You keep hearing about social media and how great it is for business. But how do you harness the sheer power of social media marketing and user engagement for your own general contracting purposes? What do you need to know about social media platforms for general contractors? We’re so glad you asked. Let’s take a look at social platforms general contractors can use to promote their business.
Just about everyone uses some form of social media today. Different platforms are designed to engage users in different ways. But the good news is that you can use almost any of them to your advantage to promote and sell your services. There are definitely some platforms that have stood the test of time, and you can see how they can enhance your business while we discuss some of the different aspects you need to know.
Facebook gets a lot of attention, but for good reason. It boasts a huge user base with something like 1.5 billion daily users according to bussinessofapps.com. That’s a lot of free marketing. Just like everything, there are definitely some tricks to using Facebook, but of all the social media platforms for general contractors, it’s one of the oldest and easiest. You can start by creating a business page where you can and should post daily updates. Keeping your client base abreast of what you’re doing is often advertising enough.
What to Post
Think in terms of visuals and visibility. Facebook users tend to engage more when they see photos or videos, so make sure you’re posting those things. Content can be simple. There’s no need to overdo it. You could post a photo of your latest project, a new tool, or some interesting materials you’re working with. Having a reliable online presence lets your client base know they can reach you and that you’re working hard. Those are two qualities that most people value — especially in a general contractor.
You can also really engage with those who follow your business page on Facebook. There are quick reaction buttons for users to easily “like” one of your posts. Or they can comment on your posts for everyone to see. You want your followers to interact with your page posts because it increases your visibility to other users. The more people interact with your page, the more other people will see your posts and your business.
Design your posts in a way that encourages user interaction. Ask questions in your posts that followers can answer in the comments section. Post two pictures of different projects and ask your followers which they prefer. And respond! When someone comments on your post, be sure to respond so that they know they’re being seen and heard.
You could also consider posts that encourage your Facebook followers to share your original post on their own social media feed. Think about giveaways or discounts that would increase your business’s exposure to more and more clients and potential leads. Offering small incentives has the potential to return some substantial benefits for your contracting business.
YouTube
YouTube is another tried-and-true social media platform that you can use to promote your general contractor business, and it is probably one of the best. On YouTube, users create channels where they can post video content and generate a following by earning subscribers. There’s definitely an audience for everything, including video for general contractors. YouTube notifies subscribers via email and push notifications each time you upload new content. So you can definitely use YouTube to promote your general contracting business.
What to Post
Since the primary content of YouTube is video content, you’ll want to plan ahead just a little. Make sure you have your phone or a stand-alone camera with you on the job. Then, think about the content you might want to produce.
You can take a couple of different approaches with YouTube. These approaches could be classified as planned or spontaneous. Many content producers plan their videos and make sure their cameras are set up and ready to capture what they’ve planned to explain to their audience. How-to videos, tours, or time-lapse videos would fall into this category.
Another approach is to just have the camera with you at all times and ready to record. Vlogs are an example of a more spontaneous approach. You can record your daily tasks, talk to your viewers, and take them along with you through your day. Remember to set up your camera to capture various tasks or jobs as you complete them. You never know what you may catch, and honestly, video for general contractors is hard to come by. You may fulfill a niche market you didn’t know existed.
It may take time to build up an audience on YouTube, so it should be a long term commitment. Building your brand on any social media platform takes a little trial and error and a little research, but the payoffs are worth it just in free advertising. Social media marketing is the way to go.
Additionally, Instagram is another social media platform that you can use to promote your general contracting business. Instagram is actually now owned by Facebook, which makes posting across these two platforms pretty seamless and easy. Instagram only uses visual media on its feed, so you can choose to post photos or videos or both.
It’s a widely used platform for many businesses, so there’s potential for the general contracting world to make some marketing gains. A lot of Instagram users make it their goal to produce and maintain an aesthetically-appealing feed, and that’s definitely a strategy to gain and maintain a following.
What to Post
Don’t think that the general contracting world isn’t beautiful. There’s beauty in everything. If you have an eye for photography, then having a business Instagram account might be a great option for you. Encourage your clients and potential clients to hire you by highlighting the wonderful work that you do. Your feed could be full of impressive before and after shots, or different angles of your coffee cup at each work site. Stacks of tile or lumber that creates an interesting pattern might catch the eye of a potential client. Just get creative and stick to it.
You could also approach your Instagram feed by focusing on the reels section. Reels are short video snippets that users often create with a sound or music overlay (very similar to the social media platform, TikTok, but that’s one for another blog). There’s often dancing, lip-synching, and humor. So exercise your funny bone here. Promote your contracting job. Create a dance on one of your job sites. Do a before and after with an ironic voice over. Create a tongue-in-cheek how-to video.
It only takes one post to go viral, and then millions of people will know about your contracting business. Plus, you might just have a little fun in the process. If you’re still a bit lost when it comes to social media marketing for contractors, there are endless resources. Social media can be a little bit fun and exciting, and you get to engage with actual, real, live people.
While you’re busy dreaming up the next viral video for your social media accounts, let us worry about how you’ll be offering the best contractor financing for customers. HFS Financial is here to make sure your clients have the financing options you need, so you can get your jobs done. It’s as easy as one 60-second loan application. Partner with HFS Financial today. With HFS Financial, “You Dream It, We Finance It.”