Marketing Archives - Shenandoah Valley Builders Association

Harrisonburg, VA, June 11, 2018 – Shenandoah Valley Builders Association (SVBA) has been recognized for its outstanding New Website & Online Directory with an Award of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

“It is truly an honor for the hard work and professionalism of the Association to be recognized with this Association Excellence Award,” said Jeremy Blosser, Project Manager for Venture Builders & SVBA President. “The SVBA board had a vision of an enhanced and user-friendly directory that would promote our members’ businesses and help the consumer with remodeling and home improvements.”

This newly implement website and online directory has increased traffic to member sites through the use of Facebook ads and Google AdWords. This is just one avenue the SVBA has used to promote member businesses. Also, the website features a monthly guest blogger, an SVBA member, who addresses marketing and home improvement issues for consumers.

The Association Excellence Awards is an annual program designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 700 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.

“The Association Excellence Awards recognize the outstanding effort, commitment and achievement an executive officer and an association’s membership have made,” said Eric Person, EOC President and Chief Executive Officer of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut. “These awards demonstrate the best of the best! The awards showcase the innovative programs and resources that local homebuilders associations across the country are developing for their members. In most cases, these programs are only available to members of the local Home Builders Association.”

The winning entries will be added to a searchable directory of AEA winning entries, so that other executives and associations across the country can access and learn from them in order to provide better service to their own members and community.

For more information on the Shenandoah Valley Builders Association go to ValleyBuilders.org or contact the office at 540.860.1281. To learn more about the Association Excellence Awards, go to www.nahb.org/aea.

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The SVBA serves as the unified voice and advocate for the local building industry, by promoting standards that result in well planned quality communities.

Getting To The Heart Of Who You Are.

Effective marketing tells a story. Your mission, vision, and values define your business and tells potential clients who you are, what you stand for, and what distinguishes you in your industry. Delivering your story consistently across all marketing efforts will help you to build your brand recognition. Here’s the Estland guide to successful marketing:

1.) Develop A Messaging Guide: A messaging guide distills your mission, vision, and values to bridge gaps in perception and get to the heart of who you are and what you do. Include messaging to inspire clients and employees. Create a succinct 30-second elevator pitch in response to the question, “What do you do?”. Define a vision that dreams big and gives you something to aspire to.

2.) Create Consistent Branding: Your brand lives in the mind of your customers. Therefore, every visual element of your brand needs to reflect the adjectives you use in your messaging guide. If you are an expert finish carpenter who pays close attention to detail, every element of your logo, website, content, print materials, and marketing efforts need to reflect those values. Is your logo updated? Is the grammar on your website correct? Are your business cards consistent with your website? Image is everything. Figure out what you want yours to be and be consistent.

3.) Choose Professional Photography: Photography is processed 68,000 times faster than text so never underestimate the power of personable, professional photography in all elements of your marketing. Photography from experienced professionals showcases who you are, what you do, and how you do it. It creates an emotional connection with the viewer and emotions are what sell your products and services.

4.) Create A Website That Converts Leads: You need a website that goes beyond great design. You need to generate leads and add credibility to your business, too. Search engine optimization (SEO) is necessary for a high converting website. Your website is a powerful tool that at a glance needs to showcase your strengths and story and lead your user to contact you.

5.) Optimize Your Site: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be on-page or off-page.

a.) On-Page SEO: On-page SEO is content written in such a manner that you are seen as a credible resource in the eyes of Google and Bing. Google’s algorithm synthesizes content looking for properly integrated keywords throughout your website. Your ranking through this algorithm helps to dictate your placement on Google searches.

b.) Off-Page SEO: Off-page SEO are things you do online, but not on your website, to help your Google ranking. Social media profiles, videos on YouTube and Vimeo, Houzz profiles with tons of pictures all help your ranking on Google leading to more views by potential clients.

6.) Build Digital Ad Campaigns: Google, Facebook and YBN ads can boost sales and conversions. Unlike other advertising efforts, you can tell exactly where your dollars were spent and the exact cost-per-conversion of each ad. Developing effective landing pages specifically designed for your ad campaign with contact forms increases rates of conversion.

7.) Get Social: Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Houzz, and Instagram are off-page SEO efforts effective in getting people interested in your services. Simply post to your profile or elevate your exposure by creating ads targeting distinct groups in your market.

8.) Don’t Forget Signs And Vehicle Graphics: With all our emphasis on your digital profile, there is still significant value in using professional signs and vehicle wrapping to highlight your business, especially for those in the service industry. You drive all over town picking up parts and visiting job-sites. Wrap your truck with your brand, and replace it when it starts to look ratty.

9.) Print Is Still Alive: Print materials reinforce your messaging. Door hangers are great when you’re working in a neighborhood desperate for remodeling. Estimates delivered on custom letterhead in branded folders look professional and add credibility to your business.

10.) Video Engages Clients: According to Word Stream, 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching branded social videos. Videos can be directed to play on your website and social media platforms to tell your story and distinguish you in your industry. Clients can gain more information from a 30 second video than 30 seconds reading your online content.

Mary Snow

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