Do something different: 5 unexpected channels to get your brand noticed and selected.

As a building materials brand, you’re probably using the standard channels for brand awareness: trade publications, trade shows, association features, etc. Now, there’s nothing wrong with these platforms; they work, they’re effective and they’re trusted. But these aren’t the only places your audience is going. In this episode of Constructive Insights, Jen Candlish shares some unexpected channels that building materials brands should be looking to for new opportunities to get noticed.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Why the B2H perspective is important to remember in addition to B2B and B2C
The growth of platforms like TikTok, Reddit and podcasts, and how building materials brands can leverage them effectively
The expansive paid capabilities that YouTube can offer building materials brands
How the world of influencer marketing has changed—yes, influencer marketing can make sense for building materials brands!

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New channels = new opportunities for customer connections.

There are so many new channels being explored every day, and that means there’s a greater opportunity for building materials brands to connect with potential customers in new ways.

“Let’s remember that golden rule of marketing: We need to be where our audiences are.” – Jen Candlish

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that while your business is B2B or B2C, you still need to think of your audience as humans. This Business to Human (B2H) perspective allows you to connect with your audience within the channels they’re spending their time on, even when they don’t have their business hat on. As building materials marketers, it’s our responsibility to understand where they’re going – whether that’s within their role or during their off time – and how they prefer to take in content, so we can effectively create messaging that is going to speak to them where and when they are looking for it.

To help with this, we need to start looking at channels that aren’t as saturated or expected. Looking beyond the typical places gives your building materials brand a greater chance of getting noticed, standing out from the crowd and fulfilling your audience’s needs in the moment.

5 channels you wouldn’t think to be on (but you should).

1. TikTok for building materials brands

We’ve mentioned TikTok before, but with all the value it can bring to building materials brands, it’s worth mentioning again. TikTok has exploded since its start in 2016, and more and more of your brand’s key audiences are there – contractors, architects, designers, homeowners – they are turning to this platform for inspiration and quick tips to enhance their roles and make them easier.

What building materials brands should know about TikTok

The key here is to create content that’s going to provide quick nuggets or tips that are made to inspire or educate your audience. Time-lapse videos of new builds, step-by-step product installations and product demos are all quick video ideas that can capture attention and leave your audience wanting more.

How to be successful on TikTok

> Use it as a search engine.

TikTok has grown as one of the largest search engines. Use it to look up different topics, hashtags or competitor brands to see what content is already out there.

> Be authentic.

TikTok isn’t meant to look overly produced. People want to see real, behind-the-scenes, in-the-moment content. The more honest your content feels, the more viewers are likely to trust you.

> Experiment.

This is the perfect platform for testing content and experimenting with different creative ways to show your products and benefits.

Brands we love on TikTok

The Home Depot @homedepot
Lowe’s @lowes
Sherwin-Williams @sherwinwilliams
Behr Paint @behr
The VELUX Group @velux
James Hardie @jameshardieph
Kohler @kohler
Rudan Roofing @rudanroofing
True Metal Supply @truemetalsupply
Faithful Countertops @faithfulcountertops
Fine Homebuilding @finehomebuilding
The Smart Tiles @smarttiles
Builder Brigade @builderbrigade
IKING Insulation @ikinginsulation
NS Builders @nsbuilders
American Contractor @american.contractor.show
This Old House @thisoldhouse

2. Reddit for building materials brands

Reddit is one of the most visited websites in the world. It’s a cross between a social network and forum, where millions of people (aka Redditors) go to engage with each other, ask questions and discuss topics that interest them through subreddits or subforums. For building materials brands, this is where your audiences are finding topics like building materials, construction, design inspiration, home building tips and more, and having meaningful conversations about brands, products and their experiences.

What building materials brands should know about Reddit

When they’re leveraging it correctly, forward-thinking brands who are tapping into Reddit are seeing incredible results. One big reason is its hyper targeting capabilities, which allow you to pinpoint niche audiences (general contractors, architects, etc.) who are looking for very specific opinions and information, like installation tips, home building tips and more.

Another advantage to Reddit is its element of authenticity and accessibility. In addition to its paid opportunities, Reddit is a channel where brands have an opportunity to organically take part in real, genuine conversations with their audience.

How to be successful on Reddit

> Support or start communities.

Join some of the subreddits that your audience is interested in and take part in the conversations that are happening. The Reddit audience is known for its realness, so you need to be honest and genuine in every communication.

> Host your own AMA.

