Discover your free Construction Marketing Ideas Email Newsletter

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Preparing for tomorrow's live feed

I'll be live at 11 a.m. EST (8 a.m. PST) tomorrow morning with the free Construction Marketing Ideas:  Year in Review video feed.  


You can register here.

If you are around your computer at 2 p.m. this afternoon, feel free to join us for a technical test and dress rehearsal.  You can go directly to the live feed site at http://www.livestream.com/constructionmarketingideas.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

How many can attend the December 31 live video feed?

I had hoped not to need to restrict attendance, but may have technical limitations and be able to present the special Dec. 31, 11 a.m. New Years Eve Year In Review video presentation to the first 50 people who register for this free event.  So I've set the cap on registration at 50.  At the rate things are going, the event may "sell out" today.  If you are too late, you will still hopefully be able to register on a waiting list and if I can, I'll find a way to remove the technical limits on attendance (it is a free event, after all.)

Monday, December 27, 2010

Resetting the Best Construction Blog framework

Within the next couple of days, I will reset the pages on new Construction Marketing Ideas blog to enhance the value and quality of related blog hyperlinks.  ("New" is a relative term -- this blog has been published since 2007; we started the blog on our own server at constructionmarketingideas.com this time last year and have posted every day there since then.)

When the resetting is complete, readers will have access to the most comprehensive and organized construction blog service on the Internet.  If your blog qualifies, you'll receive some really useful free publicity and the chance to be a finalist in the Best Construction Blog competition

You can nominate your blog now at this link.

To qualify, your blog will need to contain relevant, useful content, be updated at least weekly or on a reasonable schedule for at least three months, and not primarily appear to be a device to trick the search engines. 

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Preparing for the new construction marketing era

Registrations are continuing to arrive in surprising numbers (considering it is, after all, Christmas), for the upcoming live Construction Marketing Ideas video broadcast on New Years Eve at 11:00 a.m.

Of course, it helps that the event is totally free. If you are in Ottawa, you are welcome to be in our live, ahem, "studio" audience.  (Actually, we'll give you a chair, some Timbits and a cup of coffee in our tiny, less-than-opulent offices if you register ahead of time and tell us you are coming.) 

Yeah, I hope some visitors to the broadcast decide to purchase my Construction Marketing Ideas book, but this session most definitely is not intended as a sales thing.  It is more an exercise in learning how to apply new video and broadcasting technologies to develop effective marketing strategies.  In other words, we'll be learning some useful stuff even as we conduct the real broadcast.

You can register for the program here.  Again, it is free.


Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Day and Construction Marketing

Reprinted from the Construction Marketing Ideas blog, Dec. 25, 2009.


seassons greetings lantern
How will you remember 2010?

For some, it has been a year of genuine turmoil and struggle, as formerly thriving businesses faced painful retrenchments and struggled to survive.

Some readers lost their jobs, some their businesses.

Conditions in Canada were better in 2010 but the U.S. economy remains in difficult shape -- and there are warning signs ahead here, as well.

However, we discovered some bright beacons for the future.

We have started to make the transition to electronic-based rather than print publishing, a trend I believe will escalate in the next few years, with our business earning most of its revenue through non-print media within about three years.

We also discovered how timeless business principals distilled by our consultant Bill Caswell of Caswell Corporate Coaching Company could help our (and your) business both weather the storm and restore its capacity to thrive.

Most importantly, we realized how important traditional values and relationships are in the electronic age. Architectural, engineering and construction businesses thrive by delivering top quality services -- built on relationships founded in respect and integrity.

Best wishes for the Holiday Season and Happy New Year!

Mark Buckshon

1950s

President

Construction News and Report Group of Companies

P.S., as a year-end thank you -- and to continue my learning process about new media, you are welcome to attend the year-end live video broadcast at 11 a.m. on Dec. 31.  For free registration information, please visit this site.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Preparing for the Dec. 31 (free) live video feed

Yesterday evening, I set up some of the frameworks for the upcoming free live Construction Marketing Ideas video presentation scheduled for December 31 at 11 a.m. You can register here.


Thursday, December 23, 2010

The best construction blog competition: Choosing the judges

Yesterday morning, I sent invitations to five individuals to invite them to participate as judges for the Best Construction Blog competition Most have accepted the invitation.  I also set out a preliminary framework for evaluating the blogs, which allows for the assessment of popular vote, among other elements.

