Contractors, Builders, and Remodelers to Promote Your Business for Free
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Categories:
Promotion
|
Construction Industry
One of the most common questions we field from contractors,
builders, and remodelers is when they ask what we recommend to help them
promote their business at little or no out-of-pocket expense. Now, it’s captain-obvious
that social media is a top method. Most people are very aware of that. However,
the internet is massive and constantly expanding, and contractors – especially sole
proprietors and smaller owner-operated businesses – don’t have a minute to
waste.
So the question becomes, which is most effective? Which
methods are going to provide the highest probability of return for the time
that is invested?
Here are our top recommendations for the most effective, free
or nearly-free methods of promoting your construction business.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
There are certainly a lot of cold, hard statistics out there
about social media. We believe that the most important statistic to know is that 71% of people state they are more
likely to purchase from, or do business with, a brand that they follow online. That’s
nearly three quarters of the people in your community, your potential and
desired customer base. If that statistic alone doesn’t make you decide to
establish and maintain a quality online presence, nothing likely will.
It’s also important
to remember that it’s called social
media. So be social and be likeable! Interact, post comments and
likes on other’s content and encourage conversation on your own posts.
FACEBOOK:
Everyone’s got an opinion about Facebook. Some people think it’s a fun way
to keep up with friends and family. Some businesses continue to
invest more time and money into Facebook, while some choose to focus on other
social networks. Everyone on Facebook is connected to one another by an average
of 3.57 degrees of separation. That means that when your friends and
neighbors want to spread the word about something, it happens very quickly.
First, you need to have a personal Facebook account. Whether or
not you choose to use it to keep up with old high school buddies is your call. But
Facebook requires that you have one set up with the minimum-required amount of
information before you can set up a business profile. The personal account can
be completely private and will be entirely separate from your public business
page.
Once that is complete, go to
settings and choose ‘Create Page’. Walk through the setup process and make your
page look as professional as possible. Use Facebook’s extensive help files if
needed. Make sure that you verify
your page in the settings which will put the checkmark beside your business
name on the page and on search results. A verified page is very important for
local businesses to be found easier. Also be sure to set up your own easy URL
(i.e. facebook.com/yourbusiness) in the page settings.
You should try to post once daily but not much more. Keep the content
unique from other platforms. Most often posts should contain photos or a video,
not just text. Facebook content should be a bit more businesslike (refrain from
posting pictures of your lunch or the porta-potty) and should include detailed text
information on new jobs, jobs, in progress, completed jobs, etc. and only one
or two hashtags. Always request that satisfied
customers go to your page and leave a positive review after you complete every
job. Nothing will garner more business than the independent opinion and endorsement
of happy customers.
You should also consider using Facebook’s paid Boost option on occasional
applicable posts, to reach people who don’t yet follow you and encourage them
to do so. It’s very inexpensive, allowing you to reach thousands of targeted
local people for as little as $50 or $100, and provides the best bang for the
buck compared to other social media advertising. Additionally, boosted posts
appear at no additional charge on Instagram, if you have an Instagram page set
up. So why wouldn’t you? Read on…
INSTAGRAM:
Since Instagram was bought out by Facebook, usage has been astronomical. Instagram
users have shared over 40 billion photos to date and share an average of 95
million photos and videos per day! The company’s recent addition of an
Instagram Stories feature has surpassed 100 million daily active users in
just two months. Perhaps one of the most interesting Instagram statistics has
to do with how fast the network is growing.
Statistics show that 70.7% of U.S. Businesses were using
Instagram in 2017. Perhaps one of the most interesting Instagram statistics
has to do with how fast the network is growing. With regards to business
growth, the aforementioned Instagram stat is almost double the number of
businesses (48.8%) that used Instagram in 2016!
Link your Facebook business page to your Instagram page in the settings admin. Make sure that
you designate your Instagram page as a business page after setting up. When done properly, your Instagram profile will show your business type, address, and website (if applicable), all of which it copies from your Facebook page. The two
platforms have made great strides recently to link their respective pages,
making it easier for followers from one platform to find you on the other. You
can also view and manage much of your Instagram profile information and view
comments from within your Facebook Pages app.
Try to post at least once daily and keep the content unique from other
platforms. Use the Stories feature
often to keep your name in front of your followers and encourage them to view
your posts more often. Instagram posts require less text content, can use many
more hashtags, and the pictures can be ‘looser’ in content. Daily on-the-job action including trucks and
tools is popular with construction pages on Instagram and gives your followers
content that only you can provide. More
women than men use Instagram, so keep that in mind when posting content.
Finished bathrooms and kitchens and other beauty shots may do better than others
for you.
It's equally important for you to know your limitations. If you find that a quality social media presence on a daily basis is too much for you to maintain, leave it to the pros to do it right! Hire a local social media management company to handle it for you so that you can concentrate on doing what you do best! Building and remodeling for the new customers that social media is attracting. Nobody is ever impressed by looking at the most recent post that is dated two years ago or even two months ago! That will work against you and destroy any consumer confidence that you were trying to create. They will move on to someone else.
INDUSTRY LINKS AND
LISTINGS:
A great free form of advertising apart from social media is to
get your business linked on the website(s) of your preferred building materials
suppliers and other primary non-competing contractors and area businesses. If
you don’t have your own website, provide them with your Facebook and / or
Instagram links.
Some building materials supplier’s websites include
comprehensive builder listings showing their qualified contractor customers
from the region. The local community knows to visit that website to seek a
qualified builder or remodeler and often trusts their local independently-owned
building materials supplier more than large regional or national referral
sites. Some will also provide a featured contractors listing for a small monthly fee that will separate your listing from the pack.
Establish friendships with sales employees at your suppliers
and request to be referred for specific tasks that are your forte when retail
customers ask them.
Tagged:home improvement, small business, social media, free advertising, promote your business, referrals