Bring in an industry expert or trade professional to give their own genuine perspective on your products or give users the chance to ask you anything and everything they’ve been dying to know when it comes to your brand.

> Use it for research.

If you aren’t quite ready for subreddits, you can monitor trending topics and see what types of conversations are happening. Tools like GummySearch allow you to search for pain points, content ideas, sales leads and more.

Subreddits we love

3. YouTube for building materials brands

While this channel might not feel unexpected because it’s been around for some time, YouTube’s immense growth within the building materials industry certainly is. From reviews to installation practices, trade professionals are coming here for advice, problem solving and quick tips on how to make their jobs easier. And even more interestingly, these users are subscribing and frequently visiting to get the latest information.

What building materials brands should know about YouTube

YouTube not only has great organic capabilities and benefits, but it’s also expanding its paid capabilities in new, unexpected ways. For example, YouTube Action campaigns are one paid feature that uses machine learning to serve up content to ideal users and results in higher conversions.

How to be successful on YouTube

> Think before you act.

This is a channel where you’re going to want to spend the time creating a content plan. You want to make sure your video content looks and sounds good, your content provides value for your followers and you’ll be able to deliver regularly.

> Experiment with different lengths and formats.

Would your audience be interested in longer or shorter videos? Would they like a Top 10 list or video series? Trying different approaches will allow you to see which content performs the best and which format your audience prefers. YouTube has a lot of options when it comes to paid video formats as well.

Brands we love on YouTube

4. Podcasts for building materials brands

There are podcasts for virtually everything now. Podcasts have become the go-to choice for what to listen to on a daily commute, road trip or flight. They’ve become so popular that monthly podcast subscriber numbers currently sit at 144 million in the U.S. alone. For building materials brands, you’ll notice that construction companies, building science experts and others are tapping into this channel. From product selection to industry advancements and new technologies, these types of podcasts inform audiences and help them in their day-to-day roles.

What building materials brands should know about podcasts

If you’re interested in dipping your toes into the world of podcasting, there are a variety of ways to do it. Yes, creating your own podcast is one way, but you don’t have to go so big. You could try a smaller investment like participating as a guest speaker or panelist, or tapping into advertising and promotional options.

How to be successful with podcasts

> Do your research.

With so many podcasts out there, you really want to do your research when it comes to creating your own or participating in a podcast. You want to look at the quality of the podcast, the type of content, the topics they cover and what the listenership is like.

> Dig into opportunities.

There are two ways you can get involved with an existing podcast. You could either be a guest speaker who shares a unique perspective on a topic, or you could look into the paid side of things—including sponsorships, product highlights, etc. An important thing to note for this channel is that sometimes these two avenues blur together. Sometimes it’s a pay-to-play approach that you need to be ready for should you decide to take part.

Podcasts we love

5. Influencer Marketing for building materials brands

One of the questions we’re asked most often is, “Does influencer marketing actually make sense for me in building materials?” And we can confidently say yes. That’s because the world of influencer marketing has changed and grown exponentially. Influencer marketing is not just celebrities anymore; it’s expanded to everyone from micro influencers to nano influencers with entire communities of followers.

And with that, we’re seeing more industry experts and internal experts share their expertise in this space. Brands are even looking to their teams and identifying key spokespeople to share valuable information with audiences. Additionally, brands can partner with industry experts, researchers, architects and designers who have a strong reputation or a strong online presence, which can help your brand and your perspective get out to the masses.

What building materials brands should know about influencer marketing

Influencer marketing in this space is less promotional or sales driven. It’s more about providing the educational content people are looking for when it comes to products and services. Influencers are trusted, known and liked by their audiences and communities, so it’s important to create content that aligns with both your values and priorities.

You also want to make sure you’re creating content that answers a need. From how to use a particular building material to how to get the best results or performance from a product, having content that answers your audience’s questions can help you gain trust and stand out in this space.

How to be successful with influencer marketing

> Do 80% planning, 20% execution.

When it comes to influencer marketing, you don’t want to jump head first into execution mode; you want to set your goals for what you’ll achieve. Even though it sounds obvious, this is one of the most skipped steps we’ve seen when working with building materials brands. Are you wanting to establish credibility or expand your reach? Knowing your goals will help you choose the right influencer.

> Look at both the qualitative and quantitative sides of the influencer coin.

When finding the right influencer, it’s important to look at the number of followers, impressions and other success metrics, but also look at their content, their engagement level and the quality of their posts.

Curious to learn more? Check out our 5 Steps to Building Success with Influencer Marketing post that offers more on how to make your next campaign effective.

Influencers we love