I expect we will be ready to fully promote the competition at the beginning of 2011 with a month (January) to invite nominations and a second month (February) for judging and popular voting.

You can get a head start on the nomination process if you wish by nominating your own blog or the one you like the best using this form.

There is no fee to enter nor receive recognition as a contestant or finalist in this competition.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A free year-end event

You are invited to a special online live feed Construction Marketing Ideas year-end review at 11 a.m. EST on Dec. 31.

In this event, I'll review some of the best marketing ideas from the past year and look forward to 2011.  You can suggest issues of concern to you.  If you are in Ottawa, you are welcome to visit our (modest) offices to join in the event -- we'll order some Tim Hortons donuts and coffee for you.
 
The event is free.  For more information, just click on the button below.

Register for Construction Marketing Ideas:  Year in review -- Free video webinar in Ottawa, Ontario  on Eventbrite

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Construction Marketing: Developing the best Construction blog judging criteria

I spent some time yesterday devising possible criteria for judging the Best Construction Blog judging criteria, as I considered who to invite as independent judges.  Obviously, the judges should have a say in the criteria -- but my goal is to make the judging process as easy as possible, so I'll provide prospective judges with a model which they can revise (by consensus) in setting out the competition rules.

Today, I also set the close for nominations at January 31, 2011, with voting through February.  Popular vote will count for the "readers' choice" category and will be one element to consider in evaluating the overall best construction blog.

If you wish to nominate either your blog or someone else's, you can now share your recommendation with the official nomination form.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Construction marketing: The best blog judging process

Last year, we set up an open popularity contest for the Best Construction Blog.   The result, a few participants put out incredible effort to get out the vote and our email account filled with votes.  I don't see anything wrong with that sort of competition, but equally sense that the best "best blog" could be assessed by other methods.

This year, we'll recruit a judging panel, and invite the judges to assess the blogs on criteria which truly assess their quality.  We'll combine this judging with a popular vote competition and the grand winner will need to achieve voting success both from the independent judges and popular vote (but popular vote and judged entries will also receive recognition.)

If you would like to participate as a judge, please feel free to email me at buckshon@cnrgp.com.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Construction Marketing blogs: Blogger, Wordpress or both?

The North Carolina Construction News website is hosted on our server with Wordpress software.
Which vehicle is best for your construction marketing blog, Wordpress or Blogger?  As time has passed, I think both have their strengths -- and in fact the ideal model may be a hybrid.

We effectively use both systems for our North Carolina publications, including Triangle/Triad Construction News and Charlotte Construction News.  The websites' home pages and substantial content are hosted on the Wordpress framework on our own server, but the North Carolina Construction News blog is published with Blogger.

This approach allows us to develop a customized, relatively easy-to-maintain site design hosted on our own internet service provider's server, while the blog is extremely simple to maintain and update and (appropriately) is clearly distinguishable as a blog.

Last year at this time, I decided to "move" my main Construction Marketing Ideas blog from Blogger to Wordpress, gradually fading away from daily updates on the Blogger site.  Certainly, Wordpress allows me much functionality, especially in the incredible selection of plug-ins to add features and special extras to the site.  However, Blogger has also evolved with some really nifty tools to make it easier to use and expand.

I think, in practice, if you are just starting out with a blog and lack much experience, or you wish a blog to look, feel, and behave exactly like a blog (in other words, readers to perceive it entirely as a blog and not a website) Blogger is a good idea.  If you wish to control your site and build in many extra features, then go with Wordpress hosted on your own server.  (That is, a Wordpress site where you build it from Wordpress.org rather than Wordpress.com.)  Finally, as I've described here, you can certainly use both systems effectively in combination.

In the next week, I'll set a plug-in on the Wordpress-formatted Construction Marketing Ideas blog to allow you to post your blog listing directly on the system, with additional graphics and description opportunities. (Obviously, I'll set a moderation and review system to prevent anyone from spamming the system.)  Meanwhile, I'll use this Blogger blog to highlight the project and share with you the details of the nomination and voting process for the Best Construction Blog competition.  Watch for more daily updates.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Best Construction Blog competition 2011

We're preparing for the Best Construction Blog Competition, 2011 edition.  Watch for daily updates here as the competition is organized.  This site, along with the new Construction Marketing Ideas blog at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com will be the host sites -- we will recruit an independent judging panel to go along with a popular vote competition.

