Construction Marketing Ideas

Marketing commercial tenant fit-ups
Over at contractortalk.com, Darren Beck of Beck Construction and Remodelling in Clarksville, TN, posted this question:

Hello everone,I've noticed a lot of strip malls going up around my area lately. The individual spaces stay empty a month or two then get finished out. I would really like to get involved in some of this finish-out work. Have any of you tried specific things to target these commercial tenant finish-outs? I've tried calling the real estate agents listing the units a few times to no avail.
I wonder if it would be worthwhile to track down the owners? I've been kicking around the idea of making some flyers and just sticking them to the doors of empty spaces. Kinda like door hangers for commercial work!

Response is still light, but one contractor said he found business simply by sticking a business card in the door of the unfinished commercial unit. "Crash" wrote:

I have got many projects just by placing a card in the door. Many time the gc is from out-of-town and actually needs local contractors to do these jobs. About two years ago I placed a card in the door for a proposed bank location, in a strip mall. I have been doing banks all over the state every sense-just from that one card.......

But perhaps the most interesting answer to this question is one I uncovered that may also give clues to what you should be doing, overall, to develop your marketing program for commercial construction work. It is a job posting (perhaps now expired) for a Director of Marketing and Communications for Columbia Construction Company in North Reading, MA.

External Marketing and Communication
Regularly distribute press releases
locally on project wins and key personnel moves and/or hires
Meet with editors of local papers to get our name and message published
Develop and Place Ads in targeted community organization publications or regional/local business journals
Develop articles for use in local/regional trade publications
Oversee scheduled mailings to key existing and targeted clients
Mail segment brochures to relevant existing/potential clients with letter
Participate and create client/architect events twice a year
Assist in the development of in-house seminars targeting specific market segments to our clients
Work with BD to target industry events for possible sponsorship, speaking engagements etc.
Ensure job site signage is prevalent on all projects
Assist in development of a project performance scorecard and send to clients at end of job to gauge performance, solicit feedback.
Internal Marketing
Supervise firm’s RFP protocol process including responding to RFPs from clients and overseeing all proposals for new business
Participate in planning and presentation sessions.
Manage Employee newsletter highlighting key activities, initiatives, wins, etc.
Assist with all- staff meetings
Routinely visit jobsites
Develop e-mail “Flash News” to highlight brief announcements, wins or congratulatory notes
Develop a Reward & Recognition program that recognizes best efforts of practices reinforcing Company’s operating principles, etc.
Post Company “theme” and develop internal poster campaign to highlight initiatives, such as Safety etc….

This is a fascinating and revealing list of 'to do's' for marketing . . . but maybe, indeed, the simplest solution in this case is to stick your business card in the door.