The Fence Builder's Guide to Mastering Marketing: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Fence Builder Marketing

Introduction: The Overwhelming Marketing Landscape

If you’ve been searching for the answer to growing your fence business and are completely confused by all the conflicting information out there, you are certainly not alone. Over the last 15 years, digital marketing options have exploded, making it overwhelming for most businesses. Marketing expenses have skyrocketed due to demand, inflation, and competition. With so many options, costing so much money, the world of marketing has now become gridlocked. This overwhelming confusion has forced many fence companies to surrender their campaigns to marketing agencies. Small fence businesses unable to afford marketing agency fees have become DIY marketers, running their businesses, building websites, and managing Google Ads, all at the same time. This little book will provide a solution for fence builder's search for marketing. But before you are willing to embrace this or any solution, you must realize that there are indeed major problems in the world of marketing.

Problem 1: The Giants Control Advertising Rates

Have you seen Google's stock prices lately? How about Facebook? For that matter, check out the growth of any internet content company that sells digital advertising. You'll see their revenues are growing at unfathomable rates. Pay-per-click traffic which used to cost thirty-five cents now costs five dollars. Have you seen your ad account lately? You'll find that some of your ads aren't showing. Why? Your ad isn't on the first page. Your quality scores are low. Your expected click-through rate is low. The same goes for Bing, Yahoo!, Facebook, and any other digital pay-per-click platform. 

What about organic traffic from SEO? That's changed as well. Your listings in the search engines move by the minute, making it extremely dangerous for any fence business to solely rely upon free traffic. Social media? Though businesses have invested small fortunes into their social presence, their return on investment continues to diminish. That is unless you're willing to promote your page with an ad! Even internet traffic from local searches has been hijacked with paid placements on Google Maps.

What about mainstream media? Print advertising, television, and radio have also changed. With more people cutting the cord, the networks' reply is to charge more for commercials. Though radio ads are expensive, they barely move the needle with so many people streaming music and podcasts through their smartphones. Magazine and newspaper subscriptions are also down. That's not what the salesman told you though. He told you about distribution and readership, right? When was the last time you saw someone reading a magazine? Do you still receive a printed newspaper? Most of us take the yellow phone book from our front door and bring it right to the recycling bin without a second thought. Though society is still listening and reading, they now do it through their favorite mobile device. If most pe

Problem 2: Novices Control Your Marketing Campaigns

For the small fence companies doing everything yourself, you already know how complicated things can be. When you started out, you didn't think you'd be learning analytic software, website coding, social media, and pay-per-click marketing. Not only do you have to run your own business, but now you're tinkering with websites, ad campaigns, and a whirlwind of other technology. Your marketing dollars are going out each month, but the question remains—do you really have everything set up correctly? What business opportunities have you neglected so you can tinker with your own marketing? Most do-it-yourselfers already realize the complexity of the situation and would hire help if they could only afford it.

Bigger fence companies fare only slightly better. Complex campaigns are passed off to Pedro, the new marketing guy who replaced Jim only last month. By the time Pedro figures things out, he's received a better offer from another company and there's another hole to fill in the marketing ship. The company continues to seek out and hire bright marketing people, hoping they will stay or at least implement a strategy that works. The marketing position is a revolving door, and most fence business owners wish they could find someone who knew what they were doing and that would stay long enough to make a difference.

Finally, some frustrated fence businesses look to local marketing agencies for expertise, believing there must be a better solution. Tim, the local agency's salesman, is extremely knowledgeable. He's warm and friendly and confidently guarantees huge results for your small business. Six months and thousands of dollars later, little progress has been made on the campaign. You call the agency and ask to speak with Tim. After a brief hold, you learn he no longer works there. You're then transferred to a generic voicemail box. Three days later you receive a phone call back from your newly assigned project manager. Excuses abound and you realize that you're just another number in a long line of struggling businesses. 

Problem 3: One Thousand Options and Zero Solutions

You open your email inbox and there are two emails in your spam folder from India. They're offering internet marketing for two hundred dollars a month. Checking your voicemail, you receive a message from the coupon book lady telling you it is time to renew. As you hang up the phone, a staff member tells you there's someone from a new magazine wanting to feature your business. After two minutes, you realize he's selling ads. Your nephew, Mike, just started a business designing websites. He texts you offering a redesign for five hundred dollars.

As you log into LinkedIn, a message pops up from Kyle. He is requesting an appointment to go over a fencing-related email marketing software. We could go on here, but you already know how many options are available for your business. Our libraries are littered with marketing books by arrogant authors who've rehashed the same content over and over. The problem still remains. Everyone selling you something has something to gain. While some of the marketing might be a piece of the puzzle, it doesn't provide you with a solution. 