I will set up the nomination forms within the next few days and outline the nomination/voting schedule.

The successful blog will receive special recognition in the Design and Construction Report with other media announcements and publicity.

As I prepare the campaign, please feel free to email me at buckshon@cnrgp.com with your suggestions and observations.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

The Construction Marketing Ideas book: Print or electronic format


Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business
You can now obtain the Construction Marketing Ideas book in either printed or electronic formats.  Options include purchasing through Amazon.com or other online retailers, the Construction Marketing Ideas website or the IStore (for Ipads and Macs).

While the book is available in these formats, in practice, virtually everyone purchases it in its printed format -- and a few each month elect to purchase a PDF file copy of the book electronically from the Construction Marketing Ideas website.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The book

Please feel free to read the Construction Marketing Idea book reviews and browse the pages at either Amazon.com or Google Books.

You can also obtain additional information at the book page on the new Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Evaluating Live Chat

Recently, at my primary Construction Marketing Ideas Blog site,  I have been evaluating a free Live Chat service. It is early going, but the comm100.com live chat service appears to be quite solid -- and the price is certainly right.

You can connect with me by Live Chat (when I'm actually at my computer) through this link.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Design and Construction Report


The Summer issue of The Design and Construction Report, published in co-operation with the Design and Construction Network, has been published.  You can view the online magazine with page turning software or a downloadable PDF file, which you can print on your office computer.

I welcome your observations about the magazine and suggestions for future issues.

Friday, August 06, 2010

So, "way back in 2006-07" I started this blog, posting daily.  It turned out to be the first sustained and updated Construction Marketing Blog.  And  I generously shared backlinks and references to other useful sites and resources.

One day in 2007 this site skyrocketed in the search engine rankings.  It remains in first place even though I focus virtually all of my blogging (including free daily updates) on the new Construction Marketing Ideas blog.


Most likely, you are finding your way here either through search engine responses or old hyperlinks which still are active.  And of course there are page after page of useful archive contents.

But this blog is no longer the best in the business.  (With some vanity, my new Construction Marketing Ideas blog is.)  But it is still top-ranked.  It is there because I started it first.

This is a vitally important marketing rule.  You will find an uphill battle if you try to develop a message or present a service that is "better" than a competitor who occupies your potential clients' mind-space first.  No matter how objectively better your service is; you have an uphill battle.  Of course, you can pour a small fortune into paid advertising and marketing to hammer the competition.

But a much better strategy is to find another way to be first, either by redefining your demographics, your message, your "unique selling proposition" or your geographical focus.  When you are first, you win.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Construction Marketing Ideas book

Read the Construction Marketing Ideas book reviews and sample the book at Google books (and within Amazon page view).  Then if you wish, you can purchase it from the bookseller of your choice or directly from the publisher.

Monday, July 12, 2010

To boston for SMPS and intensive construction marketing

This week, I'm heading to Boston, MA, for the annual Society for Marketing Professional Services Build Business Conference.

I'll be blogging extensively at the main Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

If you are at the conference and would like to connect with me, you can reach me at buckshon@cnrgp.com.

Monday, July 05, 2010

How to create construction marketing value: Be first

One of the most fundamental principles in all types of marketing is:  "Be first to mind"  That is, the marketer who creates the first impression within the subject area or niche owns it, with relatively simple defensive measures.  You can certainly blow your first place lead, but you will have trouble losing if you use some common sense.

First does not necessarily mean best in the absolute sense.  The second or third to arrive on the scene, in the marketing sense at least, may have a superior product or service.  But (unless you are sloppy) they will always be beaten.  You can if necessary copy or emulate the "value" in the alternative services but they cannot copy or emulate your first-place marketing position.

In practice, how do you use this  basic marketing rule?  First, define your service or product so that your marketing statement is unique ("first") within the segment or community you wish to serve.  There may be dozens of roofing contractors, for example, in your area, but you ma be the first to offer free two hour emergency service regardless of conditions. (Of course, you actually need to be able to offer the service you claim, or you will run afoul of the authorities.)  You can of course define your service as "first" within a narrow geographical or demographic area.  ("First" in a certain neighbourhood, or "first" to provide complete estimates by IPhone.)

