Referrals are great. They show that clients are proud of the work and value the relationship.
Only working from referrals, though, can be dangerous to your business.
Referrals are usually based on a client assuming there will be similarities between what you did for them and what you can do for the prospect. This includes scope, budget, method, and timeline. Referrals will expect the same experience and outcome your original client had, even if their circumstances and site conditions are different.
An all-referral pipeline can limit your growth because referrals aren't going to come from markets you haven't worked in yet.
Referrals are also under the sole control of the people giving them. When you don't have leads coming in any other way, you're waiting for your clients to decide who you're going to work with next.
Our marketing gives you a robust sales pipeline.
You'll still get referrals, but you won't be completely dependent on them.
We build a system that attracts real applicants by showing up where they are: online and on social media.
Construction companies face ongoing hiring and retention issues. One day you're worrying about where the work will come from, and the next day you're worrying about how you're going to deliver with your existing crews.
Our work in the AEC industry gives us unique insight into why people choose to work at certain firms and what makes them stay there.
We put your construction company in front of your ideal workforce. Using compelling storytelling, we show them why they should want to work for you.
Posting to job boards will only get you so far.
Graphicmachine was founded by a former architect. This matters, because architects are an important part of how construction companies get hired.
We know how architects select general contractors, what collaboration means to them, and what can make them overlook a qualified contractor.
Every construction firm is different. We've helped both general and specialty contractors communicate their differences to win more projects.
AEC experience
You need both, so we get you both
Active members in the communities we serve
01/
Your website is outdated.
Before they ever speak to you, architects, owners and developers are visiting your website. If the website leaves a good impression, they'll consider you. If the website doesn't look modern, doesn't have current information, or has broken elements, those same people may decide they can't trust your company with a project.
02/
Your pipeline depends entirely on relationships that could shift.
Relationships are a really important part of the industry. What many construction companies fall into, though, is relying on a select group of key people for leads and projects. That's a lot of power to put in someone else's hands. If just one referral source went away, how would that impact your revenue? How else would you bring in work?
03/
You're not showing off your work.
One of the ways architects and owners evaluate contractor capabilities is by viewing your portfolio. They want to see pictures and video. They want to read about who you worked with, what you did, and how the project turned out. Too many construction firms don't showcase their completed projects. If they do, it's often just one site photo with no context, or something copied from the architect's site (which doesn't focus on your firm).
04/
Recruitment is using up your entire marketing budget.
Somehow firms ended up billing recruitment costs to their marketing budgets. While recruitment is a form of marketing, it shouldn't be the only way you're using your budget. If your website makes your company look like it's on the verge of closing, you have cringe-worthy social media, or what people find about your firm when they search isn't correct, people will be way less likely to want to work for you. Making sure you're investing in non-recruiting marketing will support all of your goals.
05/
You have no idea what's actually working.
One of the first questions we ask is, "Where did your last five project leads come from?" Most companies don't know. When you don't know how people are finding you, how long it takes them to make a decision, and why they hired you, you have no basis for making marketing decisions or assigning budgets.
Our approach focuses on building a system, not executing random tasks in the hopes that something will stick.
01/
We clarify what your challenges and goals are.
Every construction firm is different, so we start by making sure we understand what you want your marketing to achieve. We also identify what your current challenges are, both the ones you know you have and the ones we uncover. We review your digital presence, but we also listen to your team. Where are you winning work and why? Where are you losing it? These conversations form the foundation of our work for you.
02/
We pinpoint where you're invisible to architects, owners and developers.
When an architect is researching your firm late at night on a weekend, do they find you? If a developer asks an AI search engine to evaluate you, does it say it can't because there isn't enough information? Can a board director easily learn about the firm leadership on LinkedIn? Different stakeholders research in different ways at different times. We make sure you're found by them when and where they're looking.
03/
We build the marketing system that builds your business.
The general principles of the system are the same: get you found, get you trusted, get you chosen. The details of the system depend on the results of the first two phases. Our toolkit includes websites, social media, visual assets and written content, SEO, answer engine optimization and targeted campaigns. Which tools we use and how we combine them is unique to your firm.
04/
We track what matters to make sure we're delivering.
Clients don't like reports full of data that they don't understand. They want to know if what they're paying for is working. Our reports are focused on what's relevant to your goals, not showing you the universe of data that's available. If the marketing isn't performing as well as it should, we fix the work - not the data.
Architects, owners and developers are looking for information about you. If they can't find any, they make assumptions.
We built the Construction Company Marketing Audit Scorecard so construction firms can self-assess where their marketing isn't doing the work it should. In 20 questions, you'll answer questions covering the five areas where contractors usually face challenges. Your score will tell you where opportunities are being missed.
Completing it gets you a free 30-minute follow-up session where we'll go further into your results. There's no obligation and no cost.
Download the guide by submitting the form below.
There are several reasons you still need marketing. First, the people running the RFPs and making the referrals will look online (including search and social media) to confirm that what they've heard or read is true and get more information. If what they find online doesn't match up, you'll be passed over. Second, if you're completely dependent on RFPs and referrals, you're outsourcing your business development to someone outside your firm. They can make or break your company. Third, people you're looking to hire want to know as much as possible about your firm. Marketing is a way to showcase your company and your work. You control the conversation about your business.
This decision is one many construction companies wrestle with. A marketing agency provides you with a level of expertise that is hard to find in one person. The cost of a full-time employee is usually more than working with an agency, especially when you figure in taxes, insurance, and equipment. An agency should not need to be trained and does not require day-to-day oversight and management. Lastly, in-house marketers are almost always pulled off marketing to work on RFP responses. This means no other marketing gets done.
We track everything that matters to your marketing goals and share those with you in easy-to-follow dashboards. There are also indirect signs of progress: more project inquiries, better employee candidates, and more engagement with your brand. If something isn't working, we fix it.
We work with both specialty contractors and general construction firms across the United States. The company size, revenue, and market are secondary to whether the company is ready to consider changing how they have been (or ignoring) marketing. We are particularly skilled at working with family-owned and legacy firms.
We develop your online presence so that it speaks to the people you're trying to recruit. This can include website content, special landing pages, social media campaigns, video content, or targeted advertising. We are not a staffing or recruitment firm and do not receive, screen or respond to employment applications.
