You might be used to using social media to keep in touch with your friends and family, or to watch videos of fails on site. Have you ever considered that it could actually be the perfect tool to help you connect with your customers and reach new ones.
If you’re just getting started, we’ve got some top social media tips for tradespeople.
Consider the channels
Not all social media platforms are created equal. When you’re thinking of getting set up, or considering starting a new page, it’s important to think about the purposes of the platform and whether it works for you.
Here’s a quick overview:
- Facebook is probably the main platform you should be on as a tradesperson. It lets you share photos of your work, allows customers to give you reviews and also has really clever advertising functions which can help you boost your content to relevant people in your area, to attract more customers.
- Twitter also allows you to share photos and other details of your jobs, while getting involved in wider conversations if you want to. We recommend searching for relevant hashtags such as #TradeTalk and #PlumberPride and getting involved by answering other people’s questions.
- Instagram is the platform for you if you do work that looks great, such as landscaping or decorating. You post photos onto your feed and can use relevant trade hashtags to draw more people to your work. You can also search hashtags, like on Twitter, to congratulate other trades on their work and build relationships. We really like the Stories function for updating your followers on your jobs throughout the day.
Make sure your details are accurate (especially contact details)
Once you’ve chosen your platform(s) of choice, make sure you fill out all the relevant information, for example your business name, profile picture, a short description of your specialisms and – most importantly – how people can get in touch with you.
Update regularly with progress on your jobs
On every job you do, be sure to take a “before” picture when you start, so that you can show your progress throughout. Regularly post photos with short descriptions of what you’ve done and any particular techniques you’ve used. If you come across any challenges, be sure to post about them with advice for other trades on how you overcame them.
And it’s all about that all-important “after” picture, where you can show how much better your work has made things look. If your customers use social media too, make sure you tag them so they can show their friends and family to help you get more work.
Ask customers to leave positive feedback and reviews
Some platforms, such as Facebook, allow your customers to leave you star reviews. When you finish each job, be sure to ask them to leave you a review on your Facebook profile. Alternatively, write down what they say and post what they say in quote marks. If you’re particularly tech savvy, you could even put the review on a colourful background to make it stand out (Facebook can do this for you).
Consider paid advertising
Got a post or photo you’re really proud of? Consider putting a bit of money behind it to boost it to a wider audience.
It’s a bit of a learning curve, but start out with small amounts such as £10. The more you do, the more you’ll learn and refine your targeting and set-up for future posts.
The easiest way to do it is to press the blue “Boost Post” button underneath your post.
From there you can define your audience, based on their interests and location.
You can get even more technical in what’s known as “back end” of the platform, however the “Boost Post” function is probably more than enough for now…
Think about your tone of voice
As you’re talking about work on your social media pages, it goes without saying that you need to keep it professional, with no swearing or political opinions…
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t let your personality shine through. Using humour, and maybe the odd emoji, is what will make you stand out from the competition. Be friendly and always respond to your customer’s comments and feedback in a helpful way.