This is the first construction marketing blog.  I moved the actively maintained blog to http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com with its own domain and hosting (and have put much useful and relevant content on it.)  But if you think I'm going to give up this space and URL, you don't appreciate the power of "first".  (Still you are most welcome to read my posting on how to blog effectively for the construction industry here, and I expect you will find value in the first Construction Marketing Ideas Webinar on Thursday, July 8.)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Construction Marketing Ideas webinar

is scheduled for July 8.  If you register by June 30, however, you will receive a free copy of my Construction Marketing Ideas book.  For additional information, visit http://dcnweb5.eventbrite.com/.

For additional insights and observations about Construction Marketing, you can visit the Construction Marketing Ideas blog which is updated daily at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Fresh ideas for architectural, engineering and construction industry marketing

About a half year ago, I moved the Construction Marketing Ideas blog. The new blog is updated daily with lots of information and insights into issues relating to marketing for the construction industry. As well, links and resources are updated -- and you can view videos and other materials related to construction industry marketing.

This site remains in place largely because of the archives: Lots of useful earlier postings which you may wish to refer or can discover through your Internet searches. And of course you can also link from here to the Construction Marketing Ideas book page.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Another positive review for Construction Marketing Ideas

Today, I really received a surprise in opening my email.  London, England construction marketer and consultant Chis Ashworth wrote in his Competitive Advantage Newsletter:

Mark Buckshon is a journalist who publishes regional construction industry publications in the US and Canadian market. He is also a prolific Blogger.

Construction Marketing Ideas has been written for the North American Architectural, Engineering or Construction (AEC) business, but has much of relevance to those same companies in the UK. If you are not in this group it is still well worth a read as it contains plenty of useful ideas.

Many of his suggestions have been drawn from a few key businesses that he has got to know and all are practical. He also provides a number of useful references for further reading. The first half of the book sets out the foundations for an effective business, covering subjects such as brand, identifying strengths, customer relationships and the business plan. Then he moves on to make practical suggestions for promoting your business. For those who are not in small AEC companies, his views on the use of digital media will probably be most useful as they are based on practical experience.

Although there are a number of references to US organisations it is an easy book to read and contributes to a very small library of specialist construction marketing books.
This review is truly a wonderful surprise, because I didn't send the reviewer a review copy -- he purchased the book, like anyone else!

(The book naturally is written primarily for readers in the U.S. and Canadian market so indeed it focuses on organizations such as The Society for Marketing Professional Services which are relevant more on this side of the pond.)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

New, original content . . .

Is at the actual Construction Marketing Ideas Blog. I maintain this site largely because of its archives.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The book and more

At this site, I'll refer you to the Construction Marketing Ideas book.  However, you can find much more substance at the actively-maintained Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

The media relations/publicity Webinar

We had originally scheduled this event a week ago, but just as I started, the audio/visual froze and I needed to abort!  Ouch.

I've rescheduled the Webinar for Wednesday, June 9 at 3 p.m.  As this is a make-up event to fulfill commitments to the original participants, I am not promoting it widely.

However, you can still attend for free if you've advertised in any of our publications in the past year and admission is half-price if you've purchased Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business.

Alternatively you can register for the event for $79.00 and we'll send you a free copy of the book.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

New levels

Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction businessThese are interesting times, and some of the stuff happening behind the scenes makes for great stories.  But I'll keep it simple for now.

As we prepare to "restore" the design and all the features at the new Construction Marketing Ideas site, I'm maintaining daily substantive and hopefully useful postings there.  So feel free to head over for a look.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Constructionmarketingideas.com

It appears my main blog site, http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com, is unavailable right now.  I believe the problems are server related at my ISP as the error codes are appearing on all the domains.

This means updating postings will be delayed.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

An issue with an AdSense Forum spammer

A disgruntled former AdSense publisher has been posting links and references to this blog.  For observations on this matter, you can read this posting at the actively maintained Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Until the matter is resolved, and to ensure that legitimate advertisers are not victimized by the fraudster, I have removed the AdSense code from this site.

The picture at right is the Hacienda Hotel in Los Angeles, where the spammer used a public WIFI access spot to cause havoc.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Good ideas

Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business

I use this legacy site primarily to reference your visit to the frequently updated and content-rich Construction Marketing Ideas blog hosted on our own server at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

You can also preview my book here on Google Books.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Learning marketing lessons

I wish I could share with you some of the lessons I've learned today.  However, some marketing stories are not meant to be shared publicly.  Although openness is often an asset (and I've found that truthfulness about everything -- including your mistakes and problems -- helps build trust and your brand), there are times when the cone of silence makes the most sense.

