No matter how much we love to hate social media, it has become an integral part of our lives. Social media is our window to the world and a treasure trove of connections. In current times where everything is digital and online, it becomes imperative for businesses to follow the trend as well. It takes just 2 minutes for a brand to reach its customer base with a tweet, or a Facebook post.
As with all businesses, the construction business also requires marketing and there is no better platform than social media. If you own a construction business and are wondering how you can leverage social media, please read on. We divulge here 10 social media tips that will help you stay on top of the digital game.
Social media for Construction companies
Staying relevant and visible is essential for a business’s sustainability in the market. Customers are spoiled for choice when it comes to brands and they usually end up choosing something familiar. This is where social media plays an important role. By being in the collective consciousness of its customer base, a business can boost its sales and profits. This can be achieved through social media posts, feeds, articles, and blogs online.
Let us see some simple social media tips which can transform your construction business
Create a Social Media Account
The very first is to create social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, etc. There are numerous social media applications but it is recommended that the business be present in only 3 or 4. Spreading your feet far and wide is dangerous as well as futile. The accounts should be in the name of the business and should have a professional feel to it.
Be Regular on Social Media
Posting something once a month on your website or social media accounts will not be of much help. For enhanced visibility and to make a place in your customer’s minds, you ought to update social media posts frequently. People follow multiple businesses, and it is possible that your post gets buried under other posts on their newsfeed. The best way to overcome this is by posting at least three to four times a week.
We understand that this can be time-consuming. Therefore, it is recommended that a business hires a media-savvy employee to create frequent updates for the brand. There are a lot of social media marketing agencies as well as dedicated freelancers you can hire online.
It All Starts from Home
Once the social media page is ready, encourage your friends, family and importantly employees, to follow you on social media. The more the number of followers, the more are the chances of your post being visible to people outside your circle and to prospective clients. Once your posts start garnering ‘likes’, they will be regularly circulated on and, thus, read by more and more people.
Make Your Posts Interesting
Carefully select what you post on your social media pages. As per a study, self-promotional posts should be restricted to 50% or less. Being a construction company, you could post a blog about recent trends in the construction industry. Or maybe interesting articles about how you should plan the construction of a home, or the best season for construction.
Ensure that you post on social media only something you would like to read yourself as a user. No one likes reading long boring posts, so avoid those at all costs. Do not stick to one kind of content- keep juggling between blogs, articles, humor, and even quotes. Keeping your consumer’s interest peaked is in your best interest.
Showcase Your Work on Social Media
Social media is a great platform to showcase your work and some users could convert into new clients. Posts that contain snapshots of your recent work at a house, office or other buildings could be clinchers. Visuals of the work that you completed will create a greater impact on users, and aid in your business growth.
Be Responsive and Courteous on Social Media
Once you start posting on your social media pages, you could get likes and comments on them from users. While most of the comments may be encouraging and appreciating, a few can also be in the form of criticism. As a business, it helps that you ensure a response to each comment, even the negative ones.
While thanking people for their kind words is easy, accepting negative feedback and criticism may be difficult. Yet, it should be done, and diligently too. By doing this, the business will send out a message to the users that their opinion matters. It would mean that you are willing to take feedback and suggestions as well as correct errors. This is a very fine attribute and one that ensures a loyal customer base.
Keep an Eye Out for Trending Topics
Along with posting content regularly on social media, it is also important to follow trending topics connected to your business. Participating in online conversations on these topics will make your brand more visible, and as being socially aware. You can also post blogs relating to the trending topic to garner more viewership.
The trending topics are usually symbolized with a hashtag and therefore it pays to use trending hashtags in your post. Maintain caution while using hashtags- often, businesses have used inappropriate hashtags that have not gone down well with users.
On the flip side, don’t use hashtags that are trending due to disasters and depicting destroyed buildings etc. They could prove to be detrimental to your construction business.
Review Your Posts
If social media allows you to post stuff that reaches millions, it also provides you with data regarding your post’s performance. The business pages in social media applications provide complete analytical data about your page or account. They provide data relating to the number of views, likes, comments, and shares.
