As a top remodeler, you’ve worked hard to improve your company and yourself.
You and your team have spent countless hours working to earn certifications and professional designations. You’ve put more time into submitting and winning awards.
But the work doesn’t stop there. You can’t count on your potential clients to know the importance of those efforts. To make the most of your awards and certifications, it is important to educate them on just what all of those letters and honors mean.
Designations
Consumers can become numb to a sea of letters and certifications from professionals. We can’t expect them to know what a CR, CGR, CAPS or CLC means. Make sure your website and other materials explain the work and expertise required to earn the designation. Take this blog from Maryland remodeler T.W. Ellis, for example. It clearly explains exactly what each designation means and how the company’s team members earned them.
When a member of your team earns a new designation, send out a news release to local media and share the news on your social media channels. The news release should include all the pertinent information and anything that makes it unique, such as being the first in your state to earn a given certification.
Awards
Awards are about more than boosting your ego.
Consumers are always looking for third-party verification of the quality of a contractor’s work. Industry awards are one of the best ways to demonstrate your commitment to skilled construction, customer service and business acumen.
Like with your designations, promote any new awards through news releases, social media, your enewsletter, your print newsletter – any way you are reaching out to your past and potential clients. Call out the criteria for selection and how the choices were made, such as by a panel of other remodelers, editors of a magazine, consumer vote, etc.
Hopefully that push engenders some local media coverage. Share that coverage as well to get more attention. If the awards are for specific projects, include plenty of photos. Magazine and web editors are always looking for art and social media posts with photos perform much better than those that are just text.
This information should also have a permanent home on your website, especially as you start racking up the awards. It can show off the extent of your skill and success.
Many award competitions provide you with a news release template, logos and other materials. Be sure to take advantage of those. Add the logo to all your other marketing, such as brochures and advertisements. Update all your marketing materials to refer to your “award-winning” status. It is also a good idea to have all employees add the notation to their email signature as another touch with clients. Also, ask them to share the news with their personal social media networks to increase the reach.
If the award is important enough, invest in signage for home shows or other events you attend. (We’ll be doing that again someday.) It took a lot of hard work to earn these awards and certifications. Make sure your clients know how important they are and why they should choose you to deliver the best project and experience!