Content Marketing Helps You Stand Out Among The Competition

Building your brand online can be intimidating. Questions like, “How do I stand out?” and “Where do I even start?” are common. But don’t worry! Your knowledge about your own business is the perfect place to start.

What do you say to clients who ask, “Why should I hire you over another professional?” Put that answer into words and display it proudly on your website and Houzz profile. Don’t wait for people to pick up the phone to answer their questions. Telling your story and defining your business are powerful ways to set yourself apart from the competition. Studies show that people buy emotionally and justify their choices rationally. Savvy businesses both give people facts and make a personal connection online.

Here are three tips for strategic storytelling

1. Show Your Passion and Expertise

A company website or Houzz profile description is often the first thing homeowners see when they begin researching professionals. Give them a good first impression by telling your story and sharing your expertise and passion for the job. What do you specialize in? How long have you been building or decorating homes? What kind of experience and passion will you bring to the project? Homeowners aren’t just looking for someone to do the job, they’re looking for a partner they believe in to embark on the journey with.

Jeff King & Co. tells homeowners exactly what they’d be getting right on the company’s Houzz profile: “Jeff King & Co. provides award-winning green building and remodeling services. We combine painstaking craftsmanship, aesthetic understanding and sustainable building practices to create healthy, efficient and beautiful homes,” it states. “Our 17 years of successful practice comes from dedication to building long-term relationships with our clients and team collaborators — and that’s why the majority of our work comes directly from referrals. In fact, we set out to make every client a client for life.”

2. Appeal to Their Emotions

Tugging on a potential client’s heartstrings can create an emotional connection that opens the door to client relationships. Whenever you describe yourself and your work, whether it’s on your website or your Houzz profile, sharing your passion for the job will help you stand out. You’re speaking to clients who are just as excited as you are about collaborating on future projects and building lifelong relationships. 

This quote from Rhonda Kieson Designs’ profile shows her passion and appeals to potential clients’ emotional feelings about their homes: “A room should be like a good friend. It should be compelling enough to draw you in, strong enough to lend you strength, warm enough to comfort you and familiar enough to embrace your soul.” 

Helping a potential client understand your approach to each project can make the difference between getting the project or losing out.

3. Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

There are a few common questions you can always expect to be asked during initial meetings with potential clients. Putting your answers in writing on your profile shows potential clients who discover you online that customer service matters to you. When you proactively share this information, homeowners will begin to associate it with you, and it will become a part of your brand. 

Clients of Synergy Design & Construction have had questions about communication throughout the renovation process, so the company proactively addresses those concerns for potential clients on its profile: “Our entire team is dedicated to helping you actually enjoy the renovation process from start to finish. Because we understand that communication is key to an exceptional experience, we offer our clients convenient ways to stay in touch,” Synergy Design & Construction writes. “We utilize an online project management system, and also offer the ability to meet online to accommodate busy travel and work schedules. During the construction phase, weekly in-person production meetings keep everyone on the same page.”

This story was written by the Houzz Industry Marketing team.