When business is good and offsite factories are producing all the products and homes they can, management can become over-confident and over-optimistic that it was something they did that is keeping their factory setting sales records.
However, when times get tough, the offsite factory’s customers often tighten their purse strings and value becomes the driving factor. Cutting prices doesn’t sound like such a good idea when every other competitor is seeing their sales drop also.
A good marketing plan can help launch a new offsite factory or help grow an existing one. One of the biggest mistakes is that factory management concentrates far less on marketing during good times falling into the trap of being in a comfort zone.
Factory management often panics when times get tougher and begins implementing marketing strategies (often for the first time). It is often difficult to determine which marketing strategies work best for offsite construction industry, especially if the factory hasn’t been active in marketing during the good times.
Here are 9 Common Marketing Mistakes to avoid:
Not Marketing to a Defined Group:
Find your target audience and gear your marketing plan to that audience. Trying to appeal to everyone typically does not work. Trying to market automation to retail lumber yards instead of factories should be common sense.
Inconsistency in Your Marketing Efforts:
You need to have the same look and feel across all of your ads, promotions, and overall marketing plan. Branding and consistency can be most important.
Lack of Diversification:
Plan to market creatively through a cross-section of media so that customers become familiar with your brand and your products at different times and in different places. Use LinkedIn, magazines like Offsite Builder, blogs like Modcoach’s Modular Home Source, social media such as Tik Tok, YouTube, etc as well as specialized media like webinars, conferences and Video talk shows like Dave Cooper Live.
Not Focusing on Repeat Business:
Repeat business typically makes up 80 percent of customers in most businesses. Too often marketing campaigns are heavily focused on bringing in new customers and not building relationships with current ones. Helping offsite customers with training and installations during the good times will help keep them buying from you in a downturn. Market the fact that you have always been there for them.
Starting Too Late:
Time your marketing campaigns to coincide with new products, new services, or an upcoming conference of IBS that will attract business. This typically means preparing well in advance.
Not Having a Clear Marketing Message:
Marketing messages that are contrived, confusing, too subtle or too long can easily miss the target market entirely. The most ingenious marketing plan is wasted if no one gets it.
Going Overboard:
If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Too much hype will turn people away. Before the pandemic, it was “price” that most factories pushed but today it is the result. Telling prospective customers that your product can deliver “X” to their bottom line but it can only deliver “Y” will soon become public knowledge. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver.
Forgetting That Slow and Steady Wins the Race:
Marketing means building a reputation over time through ongoing exposure. This is super important when placing ads. It’s absolutely ridiculous to only take out an ad in a publication or social media once or twice once a year. Your marketing must be consistent
Not Getting Feedback:
Test your marketing ideas and do focus groups. Don’t launch it without getting some feedback first. Your Mom is the right person to ask.
Making a Change for the Sake of It:
Just because you are tired of your marketing plan doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Too many marketers make changes because they think they have too. Often a tried and true formula will keep working.
Related Articles:
- Have You Become “Marketing” Poverty Stricken?
- Stop Marketing Off-Site Construction To The Wrong Audience
- Modular Home Source Is A Great Place To Promote Your Business
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
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