It’s estimated that nearly 60% of the world’s population is active on social media. It’s a staggering percentage that highlights just how integral this form of communication has become. It also makes clear that any business looking to connect with customers would do well to take advantage of the opportunities that bustling social media platforms provide.
This is especially true for the construction industry and, more specifically, for specialty contractors. Social media presents a powerful opportunity for construction professionals to harness the vast reach of these platforms and strengthen their relationships.
Of course, it’s one thing to say that social media is valuable for your business; it’s a whole other thing to tap into that value. Let’s look at four ways you can make the most of social platforms to grow your specialty contracting business:
1. Focus on the right channels.
Every social media network has something different to offer. TikTok, Houzz and Instagram might be good places to share expert construction tips or show off finished projects to consumers, but if your goal is to connect with other businesses and general contractors, you’re more likely to have success using LinkedIn and Facebook.
There’s no harm in having a social media presence on each of these platforms. However, unless you have unlimited time and resources, you’ll likely want to spend the majority of your time on just two or three of these channels at most. Map out your goals and focus your energy on the channels that will help you reach those goals.
2. Create a strategic plan forward.
Before you begin your social media efforts, make a roadmap. How many times a week will you post? What time of day? What type of content will you share? The answers to each one of these questions will have a major impact on your engagement. While you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment to figure out what works, it’s also important to be consistent if you want to continue to build a following.
Alongside planning your content and posting schedule, it’s essential to have an understanding of your intended outcomes from each post. How much and what type of engagement are you trying to get? What are your ideal click-through rates? Are you looking for new leads or trying to build professional relationships? The more you understand where you want to go, the better you can zero in on the right behavior to get there.
3. Don’t be afraid to get personal.
Social media is not the place for the dry business pitch; it’s a place to connect with others. In order to do this, you need to bring personality to your social media presence.
Tell the story about how your company got started, share interesting and unique projects and offer tips and tricks that you’ve learned over the years that might interest others. Take a multimedia approach to telling your story — video, images and text should all play a role in how you develop your social brand.
4. Engage with your audience frequently.
Don’t just blast out messages and leave. Respond to comments, reply to relevant posts and engage in communities that align with your interests. This approach will allow you to expand your network and build new relationships. Advertising on social media is valuable, but you’ll be missing out on a major part of its power if you’re ignoring the conversations happening all around you.
Why social media marketing for specialty contractors is such a powerful tool
Social media is an opportunity to show off what makes a business uniquely qualified to get a job done. Specialty contractors can share their past projects and highlight what puts them a cut above their competitors. Social media marketing for specialty contractors also helps keep construction companies top-of-mind for potential clients. By continuously engaging with a target audience through a variety of different media and formats, contractors can stay visible without bombarding people with ads that could eventually turn them off.
Unlike other forms of marketing, social media gives you the opportunity to do more than just talk at people — it allows you to have a conversation with them. Through these conversations, you can better understand what customers are looking for and grow your business. This two-way street is also invaluable as a method for expanding your network. In many ways, a social media platform is a massive, never-ending networking event. You can quickly tap into a web of relevant connections you might never have found otherwise.
Embracing social media is good for business
It’s not just the size of these networks that’s powerful, however. It’s also the ability to take this massive group of people and narrow it down to only those relevant to your particular business. You can quickly tailor your construction social media presence to focus only on where you operate and the services you offer, removing the need to wade through a sea of irrelevance and allowing you to get right to the core of what makes social media useful.
According to McKinsey, it’s expected that $80 billion worth of goods and services will be purchased through social channels by 2025 in the U.S. alone. Now is the time for every organization to capitalize on this buying power if they can. As a specialty contractor, embracing social media marketing can propel your company forward and unlock its full potential.
Specialty contractors have so much to gain from social media and very little to lose. If you’re interested in growing your business and strengthening your relationships, now’s the time to get serious about social.
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