Tricks of the Trade: Practical Marketing Tips for Builders’ Merchants

For builders’ merchants, marketing tends to work best when it is relevant, consistent and closely aligned to the way customers actually buy. A clear understanding of your audience, accurate data, timely follow-up and straightforward customer communication all play a part in generating new accounts, increasing order frequency and strengthening customer engagement.

In a busy branch environment, the challenge is usually keeping marketing practical, targeted and useful enough to support day-to-day sales activity without creating unnecessary noise. With that in mind, here are some practical ways to strengthen customer engagement, support account growth and keep your marketing relevant to the way customers in the trade actually buy.

1. Know your customers better

The starting point is a better understanding of who you are speaking to and what matters to them. That means knowing which customers buy regularly, which buy around specific projects, who makes the final decision, and where there may be room to upsell, cross-sell or simply improve the buying experience.

For some merchants, the opportunity lies in sharper segmentation. A loyal trade account holder, an occasional cash buyer and a contractor comparing suppliers should not all receive the same message at the same time.

A few questions are worth asking regularly:

• Which customers buy often, and which only return when a larger job comes in?
• Which product ranges are most relevant to each customer group?
• Who is the decision-maker, and who influences the order?
• Where could a better conversation lead to more repeat business?

The more clearly you understand buying behaviour, the easier it becomes to shape communication that feels useful rather than generic.

2. Keep your customer data clean and current

Good marketing depends on good data. Accurate and up-to-date customer data is key to effective communication and commercial success.

That goes beyond names and email addresses. Useful records should include buying behaviour, preferred branch, typical order size, relevant product interests and any notes that help future follow-up feel informed.

When customer data is current, it becomes easier to reach the right people at the right time with communication that reflects what they actually need.

In practical terms, that often means:

• Removing duplicate or outdated contacts.
• Updating job titles and decision-maker details.
• Recording product interests and purchase patterns.
• Logging follow-up actions after calls, visits or emails.

3. Make trade account sign-up easy

Trade account growth often depends on small moments of friction. If the process feels unclear, too slow or harder than it needs to be, some prospects will lose interest before they ever place an order.

A clearer onboarding process helps. Explain the benefits simply, make the process straightforward and follow up promptly when someone shows interest. If your aim is to generate new accounts and increase order frequency, this part of the journey deserves as much attention as any campaign or promotion.

It helps to keep the process straightforward:

• Tell customers what information they need before they begin.
• Make forms easy to understand.
• Be clear about timings and next steps.
• Follow up quickly after an enquiry or branch visit.
• Give new account holders a reason to place their first order soon.

4. Give people reasons to visit your branch

Footfall is easier to build when there is a clear reason to come in. In practice, that usually means activity that is useful, timely and relevant to local trade customers.

Breakfast mornings, supplier days, live product demonstrations, seasonal offers and small branch events can all help create that reason. Done well, they give customers a chance to ask questions, compare products, meet the team and spend time in the branch without the interaction feeling forced.

The most effective branch activity tends to share a few qualities:

• It gives people something useful, whether that is product insight, time saved or a better offer.
• It gives customers something of value, whether that is time saved, product insight or a better offer.
• It reflects local demand and the kinds of jobs customers are actually pricing or delivering.

5. Stay in touch between purchases

Many buying relationships weaken simply because communication becomes irregular. Regular, targeted communication to keep customers engaged and top of mind for future requirements.

That does not mean constant contact. It means communication that is relevant enough to justify itself, whether that is a follow-up after account opening, a note about a product range the customer already buys, or a timely call when an offer is likely to be useful. Consistency matters here because customers are more likely to stay engaged when communication feels informed, measured and helpful.

Useful touchpoints might include:

• A welcome follow-up after account sign-up.
• Product updates linked to previous orders.
• Personalised offers based on buying habits.
• A check-in after a branch event or supplier day.
• Occasional feedback requests to understand service gaps.

6. Turn smaller customers into loyal ones

Not every valuable customer starts as a major account. Some of the strongest long-term relationships begin with smaller, steadier buyers who value good service, clear communication and a branch that is easy to deal with.

That is worth taking seriously. Retained customers spend 67 per cent more than new customers and are 50 per cent more likely to try new products. That makes loyalty, follow-up and customer experience commercial priorities, not just service considerations.

For merchants, that usually means recognising potential early and treating smaller customers with the same consistency you would give to a larger account. Over time, that can lead to stronger trust, broader product uptake and more dependable repeat spend.

A sensible approach includes:

• Thanking customers for repeat business.
• Offering relevant cross-sells instead of generic add-ons.
• Rewarding consistency as well as high spend.
• Asking for feedback and acting on it.
• Making every interaction feel straightforward and useful.

Keeping your marketing commercially useful

Marketing for builders’ merchants is rarely about doing more for the sake of it. It is about making sure your activity is relevant to your customers, aligned with the way they buy and consistent enough to support long-term growth.

When you know your audience, keep your data current, remove friction from account opening, create useful reasons to visit and stay in touch between purchases, you give yourself a stronger foundation for new account growth, better customer engagement and more repeat business.

Blueberry’s merchant-sector approach reflects that same emphasis on practical customer engagement strategies, measurable results and activity that supports wider growth plans.

Get in touch!

If you are looking to strengthen customer engagement, increase order frequency or generate more trade account opportunities, get in touch with Blueberry Marketing Solutions to discuss your growth objectives. Call +44 (0)113 487 7013 or email info@blueberryms.co.uk.