Enter the Fence Company Marketing Blueprint

Perhaps you're wondering if the picture we've painted about the problems in the world of fence company marketing are really that bad. After all, there are smart fence builders who have their campaigns set up well. No doubt, some staff members are loyal and do great work. Obviously, not all marketing agencies are incompetent. While the world might not need another marketing book, we believe that fence companies do need a simple and clear marketing blueprint. We've written this short book to be a fast, straightforward, and easy read. To help everything really sink in, we've created a few graphics to help you learn as you read. As we outline each of these steps, you'll see that there really is a simple solution for growth that can be measured and integrated into your business. Though it is extremely simple to understand, it's likely to be different than anything you've seen before.

Lastly, before you dive into this book, you might be curious about our background or why you should listen to us. More importantly, is this little book really worth your time? In short, we are an unusual breed of entrepreneurs and marketing consultants. While some of us have a background in construction, what makes us unique is that we only provide marketing for fence companies, service businesses, and builders. Chances are good that you've never heard of us or the marketing principles you'll read in this book. Though we've been extremely successful, we fly way under the radar and prefer it that way. We see no need for hype, noise, or flamboyant marketing tactics to get noticed. Our growth continues by practicing the principles you are about to learn in this book. You'll find we openly disagree with many of the so-called "marketing experts" and in some circles are considered black sheep because of our lack of emphasis on branding. We hate high-pressure sales and are closed on most Fridays. When we are working, you'll find us in our home offices wearing jeans and t-shirts, casually strategizing with fence builders across the country. We don't have a clever slogan, a cool brand, or a flashy website. We don't employ salespeople, carry business cards, or have fancy trifold brochures.

Sales gurus would argue that our methods are too soft. Madison Avenue branding agencies would insist that marketing can't really be measured. Local marketing agencies would conclude that the process can't be applied to all fence companies. Other marketing consultants might even dismiss us completely for making the whole process entirely too simple. Fortunately, we don't care. We didn't write this book for them. We wrote it for you, the fence company and business owner. You see, we realize something our critics don’t, and it comes with a huge payoff. When fence builders embrace the principles in this book, growth happens. Business revenues become a faucet that can be controlled. Whether you realize it or not, you hold these principles in your hand right now. This is the Fence Company Marketing Blueprint. It's laid out in four simple steps. And yes—we understand that the world of marketing is over-bloated with hype. Rest assured, this isn’t one of those books. If you’re willing, let's get started with step one.

Step 1: Establish a Clear Marketing Goal

The first step in the Fence Company Marketing Blueprint is to establish a

 clear marketing goal. This goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Without a clear goal, your marketing efforts will be aimless and ineffective. 

Consider what you want to achieve with your marketing efforts. Are you looking to increase your customer base? Do you want to boost your online presence? Are you aiming to improve customer retention? Whatever your goal, make sure it is clearly defined and aligned with your overall business objectives.

Once you have established your marketing goal, it will serve as a guiding light for all your marketing activities. It will help you stay focused and ensure that your efforts are directed towards achieving a specific outcome.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

The next step in the Fence Company Marketing Blueprint is to identify your target audience. Knowing who your ideal customers are is crucial for creating effective marketing campaigns. 

Start by defining the demographics of your target audience. Consider factors such as age, gender, income level, location, and interests. This will help you understand who your customers are and what they are looking for.

Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, you can tailor your marketing messages to resonate with them. Use language and imagery that appeals to their needs and desires. By speaking directly to your audience, you will be more likely to capture their attention and drive engagement.

Step 3: Develop a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

With your marketing goal and target audience in mind, it's time to develop a comprehensive fence marketing strategy. This strategy should outline the specific tactics and channels you will use to reach your audience and achieve your goal.

Consider a mix of both online and offline marketing tactics. Online tactics may include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing. Offline tactics may include print advertising, direct mail, and local events.

Ensure that your marketing strategy is integrated and cohesive. Each tactic should work together to create a unified message and drive your audience towards your goal. Track the performance of your campaigns and make adjustments as needed to optimize your results.

Step 4: Implement and Monitor Your Marketing Campaigns

The final step in the Fence Company Marketing Blueprint is to implement and monitor your marketing campaigns. Execution is key to the success of your strategy. Ensure that you have the right tools and resources in place to carry out your campaigns effectively.

Monitor the performance of your campaigns regularly. Use analytics tools to track key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI). This will help you understand what is working and what is not, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.

Be prepared to make adjustments to your campaigns as needed. Marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. It requires continuous optimization to achieve the best results. Stay agile and responsive to changes in the market and your audience's behavior.

Conclusion: Embrace the Blueprint for Success

The Fence Company Marketing Blueprint provides a simple and clear path to marketing success for fence builders. By establishing a clear marketing goal, identifying your target audience, developing a comprehensive strategy, and implementing and monitoring your campaigns, you can overcome the challenges of marketing and achieve measurable growth.

Remember, the key to success is to stay focused, stay informed, and stay committed to your marketing efforts. With the right approach, you can turn your marketing dollars into a powerful engine for growth and take your fence business to new heights.

Embrace the principles outlined in this blueprint and watch your business thrive. Whether you're a small fence company doing it yourself or a larger business looking for a more effective strategy, this blueprint is designed to help you succeed. Let's get started and make your fence builder marketing efforts count!