Why Construction Marketing is Exactly Like Fantasy Football

The turkey is cooked (or fried), the potatoes are mashed, and the family is gathered around the table to say grace and give thanks for all life has given them in the past year. Everyone loves Thanksgiving. But it’s not just because of the food: Turkey Day is more importantly Touchdown Day.

This Thanksgiving, you’ve got the Bears vs the Lions, the Eagles vs the Cowboys, and the Seahawks vs the 49ers. And while your favorite team might be rushing and tackling this Thursday, don’t forget: the Fantasy Football season is also at play.

What they don’t realize is that Fantasy Football has all the same components of successful construction marketing.

For those who have yet to play Fantasy Football, it goes like this: You join a league, which typically has 12 teams, each run by an individual person. Teams draft their own players based on who’s currently playing in the NFL. Most rosters have 13 people, and always have at least a quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, a kicker and a team’s defense. The rest of the team is made up of benched players.

From there, the season starts in parallel with NFL games. Like in the NFL, two fantasy teams are pitted against each other every week. The stats from NFL games reflect on the fantasy team’s players, determining the winning team each week.

Over 33 million people compete in Fantasy Football every year. One in six would give up sex for the entirety of the football season to see their team win, and one in four would do the same with beer.

In other words, Fantasy Football is serious business. And just like people are serious about their fantasy team, construction managers are serious about their construction business.

via The Plain Dealer

Research is at the heart of any winning strategy

At the beginning of any Fantasy Football season, fantasy players have to meticulously comb through data to figure out who their top picks will be for the season. They not only have to consider their own drafted players’ stats, but how their opponents will organize and run their teams.

Like in Fantasy Football, construction managers have to research their market to be successful. Are they looking to do house renovations, where their target audience will be primarily women? Or are they looking at commercial LEED-certified buildings, where corporations and city councils are at the heart of negotiations?

To be successful, construction companies need more than just their target audience—they have to know what their competitors are doing (and how to outwit them). Successful construction companies will rely on data and analytics to figure out the best “play” for their company’s marketing strategy.

Passivity doesn’t score touchdowns

Once the season starts, some unfortunate Fantasy Football players assume that they can set their team on “cruise control.” They give up any control they might have over their team, assuming that they’ll succeed based on the data they used for the initial draft.

But as any casual sports observer knows, human behavior can’t be distilled into numbers. Underdogs beat out reigning champions all the time. The best Fantasy Football players adjust to the market. They keep a close eye on player performance, seeking opportunities to switch around their team.

Just like Fantasy Football, construction managers have to be prepared for market changes. If new regulations impede on business, don’t sit back and assume customers will come to you; show your clients that you’re compliant and advertise your company’s changes! If newspaper ads aren’t generating revenue, try investing in a quality website and content marketing. Don’t expect to cruise into revenue without effort.

Technology can make your team more successful

Fantasy Football accounts for a $1.66 billion market on smartphones—the entire industry is worth $70 billion. Cheat Sheet allows Fantasy Football players to stay up-to-the-minute with the latest player stats, track players, and manage multiple teams and drafts. CBS Sports Fantasy is another big player in the market, which provides fantasy tracking for not just football but also baseball and basketball. Like Cheat Sheet, the app provides real-time player statistics, but it also gives live video advice, performance projections, and a medium in which a league can start their draft.

In essence, the smartest Fantasy Football players use technology to their benefit.

So should construction managers.

Construction management software helps any construction company become a well-oiled machine. It provides managers with insights into how smoothly their operations are flowing, whether they’re using their materials in the best way, and if their document management is all in order. Construction management software is the edge that contractors can use to outperform their competitors.

Risks are the secret to survival

Rookies. We cringe and bask in their potential. The beginning of every Fantasy Football season has to deal with wild cards entering the NFL—and many fantasy team owners try to avoid them all together. But we all know that the best Fantasy Football players don’t shy from risk—in fact, they use risk to their advantage. From capitalizing on free agents to playing the waiver wire, active Fantasy Football managers don’t avoid risk—they thrive in it.

Risk is also a big part of construction advertising and marketing. New tools and rules redefine the industry yearly. Truly great marketers take risks, but they also know when to let what works continue working. In construction, it’s tough to shake things up regularly—I get it. You’re busy remodeling houses and building new sky scrapers. But taking the time to take a little risk in your marketing strategy may reap some huge rewards.

More?

Fantasy Football and construction marketing have way more in common than what immediately meets the eye. Have you used any of these tactics in your own construction marketing strategy? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!