Getting the Word Out in 2022: Building a Strong Content Marketing Strategy for Your Construction Business

Think you’ve been there, done that with your construction business’s content marketing plan? You may want to take a closer look. Never underestimate the power of the right message reaching the right audience to help you meet your business goals. To do so successfully, content marketers in the construction market need to evolve in terms of how they reach and interact with their audience, taking note of the latest messaging trends and the sheer value of getting in the game.

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Recent statistics underscore how the meteoric rise of content marketing in the business world writ large will only increase. Statista data shows that content marketing has brought in returns of 42 billion dollars each year and this statistic will continue to grow. Additionally, in 2021, as noted by Search Engine Journal, 43% of marketers experienced content marketing budget increases, and 66% expect to see it rise again in 2022.

Content marketing, which is generally recognized as the process of planning, creating, distributing, sharing and publishing content through a range of channels (e.g., websites, social media, blogs, podcasts, apps, video platforms, press releases, etc.), is an integral part of any successful construction business’s overall digital marketing strategy. Its purpose? Reach an identified target audience, drive sales, increase brand awareness, and enhance online visibility. Customer engagement, trust, and brand loyalty through meaningful and relevant content will also improve. Also, keep in mind that it’s important to retain customers, not just get new ones, especially in this increasingly competitive market.

The experts agree that when strategizing to move your construction business forward in 2022, content marketing needs to take a front seat to drive success, particularly in response to the pandemic’s undeniable lasting effects on consumer behavior and informational needs. 

With that in mind, below are eight of the top content marketing trends that experts are touting for the coming year and beyond. 

Take Note of These Eight Content Marketing Trends 

1. Incorporate a combination of owned and paid media assets. 

According to Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI’s) latest B2B Content Marketing report (as reported by Search Engine Journal), owned media assets and paid media are among the top areas of content marketing investment for 2022. 

Owned media assets are just what they sound like. They include media assets your brand has complete control of, such as your company website and the content that resides in that space (such as blogs or case studies), email lists of clients and prospects, social media posts, etc.

Paid media refers to external marketing efforts where there is a paid placement, such as display ads, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and branded content.

2. Put a premium on increased quality, relevance, and trustworthiness. 

With so much content out there, it’s more important than ever to establish your place as a trustworthy, knowledgeable industry leader. Beyond merely getting plenty of content out there, it can’t be overstated what good content means for construction brand marketers in terms of customer engagement; value-based content can set you apart. Your audience is likely bombarded with content all day long, so those brands that take the extra step to ensure solid, reliable, and useful content are more likely to find a winning formula.

3. Give data-driven content marketing a front seat. 

While it’s true that a successful content marketing strategy relies on creativity, the other side of the coin can’t be ignored. That’s where data and analytics come in, helping you get the most bang for your buck—both in terms of the type of content that will resonate with your target audience (e.g., identifying trending topics) as well as measuring post-distribution metrics, which will likely include such factors as traffic, engagement rates and conversions. Data is also the key to ensuring your construction business brand is fully utilizing the power of search engine optimization (SEO).

4. Integrate content into an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy. 

ABM is a focused growth strategy in which marketing and sales teams align and collaborate to create personalized experiences. As Hubspot explains, “ABM helps your business work and communicate with high-value accounts as if they’re individual markets. By doing this—along with personalizing the buyer’s journey and tailoring all communications, content, and campaigns to those specific accounts—you'll see greater ROI and a boost in customer loyalty.”

5. Increase use of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. 

More and more construction businesses are turning to these social media platforms as a means to showcase and humanize their brand. Think video storytelling, audio, and multimedia experiences. Providing creative and entertaining content will be an integral part of content marketing strategies for the foreseeable future, especially as these platforms grow in popularity. Some sources claim that Instagram, for example, has reached two billion monthly active users, a new milestone (although the confirmed number hovers around 1.22 billion). Furthermore, it is reported that 81% of people use Instagram to research companies, products, and services, and 50% of people have visited a website to purchase a product or service they saw on the app. 

6. Jump on the podcasting bandwagon. 

Podcasts are proving to be a great addition to a brand’s content marketing arsenal as a way to build an audience, strengthen brand credibility and increase the bottom line. As Entrepreneur notes, “Audio content through the use of podcasting is a powerful content marketing strategy that connects business leaders directly to their consumers in a more intimate way. When your consumers hear a ‘voice,’ they feel more deeply connected to your brand.” Other benefits Entrepreneur shares are that it’s quick and convenient for an audience to access podcast content; podcasting and audio content are easily created; and podcast episodes can be readily repurposed into multiple pieces of content. 

7. Create and publish more interactive content. 

Everywhere you look, interactive content—that’s content a user can click on, click through, answer, or play with—is top of mind. From branded games to quizzes and questionnaires, surveys, and interactive landing pages or emails, content that engages the user will not only boost engagement but is a great tool for your construction business to gain valuable insights. 

8. Optimize content for voice search. 

The days of a simple Google search may be behind us. As noted by Forbes Communications Council, “With voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri being widely adopted, traditional SEO for websites is evolving to include voice search optimization.” Spoken search commands are becoming more and more the norm so it is only common sense to take that into consideration. To ensure your content will rank high in voice search results, experts provide a number of different suggestions, which includes focusing on local search results, using conversational language, and keeping keywords simple.

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These are just a few of the content marketing trends to watch in the months and year ahead, but no doubt there will be others. The common threads, though, will be improving customer experience and engagement, boosting visibility, and keeping the conversation going by making these strategies part of your construction brand’s digital marketing plan.