There’s the Right Way, Wrong Way, and the Way That Gets Attention

You can be the best builder in your market and still get passed up by someone who markets themselves better. That is not a guess. I see it every week.

We had Wes Kane on the We Love Deck Builders podcast recently, and this one left me fired up. Wes has over twenty years in construction, ten seasons on the Vanilla Ice Project, ambassador deals with Monster Energy and Regal Ideas, and a personal brand that opens doors most builders do not even know exist. But none of it was given to him. He started by pouring concrete for a hundred and twenty bucks a day, following concrete trucks to job sites, and leaving business cards on every abandoned slab he could find.

You got to sprinkle a little poop on your garden for it to grow.Wes Kane

His story hit me because the principles behind it are the same ones separating the builders who grow from the ones who stay stuck. There are no shortcuts. But there is a way to get attention, and it starts with how you show up.

Your Brand Is Not Your Logo. It Is You.

Wes told me he did not even know West Kane Concrete was a brand. He thought it was just his business name. He had “Pour It Out” across his windshield and a stack of cards in his truck. That was his marketing plan. But the way he showed up on every job, the way he outworked everyone around him, the way he treated people, that was his brand the whole time. He just did not call it that.

I believe myself is my own money marketing machine.Wes Kane

It is the same for you. Your brand is not your truck wrap. It is who you are when you show up. It is how you answer the phone. It is what homeowners say about you when you leave the job site. And right now, all of that needs to translate online because that is where homeowners are checking you out before they ever call.

If you are not sure how your brand comes across, start with the basics. Download the Brand Strategy Starter Kit and work through it. It will help you figure out what makes you different and how to communicate it clearly.

Before and Afters Are Your Money Shot

Wes talked about how the Vanilla Ice Project was built on transformations. Take a rough property, break it down, rebuild it, and show the before and after. That is the money shot. That is what hooks people.

It is the same for your business. Homeowners want to see the transformation. The old deck that was falling apart next to the beautiful new space you built. That is what builds trust before you ever shake hands.

But here is where most builders drop the ball. They snap a few photos with their phone when the project is done and throw them on Instagram. That is not a strategy. Here is what to do instead:

• Take a before photo on day one. Every project. Make it a habit before you unload a single tool.
• Grab two or three in-progress shots. Homeowners love seeing the process, and it shows the quality of your work in a way a finished photo alone can not.
• Shoot the finished project in good light. Download our Photography Tips for Deck Builders guide for practical advice on angles, staging, and golden hour.
• Post it on your website first, social media second. Your website is where new homeowners go to vet you. If your best work only lives on Instagram, you are missing the opportunity that converts. We broke this down in our article on why you are not getting the jobs you want.

Want to see what a strong project showcase looks like? Check out some examples on our client results page.

Social Media Tips That Take Five Minutes

You do not need to be an influencer. You do not need to dance on camera. But you do need to be visible. Wes put it simply: the builders who market themselves are the ones who grow. The ones who hide behind their work and hope it speaks for itself get passed up by the guy down the street who figured out how to post a thirty-second video.

Here are a few things you can do this week:

• Post one before-and-after on your Google Business Profile. Most builders forget this exists, but Google treats it like a mini social feed and it helps you show up in local search. If yours is not set up right, grab our Google Business Profile Verification guide.
• Shoot one quick video from the job site. Talk about something you wish homeowners understood before starting a project. Do not overthink it. Done is better than perfect, and you will get more comfortable the more you do it.
• Ask for a Google review after every completed project. Have the homeowner mention your city and upload a photo. Google uses that data to match you with local searches. Make it part of your process, not a one-time ask.
• Tag your location on every post. Instagram, Facebook, wherever. Small thing, big impact for local visibility.

If you want a more structured approach, our Free Marketing Checklist walks through all the fundamentals so you can see what is in place and what is missing.

Google Advertising: The Basics Worth Knowing

If you are running Google Ads or thinking about it, here is what matters:

• Do not set it and forget it. I talk to builders all the time who put five hundred dollars into Google Ads with zero monitoring. If you can not tell me your cost per click and cost per lead, you are guessing with your money.
• Start with Local Service Ads. They show up at the top of Google when someone searches for a builder in your area, and you only pay when someone contacts you. It is one of the easiest entry points into paid advertising. We go deeper in our episode on Google Ads tips for deck builders.
• Your ads are only as good as where the click lands. If someone clicks your ad and hits a slow, confusing website with no project photos and no clear way to reach you, that click is wasted money. Our guide on how to maximize website conversion covers the basics.
• Your reputation impacts your ad costs. Google looks at your reviews, your website quality, and your credibility when deciding how much to charge you and where to show you. The builders with strong reputations get better results for less money.

For a full side-by-side on how SEO and paid ads work together, check out our post on Google Ads vs. SEO.

Be Coachable. Be Consistent. Kick the Door In.

Wes closed the episode with ten things that require zero talent but earn the most respect: being on time, making an effort, high energy, positive attitude, passion, good body language, being coachable, doing extra, being prepared, and strong work ethic. None of those cost a dime. Every one of them applies to your marketing, not just your job site.

Talent might make you good, but it is your attitude and your work ethic that will make you great.Wes Kane

The builders I work with who get the best results are the ones who are coachable. They try new things. They post consistently even when it feels awkward. They invest in their online presence even when they are busy. And they trust the process long enough for it to compound.

The builders who struggle are the ones who want to grow but will not change anything. They see the new competitor getting all the attention and wonder what happened. What happened is that builder showed up, consistently, and made themselves easy to find and easy to trust.

You got to grind to shine. If you grind on Monday, if you grind on Tuesday, by Friday, something is going to happen.Wes Kane

If you want help building a marketing system that works as hard as you do, book a free growth strategy session. I will show you where you stand, what is working, and what your next move should be.

Keep moving forward.

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