Oakland is a beautiful city.  You can preview the Construction Marketing Ideas book here.

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Art and Science of Publicity: A special Webinar

Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction businessI'll be hosting a special webinar to provide practical guidance and suggestion to architectural, engineering and construction businesses on how to achieve substantial -- and profitable media publicity.

The special session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1 at 3:00 p.m.  You can find out more by clicking on the notice at the right of the page or here.  

Tickets are $79.00 but if you have purchased the Construction Marketing Ideas book, you will save $40.00.  The book retails for $39.95, so essentially your book will be free! (And though it is somewhat against my self-interest here, you can possibly save money by ordering from some online retailers such as Amazon.com.   If you do, simply send an email with your proof of order to qualify for the discount.

Some of the topics covered int he Webinar are reported in the free booklet, The Art and Science of Publicity, which you can access at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Co-operation and success

In just a few hours, Bill Caswell will present his special Webinar:  How to increase Company Performance through increased Co-operation.

The program is from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. (EDT).  We'll be sending you detailed log-in information Monday morning if you've registered already and (if you wish to wait until the last couple of hours) will send you the information as soon as possible.

Webinars can be of special value if you have conferencing/group viewing capabilities as several people can watch at the same time.  You'll learn far more than the $49.00 investment from the experience.

You can register at this link.


///CMA Advance your company. Advance your career.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Encouraging co-operation

This blog's sidebar has a link to Bill Caswell's upcoming webinar How to Increase Company Performance through Improved Co-Operation.  The event is just a couple of days away, on Monday, May 17.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Construction Marketing Ideas reviewed on Remodelcrazy.com

Writers not surprisingly have a mixture of hope and fear when we learn our book is about to be reviewed. Thankfully, hope can turn quickly to grattitude if the review is positive.  (I don't know what it feels like to receive a negative review yet for my book because I haven't received one.)

You can read the review of the Construction Marketing Ideas book on the Remodelcrazy.com site.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The book

Yesterday, I received an email from the marketing representative of a major general contractor in Ottawa.  She had heard through the grapevine that her company had been mentioned in the Construction Marketing Ideas book and wondered where she could purchase a copy.

I initially referred her to Google Books and the book home page, then decided to simply offer her a free copy (we've done thousands of dollars in business over the years).

She then explained to me how she had learned about the book.  Her counterpart at the company's office in Los Angeles had purchased the book and was using it, asked her if she knew a "Mark Buckshon" in Ottawa.

Small world.

The book is selling an average of a copy or two a day, which won't put it to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list, but is certainly reasonable for a relevant but reasonably specialized topic.

Monday, May 10, 2010

These books go together

You will find many elements of my Construction Marketing Ideas book share some of the philosophies of Go-Givers Sell More. Read more at the actively-maintained Construction Marketing Ideas blog.


Saturday, May 08, 2010

How much is a lead worth to you?


I know, the obvious answer is "it depends". Clearly a high-value referral lead for a high margin project is worth more than a one-of-many lead for a small job.

But there is a purpose in this question to see if you've measured your cost-per-lead. This information is useful in assessing your marketing performance and, if you have sales representatives, their results.

You can view the results of the poll and find more details at the primary Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

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Thursday, May 06, 2010

Investing in the book

We received another two orders for The Construction Marketing Ideas book today, bringing the total so far to 35.  If that doesn't quite sound like a New York Times bestseller, it is okay with me.  After all, the topic is somewhat specialized.  You need to be a marketer or decision-maker for an architectural, engineering or construction business to find the book to be useful. 

Fortunately, the early reviews are positive and I expect if you purchase the book either through Amazon or one of the other online services, or directly from Constructionmarketingideas.com, you will be happy with its value.

Again, you can view a sampling of the book at Google Books.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Construction Marketing Ideas book

An impressive number of orders continue to arrive each day for the new Construction Marketing Ideas book. If you order from Amazon (click on left) the wholesale orders are fulfilled from our printers and I don't have any interaction with you (and the book-purchasing process is truly seamless.)

If you would like a more personal touch, you can order the book directly from our business at the "real" Construction Marketing Ideas blog.  The price may be a little higher (though it includes shipping both in Canada and the U.S.) but you'll be able to connect directly with me if you wish and I can autograph your copy.

