, you create an impression that you are building everywhere.
Join Associations
When you get involved in industry associations, you become better educated about different facets of the business and you meet people who can, and will, promote you to potential customers. Fortunately, the modular industry has some terrific organizations.
The National Association of Homebuilders’ Building Systems Councils (BSC) is the leading resource for modular and panelized, concrete and log and timber frame homebuilding industries. BSC involvement will give you the chance to network with builders around the country and to participate in the Councils’ consumer outreach efforts.
Another prominent organization is the Modular Home Building Association (MHBA), which promotes the advantages of modular construction to builders, government agencies and the public. The MHBA is also an advocate for fair industry state and federal regulations.
Courtesy of Zarrilli Homes
Give Back
Community involvement helps you stay top of mind with customers. The opportunities are limitless and include Habitat for Humanity, sponsorship of local sports teams, or participation in local fundraisers. This kind of involvement ensures that you will be seen in more places and helps make you a respected member of the community.
For instance, New Jersey modular builder Anthony Zarrilli supports the local Brick Children’s Community Theater at the Mantoloking Road Playhouse in Brick, New Jersey. The theater is a 6,000 sq. ft. space that will be renovated and outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. The children’s theater, which will be entirely funded by Zarrilli, will occupy the playhouse 70% of the time; the remaining 30% of the time the space can be rented by the community.
Leverage Social Media
Consistent posts are the key to a strong social media presence. A minimum of once a week is advisable, but the more the merrier. Keeping up with social media takes dedication, but pays dividends in the end.
Although it’s tempting to delegate this responsibility to an external third party, that seldom works out because a third party won’t be intimately familiar with your projects. A better choice would be appointing a member of your sales team to the task.
What modular builders do is interesting to a lot of people, so you can capitalize on that interest by documenting your work. Share photos and videos of homes in progress, as well as completed homes, and include short descriptions. Visual content promotes credibility and transparency, and speaks to people in ways that words alone cannot.
Possible topics include all facets of the modular process. For instance, you might document a specific project from beginning to end, and include reactions and happy surprises from the homeowners.
Third generation modular builder John Van Zalen, of American Living Homes in Jenison, Michigan, admits he isn’t a “marketing guru,” but he sees the benefit in Facebook posts. With more than 1,500 organically generated followers, Van Zalen regularly posts photos of finished modular homes.
He also makes YouTube videos (which are also posted on Facebook), in which he answers questions, clarifies terms and generally demystifies the modular process. He said social media is one of his primary marketing tools that builds credibility for his brand and he emphasizes that posts must be consistent to stay fresh and garner new views.
Create Blog Content
A blog is an opportunity to answer common customer questions in detail. Many of these are being asked in online searches and include queries such as “how much can I expect to pay for a modular home?”
A blog helps build your authority and credibility. It should inform, not sell. It’s your opportunity to educate, to go deeper than you can on social media, but of course you can also post short versions of your blog on your Facebook page (along with a link back to your blog).
If you have a blog section on your website, Google will index it separately to deliver more visitors to your website. In fact, a blog that’s consistently updated can be one of your best long-term marketing and branding tools.
Think of your brand as a living thing that constantly needs to be nurtured. If you don’t care for it, no one else will. You can implement the above tips piecemeal, but it’s important to be consistent, to track your results and to expand or change your tactics as required.
And remember, there are no silver bullets in branding and marketing. Success never comes down to one thing — instead, it’s usually several things done well, simultaneously.
Reed Dillon is a marketing consultant, freelance writer and owner of Creative Brand Content, in Moneta, Virginia.
