The Philippine construction sector is currently bustling thanks to the government’s push for more infrastructure projects in 2024 and beyond, through its “Build, Build, More” program.
The industry is expected to contribute 8.4% to the nation’s GDP in 2023, with projections of continued growth in the coming years.
The sector is also poised for expansion in 2023 and would go on up to 2027. Apart from the government’s infrastructure, the industry is also buoyed by a strong real estate market, rising urbanization, and energy development initiatives. Research and Markets, a market research site, forecasts the Philippine construction industry to log an annual average growth rate of 7.1% between 2025 and 2027.
Amidst this backdrop, construction companies face a competitive landscape where standing out from the crowd is crucial. Digital marketing emerges as a powerful tool for this. Through this, you can reach your target audiences, generate leads, and secure projects. If you’re a senior marketing officer in this industry, this article will introduce to you to the trends LeapOut foresees in the industry this year.
Why Philippine Construction Sector Needs Digital Marketing
In today’s digital age, the internet is the go-to communication method used by both consumers and businesses for information and decision-making. To tap these users, Philippine construction companies should prepare and optimize digital marketing efforts because of these reasons:
Increased internet usage
More than 80 million Filipinos now have access to the internet, creating a vast online audience for construction companies to reach.
Shifting buyer behavior
Potential clients, from individual homeowners to large corporations, are increasingly researching and comparing options online before making decisions.
Competition is heading towards digital
Many construction companies are already taking advantage of digital marketing strategies, making it essential for others to do the same to stay competitive.
Latest Digital Trends to Prepare for in 2024
As tech undergoes significant changes, so do digital marketing trends. Preparing for and embracing these changes can help your business get unprecedented advantages, especially in a highly competitive industry that has low digital adoption like construction.
Here are some trends your company can leverage in 2024:
1. Keep your users engaged with interactive media
Construction is a discipline that requires precision, order, and structure – which some people find dull and boring. With a digitally savvy, fun-loving audience like Filipinos, many of whom are glued to their mobile phones or desktops for hours, you can introduce interactive content that can educate, entertain, and assist your users when visiting your website or social media accounts.
Here are some formats and applications you can incorporate in your content:
Quizzes and polls
Tap into the competitive spirit and generate user-generated content with personality quizzes, trivia challenges, and opinion polls relevant to construction.
Interactive infographics
Bring life to static data or images with clickable elements, animations, and micro-interactions for valuable insights and better user engagement.
Interactive calculators and tools
Help users estimate project costs, compare materials, or visualize their dream home by providing interactive tools they can actively use. One example is the integration of a color mixing tool in the website of one of our client’s that helps their customers decide the right color combination for painting their interiors and exteriors.
360° videos and virtual tours
Offer immersive experiences showcasing construction projects, amenities, or design possibilities, giving opportunity for a virtual exploration of your projects from their mobile devices.
Gamified experiences
Design mini-games or interactive challenges related to your brand or industry to drive engagement, brand recall, and positive associations.
2. Utilize Social Media to Boost Trust and Leads
It’s no secret that Filipinos are active mobile phone users. This device is the primary platform for Filipinos in accessing the internet, especially for architects, engineers, and other construction professionals who are usually working outdoors.
Here are some innovations you can use in optimizing your mobile marketing efforts to improve your company’s image and attract more leads:
Create omnichannel experiences
Integrate your online and offline marketing seamlessly through location-based triggers and augmented reality experiences to produce compelling content.
Hyper-personalized campaigns
Leverage real-time location data and user behavior to deliver highly targeted ads and personalized offers within your construction area.
Future-ready content formats
Craft engaging content for your audiences through their mobile devices through high-definition video and interactive features for AR/VR experiences that will highlight your works in progress and final structures.
3. Leverage AR and VR In Your Campaigns
Lay down the foundation of the future of construction marketing with immersive and interactive content. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are revolutionizing how companies showcase their projects and engage with potential clients in the Philippines.
