So, this is the multi-million-pound question. We’d like to say we have the definitive answer, but we don’t. The truth is… organic growth means graft. You can grow massively from it, but someone needs to lay those foundations. Organic growth means growing naturally and most importantly for ‘free’! Growing organically does still include digital marketing but not any of the paid methods like Google & Social media ads, Search Engine Optimisation, Pays per Click and any sort of paid promotion in publications, billboards or traditional marketing.
For argument’s sake, we won’t include a website in this analogy, as you’re always going to have to pay for a website along with the recurring costs of your domain and hosting. Your website can never be created organically, however the traffic to it can grow organically. Here’s a breakdown of the different ways a construction business can grow organically, the time and effort it is likely to take, and the results you can expect.
Social Media
Of course, this is the most important for organic growth. Social media is used by almost everyone on the planet and so many businesses have made unprecedented growth and sales on the back of it. However, let us tell you, it will cost you your time. Growing a social media account is blood, sweat, and tears and it’s only getting harder… It seems the more savvy everybody becomes to algorithms, the fiercer your competition is. There is a small percentage of businesses that go viral just from a bit of luck, the rest have been grafting away in the background for likely years. Also, construction social media-related accounts are niche, but there are people out there who will be interested, will follow, and of course, will buy or use your services. Here’s another blog we’ve previously written on what to post on social media if you work within construction.
To succeed on social media there needs to be a content strategy in place that includes varied, regular posts which essentially follow at least some trends i.e. Reels & Tiktok videos are huge at the moment, in fact, videos in general. We are seeing the most organic growth from TikTok videos than anywhere else. The good news is with construction there are lots of video content that can be obtained for example, filming a development project intermittently throughout the build and then putting it all together in a coherent sequence. Even cement-pouring videos are big hitters in the oddly satisfying section of social channels. Engagement with followers is super important too as well as humanizing your brand and making sure your socials have a personal touch. People invest in businesses on social media that break the fourth wall.
Trust pilot, Google & Facebook reviews
They’re free, and once written and posted they are essentially there forever. This means that multiple people may read your reviews over an extended period and decide to choose you on the back of them. Basically, they generate a steady flow of traffic. It all seems simple but do the masses like leaving reviews? no. Does everyone give a useful or positive review? also no.
You’ll often find yourself chasing customers or clients for reviews. However, they are worth the chase, they work wonders for organic growth. According to Dixa, this year 93% of customers will read online reviews before making a purchase. Reviews could be the difference of many customers choosing you over your competitors. With construction, the problem is that projects are long and can sometimes take 18 months or 2 years to complete which means waiting for a very long time for a review. So what you can do is ask clients to give feedback halfway through.
So, just like other organic growth methods, reviews need work and time dedicated to them. In order to make reviews easier to come by you, of course, need to be providing down-to-earth, friendly and non-robotic customer service, delivering your product or service to a good standard, sending review links consistently and offering some sort of incentive toward them. By building rapport and relationships with customers they will be much more inclined to take the time to leave you a glowing review.
Blogging
This massively helps the SEO of your website which means you’ll appear on Google search and people will click through to your website. Repeatedly using keywords and phrases which represent your brand, your products or services is super helpful for helping potential customers locate you on Google organically. People who require your construction products or services may google questions that pull up a blog you have written essentially answering that question and in turn advertising your company. We find this is the cleverest way to gain organic growth and quality leads. And, yes finding things to blog about within construction can be tricky (we know better than anyone!) however there is always something interesting to write about. We see blogging as a soft approach to selling. We give our clients lots and lots of free, useful, practical information and advice through our blogs without harsh selling, it’s nice to give something back. With your own construction expertise, you will be able to engage a lot of people and potentially win work on the back of it. Blog posts also double as social media content too, remember that.
Do what you say on the tin
Don’t fluff up your products or services to the point your customer or client is disappointed with the delivery. By all means, highlight all your products, your positive attributes, and unique selling points but don’t oversell, as this is highly linked to customer dissatisfaction, bad reviews and low social media following and engagement. Show your customers your face and your construction workers’ faces on social channels, and let them get to know the team and who will be completing the work. This shows reliability and that you take responsibility for your projects and don’t hide behind a social account and business. Following through with projects and building trust is essential and allows you to begin to be marketed through recommendations, still in the old-fashioned way via word of mouth!
All in all, we will say success from organic growth is possible, and you’ll get more results with the more time and effort you place into achieving growth. Of course, time is money so ultimately organic growth still 100% comes at a cost. If you’re a busy construction business owner and have read through this blog and thought, I don’t have the time to achieve this, then it’s likely your organic growth will have to be outsourced to a trusted digital marketing agency, like us.
In addition to this, we will also say that organic growth sometimes only goes so far, and sometimes to achieve the best results possible and reach all your construction business goals then implementing a variation of Google Ads or paid media is the way forwards. Look at a lot of the huge construction companies across the globe, many are practically a household name but still choose paid ads across Google and socials to stay on top of their game, fend off competition and stay fresh in their customer’s and potential customers’ minds.
