Social Media Advice for Landscapers
In today’s world, it seems that social media continues to become more important from a business standpoint. Think about it. Almost everyone uses at least one form of social media whether it be Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, or one of the many other social platforms. This means that your customers are on social media, so what better way to get your brand out in front of your customers than by being present in the social media world as well.
Landscapers have an advantage here. A landscaper’s job is to make outdoor spaces eye-catching and attractive, and if there is one thing that people like to see on social media it’s “pretty things”. If you are a landscaper or own a landscaping company and are wondering where to begin with social media for your business, look no further. Below are social media tips for landscapers and the best platforms to begin with.
Know your Audience
There are a lot of social networks, and realistically your company doesn’t need to be on every single one. What is important is to know which ones your customers are using, that way you aren’t wasting your time and money on unnecessary platforms. The target market for landscapers is typically the suburban middle class, and usually middle-aged and older individuals. Therefore, you will want to pick social platforms that these types of customers are using.
Choosing Your Social Platforms
Now that you know your audience, it is time to choose your social platforms for your landscaping business. Below are the three social platforms to start off with for your landscaping business.
This social network is a very visual network that allows users to discover new ideas in the form of pictures. This network is great for highly visual companies that are able to promote eye-catching photos, services, and products. Individuals use Pinterest to plan for future ideas such as home plans, weddings, remodeling, and even outdoor landscaping ideas. Therefore, a landscaping business would benefit by using this platform to post pictures of landscaping projects they have done. Pinterest is mostly used by women between the ages of 18-65, but men also use it as well. Pinterest is a free social network, but companies can pay to promote their pins to reach a wider audience.
What once started off as a social network for younger individuals as a way to keep in touch has now evolved into the biggest social media platform. Facebook is used across almost all demographics and age groups. Facebook is great for all types of businesses, especially small businesses like landscapers. It is one of the best social networks for customer interaction because your Facebook page is basically its own community where your customers come to like your page, review products and services, share opinions, voice concerns, and more. Small businesses can benefit greatly through this because you can really connect with your customers and learn more about them. Facebook is also a great way to put your business in front of your customers every week by posting status updates and sharing photos and videos. Since Facebook is another very visual network, it is another friendly platform for landscaping companies. If your company recently finished a beautiful landscaping project, share it by posting an album with multiple pictures of the project asking your followers for their opinions. You can even go as far as linking it to your Pinterest page to get your followers to visit your Pinterest account too. Facebook is another free social network, but there are also different advertising options to reach more users. Facebook advertising is unique because you can advertise directly to your target audience so that you aren’t wasting money. To learn more about Facebook advertising for small businesses click here.
Houzz
Similar to Pinterest, Houzz is a social media platform to help homeowners find ideas if they are creating, remodeling, or building a brand new home project. Houzz is great for small businesses because it connects local homeowners to local businesses, which are typically smaller companies. Currently, there are over 40 million active homeowners using Houzz and 74% of these individuals planning to remodel or build within the next two years. Houzz is a great social media resource for landscapers because it has its own landscaping category. By joining Houzz for free you can showcase all your landscaping work by posting photos and getting direct user interaction with them from people posting reviews, questions, and comments. However, on Houzz, you want to make sure that you are posting high-quality landscaping photos because you will be right next to competitors. Also, if you describe your photos with detailed descriptions they are likely to show up in search engines because Google indexes pages on Houzz. You can also advertise your business on Houzz to reach even more homeowners in your area, but as always that will cost you extra money.
Determine your Strategy & Be Consistent
One of the most difficult parts of social media for small businesses is posting consistently. If your landscaping business is just starting out on social media then it will take a while to get followers and engagement, especially if you are only posting once a week or a couple times a month. Determine a schedule for posting and plan posts out weeks in advance. Think about all the content that you have available and the ways you can use it. Do you have a testimonial from a customer you did landscaping for or news about your company? Share it on Facebook. Did you recently finish up a new landscaping design or have one from the past you want to share? Post it on Facebook, Pinterest and Houzz. The options are endless.
Network with Other Brands
To be successful in the world of social media you’ll have to do some networking. Follow influencers, brands, or other experts within the landscaping industry on Facebook and Pinterest and engage with their posts by sharing, commenting, pinning, or linking. It’s kind of like a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” situation, so that hopefully if you share their content they will also share yours so that your posts get seen by their followers.
Social media, much like our landscape estimating software, can be a valuable tool in building your business. Now that you are a social media expert and have read all the advice above, it is time to use this information and get your landscaping company out in the social world. There are countless social media platforms and it can all seem a little overwhelming, but by following the advice above your landscaping business will be heading in the right direction.