You can also order the book directly from me as a PDF file for a price lower than any of the other options.  

You can browse the book at Amazon but may find Google Books provides a more satisfying experience.  The sample at Google Books is set to allow you access to 1/5 of the book's contents -- enough, I believe, to allow you to see if the content is relevant and useful for your business.

Of course you are guaranteed 100 per cent satisfaction or we'll refund you money in full.

Monday, May 03, 2010

The mid-year review

Today, we gather for our mid-year planning review.

Does you business have a structured planning and review process?  If not, it should.  You can read why at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog.


I also devote a chapter to this vitally important aspect of business in the Construction Marketing Ideas book.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

The Art and Science of Publicity

Yesterday evening, in experimenting and testing some functions within Constant Contact, I inadvertently included some unplanned lists in a follow-up document offering a free booklet, The Art and Science of Publicity.

Three individuals requested the resource.  You can access it as well by emailing publicity@cnrgp.com, of if you prefer, visiting the relevant page on the "real" Construction Marketing Ideas blog

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Our new websites

With the leadership of Triad123.com, we now have new websites for North Carolina, including the domains for Charlotte Construction News and Triangle/Triad Construction News.

The design may well become the template for our other publications.

In the meantime, we've set up new interim corporate page at http://www.cnrgp.com to describe our different publications.

Of course, The Design and Construction Report, reflecting its special status as an online magazine, has its own appearance.

A question for marketers is how important it is for a single organization to have a truly standardized and consistent website style.  If this is really important, we might be seen to have problems.  However, I think the diversity of looks and feel on the different websites is actually a healthy sign for this business.

First, we are exploring creatively a number of different approaches and can learn from them which works best and which can be improved.  Then we can confidently develop our template.

Second, and perhaps most important, sometimes too much effort is spent by marketers on trivial matters in the name of "brand consistency".  What is really important is the underling culture and values of the business and its ability to relate well to current and potential clients.  I think we are far better off by encouraging staff and contractors to be creative and to explore new ideas than to force them into standard processes.

Nevertheless, I think the new North Carolina sites will soon become our overall business website template.

What do you think?

Google Books: Construction Marketing ideas

Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction businessI've posted this reference before, think it worthy to invite you to take a look again at Google Books and the opportunity to preview substantial sections of Construction Marketing Ideas:   Practical Strategies and Resources to Attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business.


Or you can go directly to the actively-maintained Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

New Design and Construction Report issue published


The latest issue of Design and Construction Report has been published.  You can view it here.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Remembering Sonny Lykos

I head down memory road in this posting in the Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

This 2006 image shows the late Sonny Lykos (right) with Michael Stone.

For some of Lykos' insights -- he hated "free estimates" -- see this earlier posting about The Process, which showed how he escaped that trap.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Advertising works, really

Of course since we sell advertising for a living, I cannot disagree with Michael Stone's recent blog posting:  Advertising works!

The challenge is that many otherwise successful contractors "rely" on word of mouth and referral business.  The good news is that if you have (in good times) enough of this business to survive, you will likely do much better with effective advertising . . .

But . . . when you first go into the advertising space, you may find you are pouring good money after bad (spending money with little or no results).

There are ways around this problem, which I periodically outline at the "real" Construction Marketing Ideas blog and in my  Construction Marketing Ideas book

The Construction Marketing Ideas book on Google Books

The Google Books listing for Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business is live now, providing another resource for you to preview the book's content.


Of course, you can also visit the actively maintained and updated Construction Marketing Ideas blog (with more content than this sort of self-promotional posting) at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Construction Marketing Ideas book: An update

Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction businessToday, I received the first positive review on Amazon.com for Construction Marketing Ideas: Practical strategies and resources to attract and retain clients for your architectural, engineering or construction business.

So far, we've sold about 15 books, with the bulk of the orders in the last two days.  It's exciting seeing the response.

You can purchase the book at Amazon.com or at the actively-maintained Construction Marketing Ideas website.  If you prefer the book in digital PDF format, visit the website and you can order it for download at 50 per cent off the print price -- but I still think that books like this are meant (at least for now) to be read in book format.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Design and Construction Report


We're starting the page layouts for the next issue of the Design and Construction Report, which I expect will be online next week.