Social media is an ever-evolving industry. It is one that can be hard to keep up with, particularly when it isn’t your main focus. We compiled a list of things you should be doing on social media to kill it and a few things to avoid doing.
What to do
Take advantage of viral posts.
Roto-Rooter is a great example of using content that is already receiving engagement. A video of artists using a manhole cover to create graphic t-shirts started to go viral. Roto-Rooter took the video and shared it on their Facebook page knowing it was popular and that they could also receive engagement from the video.
Share posts people will connect with.
Most people love pets — so much so that it’s possible the majority of your news feed is photos of dogs or cats. A hardwood flooring company in New Jersey took advantage of that fact and started sharing “Employee of the Week” photos of dogs, cats, etc. at work sites. The company took advantage of what people already love and it paid off in a big way. See some of the best posts, here.
Use examples of your work.
Not every industry has the luxury of showing their work, but some do. Some can even share a before and after image, like the one below. This small painting company, with only 50 likes, had their post shared 31 times. That’s over half of their audience sharing their post, which helps the post reach a much larger audience than just their page. Sharing before and after pictures can be really beneficial!
Respond to reviewers.
It isn’t a secret that online reviews are vital to business now. It is important that you interact with those reviewers, good or bad. Responding to a positive review can be as simple as a “thank you” like Vintage Flooring and Furniture did.
Bad reviews can be potentially harmful to a business and should be responded to as well. Responding to the reviewer can really help turn an issue around. It also shows potential new customers that you care about them and want to do right by them.
Verify your Facebook page.
Facebook is a search engine, just like Google now. Facebook claims that having a verified Facebook page can help you show up better in their search results. For example, doing a search for a contractor shows the following nearby results. Having a Facebook page that is verified will help improve your chances of showing up higher in the search results on Facebook.
Not sure how to verify your Facebook page? Follow these steps, here.
What NOT to do
Don’t create an account or page and forget it.
If you are going to have a social media account, be sure to be active on it. For example, a plumbing company created their page in 2011, which was easy to see because they only have 10 pots between 2011 and 2013. This page has received reviews on their page, which is great. But if the reviews are bad, they aren’t responding to them, which is a must for social media!
Don’t connect your social media platforms.
What is shared on one social media platform might not work for another social media platform. It is common to come across a Twitter account that only has tweets with a link to Facebook posts. A lot of times the content on Twitter is cut off and you have to go to Facebook to read what the post says. Don’t make it difficult for your customers to know what you are talking about. Create original posts for the social media platforms your business is active on.
Don’t just share pictures. Share a variety of post types.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but social media is more than just sharing pictures. What are you showing pictures of? Tell your audience about the project your team is working on so they can understand your process. They can only tell so much from a photo. Explaining the process can also lead to interactions on Facebook, such as comments, which can be beneficial to your business. The conversations or comments help put your business page in front of a larger audience.
Who are we missing?
Know any other contractors doing an exceptional job on social media? Let us know in the comments! In the meantime, if you haven’t checked out JobFLEX, it’s one of the leading contractor apps in the Google Play Store and you can download it free using the link below.
