In class, you will learn about:
- Why marketing your contractors is the key to re-gaining/growing market share
- Traditional marketing methods and why they no longer work
- How online marketing compares to more traditional forms of advertising
- Unions being uniquely suited to take advantage of online marketing
- Why non-union contractors cannot compete
- How marketing can help you organize
- What your current vendors are not telling you
- How to use your marketing to set the price in your market
In today’s world, the average American adult is subjected to 3,000 advertisements per day. Traditional marketing methods no longer get the results they once did. Think about your work commute. Chances are very high that you saw at least one billboard along your way. Can you remember who was advertising on the billboard? Can you remember their website or phone number? Were you listening to the radio? Can you remember a commercial that you heard on the radio? Or, maybe you just hit the button and changed stations when commercials came on? When you watch television, do you watch all of the commercials or do you use technology like DVRs to skip the commercials?
The Problems
The truth (which you won’t hear from your local advertising salesperson) is that traditional forms of marketing simply are not trackable. A radio station, for instance, can tell you how many people listen to their station at a specific time, but it is all based on Arbitron ratings, which are only as accurate as the people filling out their diaries. Likewise, newspapers report their circulation (how many papers are sold), but that doesn’t give you any real insight into how many people actually see your advertisement. It is nearly impossible to measure your return on investment (ROI) using traditional marketing methods. And this is only the beginning of the problem.
When you are in need of a local business’ services, how do you find them? Do you go to the newspaper and look through all of the ads to find a business to meet your needs? Do you drive around town looking at billboards? Of course not. This is a ludicrous idea. And yet, we see unions relying on these advertising methods every day in an attempt to increase their market share. Further, we see union advertisements focusing on themselves, rather than on their contractors. When you are looking for a dentist, do you start with the American Dental Association or do you just look for a local dentist? It’s no different for a contractor – most people simply want to find a local contractor capable of completing the project at hand.
The Solution
Technology has provided us with a solution to these problems. 80% of people looking for a local business turn to Google. The Internet has become the modern marketplace. Businesses are spending more money than ever on online marketing. Unlike traditional marketing methods, it 100% trackable. We focus on putting your contractors in front of people looking for a contractor, maximizing your return on investment.
Unions are in a unique position regarding online marketing. In class, we go into depth about how your membership is the key to unlocking the online marketplace and growing your market. We will give you an understanding about how the online marketplace works, how social sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) play a role, and how your contractors can increase the amount of work they get by leveraging the power of the Internet.