VR: Take a Virtual Walk in Your Dream Project
VR allows potential clients to experience projects at scale, walk through spaces, and explore design options within an immersive environment. Through this technology, you can provide a virtual tour of your future home or property before it’s even built. You can also add breathtaking views and customizable finishes for totally immersive views.
AR: Bringing Your Blueprints to Life
AR superimposes digital information onto the real world, allowing users to visualize construction projects directly on site. This technology allows you to hold on your phone and see a building’s virtual framework overlaid on an empty lot. You can also view real-time data like material placements directly on the construction site.
While VR and AR are still in their early stages in the Philippine construction industry, their potential is immense. By leveraging these innovative technologies, you can differentiate your company, connect with clients on a deeper level, and build a brand for the future. As costs decrease and user adoption increases, these trends are poised to become mainstream, shaping the industry’s marketing landscape for years to come.
4. AI-Powered Personalized Marketing
In the age of information overload, standing out requires personalization and top-tier customer service. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the best tool to deliver personalized messages and content across industries.
Through AI and machine learning, you can craft personalized marketing campaigns that resonate with your brand and your target customer. Here are the potential use of AI tools in your industry:
- AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) system that allows you to analyze customer interactions, predict needs, and suggest personalized campaigns and offers.
- Chatbots and AI assistants that offer 24/7 customer support, answer inquiries, and schedule appointments, to enhance user and customer experience.
- Content recommendation engines that recommend relevant project showcases, case studies, and blog posts based on user interests and demographics.
- Targeted advertising across platforms: Deliver relevant ads on social media, search engines, and construction-specific websites to reach your target users.
As you integrate AI tools in your marketing you can adopt these features for best results:
- Mobile-first focus – Choose AI tools that work seamlessly on mobile devices.
- Multilingual support – Raise your localization a level higher by choosing an app that caters to the various languages spoken in the Philippines.
- Localized data insights –Train AI models on local data specific to the Philippine construction industry for accurate predictions and recommendations.
Construction Digital Marketing: Challenges Marketers Face
Just like navigating a complex construction site, understanding the current construction niche landscape requires careful observation and analysis. Let’s delve into the unique challenges and opportunities shaping the digital marketing landscape that LeapOut, an agency specializing in this discipline, observes within the construction industry:
Lagging behind rapid digital adoption
Digital marketing awareness and implementation are growing in the industry but not all firms have fully embraced it. While social media presence is common, website development is increasing, and content marketing is slowly gaining traction, many companies in this niche still lack the knowledge and exposure to this new marketing approach.
Traditional marketing methods remain influential
Part of the reason is print ads like billboards, brochures, and fliers, industry events, and word-of-mouth recommendations still play a significant role, particularly for large-scale projects or B2B marketing.
Limited marketing budgets
Compared to global counterparts, many Philippine construction firms operate with smaller marketing budgets. This fact forces marketers to develop creative and cost-effective digital strategies. Usually, only the top players have enough funds to engage in this marketing discipline.
Mobile-first focus
With over 80% of Filipinos accessing the internet on mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website and content is crucial for reaching your target audience. Despite mobile-first being a top priority for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media accounts, many websites and content are not yet mobile friendly based on LeapOut’s experience with our clients.
Partner With LeapOut to Future-Proof Your Digital Marketing
Digital marketing can be a challenge for construction companies, especially if you’re not experienced in this field, more so if you want to prepare your digital campaigns to keep up with the changing trends in the industry. In conceptualization, strategizing and implementation of campaigns to address these trends, you need a reliable agency like LeapOut on your behalf. Contact us for a consultation to take your digital strategies to the next level.
Tony Chua is an adept Web Content Specialist and HubSpot-certified professional, with an Economics degree from the University of Santo Tomas and over ten years in content creation. Specializing in SEO articles, blog posts, and social media content, Tony has a diverse background encompassing news writing, press releases, and editorial work.
His multifaceted expertise also covers desktop publishing, graphic design, web development, and video editing. At LeapOut Digital, Tony applies his versatile skills to enhance digital narratives and engage a global audience through compelling content.
