How Contractors Can Capitalize on Social Media

There are more than a few ways you can find a contractor in 2015. Which one is most popular, you ask? There is not a single correct answer to that question. The typical person looking for a contractor realizes how important it is to make the right choice. There is a lot of money and frustration on the line. Many people will use any and all means at their disposal to check on a potential contractor before even giving them a call.

Reason to be social #1

If people are checking out your business on more social platforms, don’t you think it’s important for your business to have a well maintained profile on those platforms? If you don’t exist on a platform where much of your competition does, why? We only ask because that’s the question your potential customers will be asking themselves when you aren’t on a platform they enjoy.

Reason to be social #2

Your business relies on referrals, you say? Well then that’s great news, because social media and online review websites are based on the concept of accountability. Where else can a happy customer post a positive review and not only can the business owner see it, but they can thank them for it as well, on the same platform? If the review is poor, you even have the chance to show that you care by immediately replying to that message for everyone to see. A bad review with a real reply from the owner/manager shows that your business cares.

Reason to be social #3

The best way to bring in more customers to your business is to reach them where they search for contractors online. Social media marketing and a quality website can help you achieve this goal.Use social media to get in front of your target customers and position yourself as the expert in your industry. Exposure to your business on social media will lead to more potential customers coming to your website.

This guide will give you the basics on how to execute a solid contractor marketing strategy.

Step 1 — Be prepared to be visual

No one looks up a contractor and doesn’t want to see visuals that show off their work.They want to see what you can do. This gives people a sense of comfort in knowing what they can expect. It also allows them to get excited about how their house/backyard, etc. will look after your services. Be prepared to be very visual in your marketing efforts.Commit to taking plenty of photos and videos. You will need these for your content on social media, as well as your website.

Step 2 — Build and utilize a great website

A great website is visually appealing but also great at informing visitors and converting those leads into customers. The content on the website is very important, but so is the theme and the appearance. It must look professional or it will reflect poorly on your business and have visitors looking for better.You can also include ways for them to sign up for email newsletters to keep them informed. This can lead to a great marketing tool — a lead funnel.

Make sure to include all the information a visitor would ever need, like hours of operation and contact information. Contact info should be everywhere on your website as well. Directions and a map can also be helpful if you have a physical location for your business that customers would visit.

Step 3 — Start being social

Social media is a vehicle to get your brand out into the world. It is not simply the act of posting all your products or services. You can always post about your products, services, special deals, etc. However, this can’t be all you do on social media.
You need to be social yourself, engage and interact with people and other businesses, and create and share visual content that gets people engaging with you. Once you do this, you can make real valuable connections on social media that will lead to real business, real customers and real money.

How many extra jobs per year do you need to land to make tens of thousands of dollars? Just being on more of the right social platforms will increase your website traffic, emails, and phone calls. Even if it leads to a few more customers a year, isn’t that worth it to build up your referral base?

This list is a starting point, but any contractor should have these social media platforms:
• Facebook Business Page
• Twitter
• Google+ (A Google Map Listing)

Optional but recommended platforms:
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• YouTube

Other Network & Review Websites.
• Yelp
• Angie’s List
• Kudzu
• Houzz
• Google Maps

Step 4 — Practice inbound marketing

Inbound Marketing is the practice of attracting, converting, closing, and delighting prospects to turn them into promoters. Attraction is achieved through content that is appealing to the right audience, found right where they spend their time looking for that type of info. That content is the visual photos and videos you have for your work, and that place they spend their time is the Internet. Show off examples of your hard work in visual form and write blogs that show off your industry knowledge and position your business as “the experts.”

Once they call or email, the rest is up to you. You must delight them with your work to turn them into supporters of your business. They will then promote you through referrals, retweets, shares likes and reviews. This turns customers into repeat customers and promoters at the same time.

This article was first published online by Capital Tristate, the electrical distributor of choice in the USA’s Mid Atlantic Region.