As a business owner, the data helps you understand what kind of posts generate the maximum traction and what doesn’t. Posting content on social media without understanding its impact is not worth the time and effort. Therefore, it is advisable to make good use of the data analysis tools and regularly review your social media performance.
Share Informational Pictures and Videos
Along with posting content on social media, it is always good to share some pictures and videos as well. The pictures can be related to your recent projects or other things to do with the construction industry. Sharing videos through social media will make it more interactive and will easily catch a user’s attention.
The videos on your page can be about some easy lessons in construction or Do-It-Yourself guides. They could be attractive home decoration ideas or gardening tips. Once the users have seen the videos and like their content, they are likely to contact you for some other tips. They could consult you for home improvement or other related tips. This could lead to orders to implement other projects in construction!
Ensure Correct Grammar
Building a social media page, posting regular content, following trends, and even uploading videos is all fine. However, it could all come to naught if the presentation or description is flawed. Correct use of grammar and punctuation is of prime importance. Not only from the perspective of the users but also for SEO rankings
Therefore, before posting content on your social media, ensure that the grammar is all proper and the post is error-free. Little things like misspelled words or wrong punctuation can create a bad impression on the users. The business’s social media page is an extension of the business itself. Most noteworthy is the act that you need to exercise extreme caution before the content is posted or shared.
Avenues for Creating Digital Presence
Creating Social Media pages is one of the most rewarding methods for businesses looking to grow their customer base. However, it is not the only resort. One of the foremost things which come to mind when we think of online presence is websites.
A construction company should invest in building a well-designed and comprehensive website. The website should exude a sense of professionalism and should also be informative. Users visiting the website for the first time should find browsing through the various pages simple. Authentic information should be provided on the pages. It is important to provide contact details and FAQ section on the webpage.
The website should contain links that will take the users directly to the company’s social media sites. This ensures that users and prospective clients who visit your webpage, also become aware of your social media presence.
Many users will like and follow the page. Another great way to make a mark in customer conscience is by posting advertisements on social media. These advertisements can be posted on your social media pages or on social influencers’ pages. Also on websites that are related to your business.
Digital marketing is making great in-roads in the world of advertising. As per recent studies, companies are spending almost 40% of their advertisement budget on digital marketing. The remaining 60% is divided between conventional print media and outdoor advertising.
How to Choose the Correct Social Media Platform?
As mentioned earlier under social media for construction companies should limit their social media presence to 3 or 4 platforms. Ideally one would like to be present on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Nevertheless, how should companies decide which platform is the most beneficial for their business?
Well, there is no common answer to this question and businesses should evaluate which social media platform best suits them. To make things simple, here are a few questions that a business should ask before zeroing in on choices.
Question 1: Who Is My Audience?
The first question which a business needs to ask itself is “what kind of audience do we want to attract?” Does the business need attention from youngsters? From entrepreneurs? From another business? Once this question is answered, a business can work on its social media strategy better. You can target the platforms where your audience is concentrated.
Question 2: What is The Social Media Goal?
The next step is to understand the goal that a company hopes to accomplish with its social media presence. Is the company looking to expand its user base, or is it looking for growth in sales? Or, maybe it wants to gather real-time consumer feedback and be proactive? Whatever the intention behind creating a social media presence, the answer will immensely help in identifying suitable platforms for you.
Question 3: Which Platform Contains Your Prospective Audience?
The final step is to find out which platform has the maximum concentration of users that match your profile. If the business wants to target professionals, then having a presence on LinkedIn is important. If the business wants to be in the consumer’s eye and create visibility then Facebook and Instagram are good options. Most of the audience on these platforms is young.
Uploading pictures from your current or past construction projects will interest users and would be well suited on Instagram. If you would like to publish blogs on construction, home improvement, etc. Facebook is a good option. For being hand-in-hand with current trends and being part of social conversations, Twitter is the best option.
To Sum up
Answers to the above questions should enable a business to choose the social media platform it should concentrate on most. The social media sites are plenty, so having your presence on 3 or 4 of the best for you is ideal. Go ahead and use the above social media tips and see your business making its mark!
Many companies have gained benefits by being present on social media and the construction business is no different. Thus, if your business is not on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, it is time you re-read the social media tips explained above and get working!