If you want to build a successful scaffolding business, it is important that you are able to build a good reputation locally. Getting a lot of trade in your local area will help you to expand outwards, and will help to give you as many options as possible to maximise your earning potential. Here are some ideas to help you to promote your scaffolding business locally.

Local Trade Magazines

Adverts in local trade magazines are an excellent investment, as many homeowners use these magazines to find traders who operate in their local area. Some homeowners actually find it difficult to locate local tradespeople who work in their area, because the way that they use internet search engines often mean that they end up getting national companies instead.

A local trade magazine will give these people a quick go-to guide of what is actually available in their locality. It is also a great way to attract the attention of others in the construction industry.

Leaflet Drop

You can design and have leaflets printed out which explain what your company does and where you do it. You may want to include a discount code on the leaflet with a limited time discount offer. The opportunity for people to receive a discount will often prompt people to take action when they might not previously have done so.

As a scaffolder, your main issue is choosing who to target with limited resources. It may be worth doing (or paying for) market research of other firms working in your local area who may be interested in your services. These are the people who you want to send your leaflets out to.

Local Papers

People who won’t see your advert in the local trade magazine may well see it in the local newspaper. Your local newspaper may even be able to offer a deal where they sell advertising space in their paper copies, which will also get you advertising in their online edition.

If you put an advert in the local paper, you may also want to consider putting an offer code on the advert. In addition to getting an advert put into the paper, you can also attempt to get a positive local interest story in there. Consider working with a charity for free or at a reduced cost so that your name will be mentioned in a news article about that charity.

Word of Mouth

A great way to ensure that you get a continuous flow of trade in your local area is to make sure that you do a good job whenever you work on a project. If people are pleased with the work that you do for them, they will tell other people who are looking for scaffolders. Word of mouth advertising in one of the most effective ways of getting your name out there, but it is also exceedingly cost effective.

Local Radio

Having a radio advert on your local radio station is a great way to attract the attention of people in the construction industry who you may want to consider partnering with. Many construction workers listen to the radio on a regular basis, either when they are on site or on the road, so a radio advert is a good way to get your name out there. This can be an effective form of targeted marketing, if you make sure that your advert is played at the times when your target audience are expected to be listening.

Networking Events

Although they are not everybody’s cup of tea, local networking events can be great opportunities to meet other people in your industry and to forge connections that help you to get more trade locally. If you are personable and able to talk passionately about what you do, then networking events can be really successful.

Take a supply of business cards with you so that you can give them out to the people that you talk to, and remember to get business cards or contact details off of them. If you were interested in any opportunities that were discussed, then you should follow up with them after a few days.

LinkedIn

Even if you haven’t got an online presence already, LinkedIn is a good place to get started. LinkedIn is an online site which is dedicated to professional networking. It allows you to find links to people who may be interested in your services through contacts that already exist. LinkedIn also acts as a kind of online “word of mouth” system, where people are able to recommend you to their colleagues. The network can also be used to establish yourself as a local industry expert. You can do this by writing opinion pieces and getting involved in local debates. Establishing yourself as an expert in this way can mean that when people need an expert offline, your name is one of the first names that they will think of.