Are you trying to decide if social media will benefit your business?
It’s no surprise that many businesses are hopping aboard the social media train and trying to follow customers where they are online. Retailers of all sorts, service-based industries, entrepreneurs, and many more are all taking advantage of this new way of reaching consumers. But not all businesses owners are sure if social media is right for them or if it even has any benefits at all.
If you are a contractor you may be wondering, “How can social media help a business like mine?”
We understand your concerns. You’re busy running your business, working onsite, and managing your crews. Social probably isn’t a top priority. It takes time and a learning curve, and you may feel like costs outweigh the benefits.
We get that, but let us explain how you can use the power of social media in two ways: to build relationships and show off your handy work. Through social media, you can turn word of mouth into world of mouth, and increase the traffic your business gets tenfold.
Word of Mouth versus World of Mouth
In the world of construction, a bad reputation can make or break a business. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories and rumors of people in your space not living up to their standards due to bad work or incomplete jobs. The rumors, whether good or bad turn have an ability to spread like wildfire because of social media. For this reason, many business owners decide that social media isn’t for them. They’d rather ignore platforms completely than face a poor receiving or bad reviews.
However, this is a big mistake. People are going to talk online, that’s a given. But if you are involved in the dialogue you can steer the conversation towards more favorable waters, or even placate individuals and solve their issues. That will show people you’re reliable, trustworthy, and, most of all, care about their experience as a customer.
Using social, you want to highlight the good your business does, be transparent with your current and potential clients when things go wrong, and have a two-way conversation with them to hear their feedback and respond to it.
Social media is the only level playing field when it comes to marketing and the only source of marketing that allows you to have a conversation about what you do in an engaging, educational way.
Let’s break down the different social sites.
How contractors can take advantage of Facebook
Facebook is that laid back social platform that allows you to connect with people you know and people they know. Anymore, people treat Facebook like the phonebook. If your company isn’t there you don’t exist.
When it comes to marketing your brand there, it really boils down to building a relationship with people who know you and your work. Most of the connections who will join your page on Facebook have heard of your company and decided to follow you because they like you and trust you. When you share posts with helpful and engaging content, followers are likely to read, share, become more in-tune to you and your process. This creates transparency, relevancy, and puts your business top-of-mind. When people trust you, they will refer you.This is what we like to call relationship ROI.
Examples of content to create and share include “How long does it take on average to complete a roofing job, which is something people may be searching related to your industry. See more examples here.
Other Facebook bonuses: Facebook allows you to share real-time updates on work jobs. You can do live videos while onsite to walk through your process and show how professional your team truly is. You can also list out your services and it allows customers to post reviews and message you directly on your page.
Another great thing about Facebook is it shows up in the Google search results, which gives you another avenue to be found. Utilizing Facebook will allow you to be transparent and beat out the competition.
LinkedIn for Contractors
LinkedIn allows you to connect with other area professionals. Whether you are looking to do business with other area companies for materials, look for work, and post job opportunities within your organization, LinkedIn is a great look for your company. While on LinkedIn you will also have the opportunity to join groups and create a company page of your own to post updates. Doing so, allows you to be transparent and show the validity of your company.
Instagram for Contractors
Instagram allows you to post photos and videos of your work. Since pictures have the ability to tell a story, it is a great platform for contractors to show what they are capable of. Whether you create a collage or post multiple photos at once, you are able to show your followers before and after photos and videos of what you and your team completed. Following other businesses and clients is also a great way to build relationships even after the sale is completed.
Twitter for Contractors
Twitter allows you to start conversations with potential clients and customers since you can search keywords and hashtags in your service area. Just like the other social platforms, Twitter allows you to connect or follow with other businesses and clients as well as post photos and links back to your website. Twitter is the fastest moving platform and it is recommended that you post more than three times per day.
Blogging for Contractors
Even though blogging isn’t a social media site, it should still be a part of your social media marketing strategy. Everything you do on social is great, but you must still have a home base that is yours. Starting a blog on your website is a great place to talk about your current projects, share photos, answer frequently asked questions, and highlight your service areas. The biggest thing you need to ask when blogging is how can I add value by answering questions my audience is searching for? Blogs consist of 600 too 1,200 words focused on a conversational tone answering a question, adding value, and building a relationship with your readers. Doing this, will in return increase your SEO on your website.
Being transparent is crucial in today’s world as we have the answer to every question we’ve ever wanted to ask in the palm of our hand. As a contractor, including social media in your marketing strategy is only going to increase your brand’s presence, allow you to be transparent, and found online. Whether you are there now or not, they are talking about you. Are you listening?
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