Copywriter Exploring the Construction Niche

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The following questions were asked of me by an up-and-coming copywriter. I’ve decided to share my responses because they might help other copywriters beginning their career.  I hope you find the information useful.

— Susan Greene

Hi Susan,

My name is Dylan Bair, I stumbled on your website and I noticed you wrote for the construction industry and wanted to ask you a few quick questions if you have a minute.

I currently live in Australia (I’m From California) and do concrete construction and formwork over here. I’m trying to phase out of the 10-hour days baking in the sun and get a freelance writing business up and running. Naturally, I am pursuing the construction industry as my target market and currently doing a bit of research.

As I shouldn’t generalize, it does seem that a lot of construction industry is a bit behind on the whole marketing thing (especially here in Australia). For example, the last few contractors I’ve talked to on-site all have worked lined up for the next year…yet they don’t even have a website or social media presence and do not see the need for one.

Basically, I was wondering about the following three things:

1. Do the construction companies you’ve worked with value copywriting?
2. Do most construction companies have a budget for marketing and copy?
3. Do construction companies produce a fair bit of marketing material?

Thanks a lot and I appreciate any help!

-Dylan

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Hi Dylan,

Nice to meet you. Not sure my answers will precisely answer your questions, but all I can give you is information based on my experience with the construction industry.

The construction companies I’ve worked with do value copywriting and are willing to pay for it. But here’s the thing. They contacted me. I didn’t contact them. Therefore, they were already sold on using a professional copywriter before reaching out to me. I didn’t have to do any selling other than convince them that I was the right copywriter for their needs.

As for whether they produced a fair bit of marketing materials, I’d have to say no. Most wanted a brochure or a company website. One and done. The exception would be companies developing entire subdivisions or upscale custom homes. Those builders recognized the need to gain visibility, build their brand and emphasize their unique qualities. And they had the budget to produce a variety of marketing materials: websites, brochures, videos, ads, press releases, etc.

I’m not sure how that translates to your situation. I don’t target construction companies exclusively. I’m not wholly reliant on that one industry and I don’t do much client outreach. Perhaps if I zeroed in on that one niche my results would be different as well as my approach to finding clients.

My advice would be for you to keep reaching out to construction companies, especially any where you have contacts. Sales is largely a numbers game. That is, if only one in ten construction companies needs help writing their website or brochure, you need to be calling on way more that ten construction companies if you want your business to flourish.

If you want to know more about construction company marketing and copywriting, check out my page, “Copywriter for Construction Companies.”

One more suggestion. It is a good idea to start freelance writing for an industry in which you’re already an expert. Perhaps think of a few other industries you might target. While each one individually might not be sufficient for building a business, getting work from several combined could keep you busy and get the cash flowing.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

Sincerely,

Susan Greene – Copywriter

Want more tips to grow your freelance copywriting business? Request my FREE Copywriter Report. Email Susan Greene at FloridaCopywriter@gmail.com and put “Copywriter Report” in the subject line.

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