Construction Marketing Ideas

Patience

2010-03-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

I need it, as I will continue posting here daily until the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog is number two in search engine rankings.

Insights

2010-03-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Just returned from the CSC Toronto Trade Show. The most interesting development: Observations that the LEED program and environmental certifications may have some challenges and might not be doing what they are supposed to achieve. Lots of work to investigate that story ahead.

In the end, our business is discovering useful ideas and challenging assumptions. Out of that, hopefully, we will find some marketing genius. These matters of course are covered in the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog at another site.

CSC Toronto show

2010-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning, I'll be flying to Toronto for a day at the CSC No Frills Show. the event is an opportunity to reconnect with key people within the AEC community, in Toronto.

If you would like to meet me there, please email buckshon@cnrgp.com (I'll have my Blackberry with me).

You can also of course visit the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Not much to say . . .

2010-03-06T19:59:00.001-08:00

Tonight, but will have some useful content tomorrow at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

A year's difference

2010-03-05T16:52:00.001-08:00

This time last year, I faced difficult and frustrating challenges. The recession hit like a ton of bricks just as i had loosened discipline, financial management and controls, thinking (a few months earlier) that all was well.

Wrenching, painful days continued as we made cuts while "extravagances" incurred in the good times continued. It is a hard feeling to enjoy little pleasures knowing that you are losing so much money that your business in jeopardy.

Today, we are much leaner and I have to work harder, but the business again is profitable. I need to hold on to the reins for a while to clear down the debt, but it is a relief to have weathered the storm.

Tomorrow, at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com I'll write some useful material related to the topic -- Construction Marketing Ideas.

Readers' Choice Awards

2010-03-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

You can vote now here.

For substantial Construction Marketing Ideas, visit http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

What really defines the "best construction blog"?

2010-03-03T18:37:00.001-08:00

This evening, I received an email questioning the validity of the Best Construction Blog competition. The writer told me, essentially, that the blogs which won aren't really that good and by setting them as an example, others might think these reflect the best achievements possible.

Of course, the Best Construction Blog competition more accurately reflects the blogger's ability to network and encourage supporting votes; in essence, to prove success at marketing/sales. Since the competition is set within the framework of the Construction Marketing Ideas blog, these results (from this perspective) then have some validity.

However, the email writer has a point: If the objective is to measure the blog that truly achieves a business's marketing goals, then maybe we need another judging methodology.

Then again, there is the story of the Change Order Boat . . . Over the years, the posting you can access by clicking on the image has been one of the most popular ones on this blog. And if you think of marketing folly (if the boat owner really cares about marketing), you would have to give the Boat story an A+ for absurdity.

Really tired

2010-03-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Just prepared the Construction Marketing Ideas newsletter for distribution tomorrow morning, after a truly busy day where I combined work, family, and business management -- and confirmed the results of the Best Construction Blog competition.

You can read my analysis either within the newsletter (which you can still request at this site), or at the new Construction Marketing Ideas blog, where I do my serious thinking and writing.

Best construction blog competition results

2010-03-01T19:21:00.001-08:00

Here are the results from the best construction blog competition which concluded at 5 pm today.

I'll provide some insights into these results at the new Construction Marketing Ideas blog tomorrow morning.

Filling space

2010-02-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

That is what this space is now, at least until the actively maintained Construction Marketing Ideas blog on its own domain, http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com, reaches second place within the relevant search engines.

Some evenings I may post something substantial here, but tonight I'm just going to redirect you to the real blog where insights and ideas are updated daily.

The best construction blog competition

2010-02-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

As the original deadline (Feb. 28) is on Sunday, I've decided to extend the Best Construction Blog competition an extra 24 hours to allow final votes on a business day. The competition will conclude at 5 p.m. on Monday, February 1.

You can vote here.

And if you really want substantive, new material about Construction Marketing, please visit the properly updated Construction Marketing Ideas blog site at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Too tired for construction marketing ideas

2010-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

except to remind you that everything of substance on this Construction Marketing Ideas blog is now at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Stories beneath the stories

2010-02-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

I've had an interesting day, connecting some (regional) business and political dots. These will ultimately become a story in Ottawa Construction News, but I'll explore some ideas on a level more relevant to the Construction Marketing Ideas blog theme tomorrow morning at the actual Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

You guessed it, it is at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com

constructionmarketingideas.com

2010-02-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

The only purpose of tonight's posting is to remind you that the real substance (and content) of this blog is at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Pretty simple, eh.

What really counts . . .

2010-02-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

This morning's posting on the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog, "We are unique," has attracted some worthy comments.

I put my thinking cap on for postings there, but will continue posting here daily until the real blog reaches number two within the search engine rankings. It may take a while . . .

