Commercial Integrator July 2021 - 13

SMB INSIGHT
How to Use Digital Marketing to Gain Business
Amid the Ongoing Economic Recovery
Small pro AV integrators have a huge opportunity to pitch themselves hybrid work solutions
providers, and simple marketing tools can help. by Zachary Comeau
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS are improving as
the COVID-19 pandemic wanes and regional
economies begin to reopen fully.
However, simply banking on your
word-of-mouth references and demand for
audiovisual solutions as a tool to help your
customers pivot to a hybrid work model
isn't quite enough as this summer could
prove quite competitive.
For many smaller integration firms that
had either never had a solid marketing
strategy or had to downsize the marketing
department as a result of business conditions
during the pandemic, drumming up new
business and pitching your firm as an answer
to hybrid work starts with simple marketing.
Update Your Website
According to Kelly Perkins, an AV integration
marketing consultant, this means - at the
very least - having an up-to-date website.
" A lot of integrators tend to not really
focus on their website, but it's so important
because it's the first thing that people see
about you, " Perkins say. " Your website
is probably the most important piece of
marketing material that you have. "
Even if a particular integrator gets a lot
of business through recommendations and
word of mouth, prospective customers will
still likely Google search your company and
come across your website.
If you're pitching your company has a
modern technology solutions provider,
your website should look cutting edge and
boast some kind of audio or video, since
that is what you provide to your customers.
There has been a massive movement
to the cloud and companies are doubling
down on their technology investments,
which means customers are doing their
due diligence and are researching what to
purchase.
To position yourselves as thought
leaders, add blogs, case studies and other
content to your website to give those pocommercialintegrator.com
Smaller
integrators that are able to pivot to providing hybrid work solutions have
an incredible opportunity to market themselves to customers.
tential a customers an idea of what you can
provide to them.
" At the very least, just get it looking like
it's not 1985, " Perkins says.
Utilize Social Media
Another area where many integration firms
fall short is social media, another digital
marketing tool that can help show others
that you're up to date on trends and understand
new technology.
However, outlining the exact return-on-investment
of social media can be
difficult. Aside from paid ads and promotions,
most social media platforms that your
integration firm can utilize are free.
" All it costs is your time, " Perkins says.
At one client where Perkins helps run the
social media, the overwhelming majority of
new users visiting the client's website came
from social media.
One good strategy on social media is
to follow your customers on social media
and engage with them, which can turn into
more exposure if your customers engage
back and share your company's story.
Having a presence on social media also
provides a more public-facing medium to
communicate with potential customers,
and it humanizes the people that work at
your integration firm.
All integrators should be on LinkedIn, Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook - in that order.
" It just brings business - it raises awareness
where you might not be able to get in
front of somebody, " Perkins says.
Pitch yourself as a 21st century, hybrid
work solutions provider
The pandemic taught the world that
working remotely worked thanks to the
widespread use of videoconferencing and
collaboration tools like Zoom and Microsoft
Teams, and companies have no intention of
slowing down investments in that area.
Now, organizations are adding videoconferencing
solutions to every meeting
room to accommodate employees working
at home and create a hybrid work environment
that features the ability to connect and
collaboration regardless of where anyone is.
" It's giving us a huge opportunity - at
least in our industry - to do some really
cool stuff and make some money while
doing it, " Perkins says.
JULY 2021 Commercial Integrator
13
BLUE PLANET STUDIO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

http://www.commercialintegrator.com

Commercial Integrator July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator July 2021