Need Expertise?.....Ask an Expert!

We’ve been researching case studies for a renewables sector client this week and one comment has been chorused by every one of their customers: they weren’t the cheapest but they offered the best product backed by proven expertise. In today’s cut throat, cut price marketplace, bargains are easy to find and knowing your budget and sticking to it are fundamental requirements for a successful business.  However, you still get what you pay for and, with marketing support just as with solar panels, the wisdom of any purchasing decisions should be measured by value not just by price.

So…..how exactly does a marketing partner add value? Surely their job is simply to take your brief and deliver your marketing collateral? Nope. A potential marketing partner should never start by asking what you want.  They should start by already understanding your sector, getting to know your business and then telling you what they think you need.

Just as in any professional field, marketing expertise and experience comes in all shapes and sizes and working with someone who not only speaks your language but also understands the factors that affect purchasing decisions in your marketplace quite simply makes good common sense.  Imagine taking on a criminal law solicitor to complete a property deal just because he had nice offices, or a good reputation or he seemed to be a nice guy who always agreed with your point of view?  You wouldn’t do it. And yet, somehow, in the field of marketing, basing your decisions on those kind of criteria is often the acceptable norm. Surely it makes more sense to look for professional advice from someone that understands your sector and is not afraid to advise rather than agree?

Construction is not an obscure specialism but it does have a language all of its own and a huge array of technical and legislative knowledge surrounding it. While you wouldn’t expect your marketing partner to be able to design a building or construct a wall, you should expect them to know what challenges the construction market is facing, what opportunities lie ahead and what the hot topics for discussion are. If they don’t know any of this how can they offer you the proactive, creative, timely approach that will help you achieve your commercial objectives and stand out from the competition?

These are tough times and budgets are tight but, at times like these more than ever, effective marketing should never be viewed as a luxury you can’t afford, it should always be accepted as a necessity you cannot afford to do without. Instead of cutting corners, it’s important to make your marketing spend count and the way to do that is to deal with experts in your sector who understand what you do and can communicate it effectively to the people you need to impress.