Stupid Construction Marketing SEO

2010-02-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

As this site has a relatively high ranking within the search engines, it attracts more than a modest amount of comments with the purported goal of enhancing search engine rankings of the commenter. I can't figure why anyone bothers with this sort of thing -- Google has imposed "nofollow" rules for comments in most cases, meaning they don't go anywhere nor do anything to help the search engine rankings of the spam commenter. In any case, I delete them all.

Tonight, I received an email representing a site hiding behind an anonymous domain registration service, asking if I minded if he "linked" to my site. A quick look a the site told me that the emailer is up to no good. It is a waste, of course. These tricks can work, some of the time, but most of the time Google has caught on to the games that are played. (Then, of course, sometimes the bad guys still win, as we all know of spam that manages to get through all the filters and into our mailboxes.)

Of course, I'm posting here relating to Construction Marketing Ideas daily for SEO reasons, as well. I intend to post daily until the real Construction Marketing Idea blog reaches second spot in the relevant search engine strings. That may take a while. In the meantime, you'll occasionally find some worthwhile ideas here, but mostly I'm just redirecting you to the main site where the real content lives on. But if you want to try spamming here, go ahead. You are simply wasting your time.

Putting things into perspective

2010-02-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Construction businesses which succeed with healthy relationships and repeat businesses almost always have real challenges in adapting to a marketing-focused approach to their enterprise, but the process is much easier if you think about what you are doing well, and focus on how to extend/enhance the successful processes.

By proactively enhancing your relationships, and by engaging in simple structured and measurable programs to enhance and increase your referral business, you'll achieve substantial -- and virtually immediate -- results for virtually no financial investment. In fact, you may save money, by cutting proposals and "bid chasing" for projects and jobs you don't have a chance of winning.

I'll explore these ideas, and more, in tomorrow's Construction Marketing Ideas blog at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Voting under way for 2010 Readers' Choice Awards

2010-02-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

You can now vote for the 2009/2010 Ontario Construction Report Readers' Choice Awards.

Unlike the Best Construction Blog competition, which is international in scope, the Readers' Choice Awards focus on businesses within Ontario (not surprisingly!) The principles are the same: You can vote only once on your computer in as many categories as you like. It is within the rules to "get out the votes" for favorites -- and we're already seeing this with the early voting.

Again, if you are looking for anything substantive in this blog, you should head to the Construction Marketing Ideas blog at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

Best construction blog competition: The home stretch

2010-02-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

With about nine days left in the competition, the vote-getting exercise is intensifying. You can see the results live at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog, or more specifically, this posting.

some ideas tomorrow

2010-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning, I'll draw together a variety of resources for an overview posting with some rather simple but useful ideas.

You won't read them here, but at the real Constuction Marketing Ideas blog, http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

The votes pour in

2010-02-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Today, I think, set a record for my email account -- with a surge in voting for the Best Construction Blog competition. Three bloggers initiated a "get out the vote" campaign, and I expect several others visited the site, and voted as well.

I'll provide an update on the competition and also some thoughts about how the process is evolving tomorrow. I also have some interesting emails and communications with worthy ideas which I will review on Friday at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

Lessons learned

2010-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

Today, after sorting through some technical glitches, I listened to Bill Caswell's presentation on Taking Your Construction Business to the Next Level again. In preparation for the event, and of course in my own relationship with him over the past few years, I've heard the message several times.

Caswell advocates a process based on respecting and engaging employees in the business decision-making, and ensuring that the work they do is in sync with their fundamental personalities and character. This stuff may seem obvious but few businesses get it right.

I'd like to say his concepts are a formula for 100 per cent success, but that is too simplistic. Successful businesses require many different qualities, and finding the right balance is not an easy thing to do.

You'll be able to read some more substantial comments in tomorrow morning's real Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

The book

2010-02-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

The indexer has completed her work. Along with the index, she provided a long list of editing corrections, which I am reviewing this evening and will send to the designer tonight. The Construction Marketing Ideas book is almost ready to go to print, thankfully.

I'll write about more substantial topics, however, at the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog tomorrow. You can visit the new site at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

About RIMC . . .

2010-02-14T18:33:00.001-08:00

I've just moved the RIMC posting from last summer to the new Construction Marketing Ideas site. This avoids duplicate content challenges.

On the main Google listings, http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com is now in fourth spot for the keywords "construction marketing". I will continue posting some content on this site daily until the real Construction Marketing Ideas blog is in second place. You can save some time by heading directly there.

Four marketing models

2010-02-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ideas often connect in fours in the classic grid.

I'll see if I can relate this kind of thinking tomorrow in the Construction Marketing Ideas blog at http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com.