Some additional thoughts about construction marketing slogans

Lots of Google searchers are looking for ideas about construction marketing slogans. This could be because the topic is particularly important, or because Google in its wisdom has decided to rank this blog at number one position when you key the words "construction slogans" or similar words.

In my original posting, I referenced this contractortalk.com thread and useful video from marketing guru Al Ries. Yesterday, I took things a step further, and invited comments from participants on the Remodelcrazy.com forum. My "bribe": The opportunity for some linkages from this PR3 blog. (The Remodelcrazy.com participants are not surprisingly mostly quite effective at their online marketing and search engine optimization strategies.)

You can read the thread for insights, but I especially found value in Tim Nagle's observations about "How to create a powerful marketing message". His observations touch on the concepts of the Elevator Speech outlined in this earlier posting, and some of the variables that make a slogan effective. He writes:

Quite often small business owners will ask me to reveal the most powerful marketing strategy I have seen. I can say without hesitation that the most powerful marketing strategy has little to do with advertising, direct mail, websites, referrals or blogs.

No, before any of those things will really have an impact on your business, you've got to uncover and communicate how your business is different from every other business that says they do what you do. You've got to get out of the commodity business. You've got to stake your claim on a simple idea or position in the mind of your prospective clients.

You've got to create and bring to life a powerful personal marketing message.

Slogans need to reflect the uniqueness of your business, be brief, "catchy" and (if possible) a little fun (and sometimes risky).

Far too many slogans, in my opinion, travel the cliche road -- safe, secure, and boring references to service and value. Yawn. Besides being universal (and often unbelievable, based on experience) claims, these words don't express any unique flavor for your business. They are safe and therefore wont' get you into any trouble. But do they work as slogans?

Conversely, you will read on both threads about slogans that seem to go over the edge in riskiness. Here, you have to decide if you will alienate enough of your market to make the slogan too dangerous.

Finally, the shorter the better, with lots alliteration. I like "Google Girl" for Leslie-Anne McAllister, who uses that slogan to promote herself as ReachLocal consultant (but could you use this slogan on a larger business scale; I doubt it, at least without a good conversation first with a trademark lawyer?)

There are paradoxes with simple, creative things (like effective slogans). Sometimes they come to mind right away; sometimes you struggle. Creative consultants often use formulas to solve the problem. I like the idea of reviewing similar but non competitive businesses in other markets where consumers won't mix you up with the competition (assuming you intend to remain a local business).

I haven't yet developed a great slogan for my own business. "Construction Marketing Ideas" is fine for this blog, but does it describe our business, which primarily provides advertising-supported editorial business profiles for print and web publications?

When you Google "Construction Slogans" you will see ads for services which say they can develop slogans for you. They may be good, but I haven't tried or reviewed them, so cannot recommend their services. I sense you can spend a lot of money for creative work here and not be totally satisfied. Best answer again may be through your trade association or group and conversations with successful businesses in non-competitive markets. If you can't copy their slogan, at least they can refer you to their consultants.