Boost your social media game - Prt 2

Read Part 1

Welcome to part two of a series of articles we’ve put together to provide you with tips on how to get your construction business firing on social media. If you missed part one, click above to check it out.

In part one, we covered getting setup for social media, choosing your channels and deciding what you’ll be posting and when. In this article we’ll provide tips to help you generate a buzz on social media and interest in your business.

5. Triple check your posts for spelling and grammar

While experts all recommend injecting your own personality, creativity and flair into posts on social media, this doesn’t extend to poor spelling and grammar.

Creating posts with misspelled words and sentences that don’t make sense not only confuses your community, but it also reflects negatively on your business and brand. Because if you can’t even take the time to spellcheck a post, why would you take time putting a quality finish on a job?

Take the time to triple check your posts and, if you’re unsure, ask for another opinion.

6. Mix it up and analyse your posts

In our third tip, we provided a list of content ideas related to the construction industry. With this list at your disposal, we recommend mixing it up and posting something different every time, as opposed to ten posts in a row showing the same thing, i.e., your machine digging a hole.

• Before you post something new, review your last three posts and, if possible, post something completely different.
• Analyse your previous posts to see which performed the best – look at the number of likes, shares, comments, clicks etc. If you’re unsure how to find this data, just ask Google and you’ll find plenty of training articles and videos.
• Use this engagement data to help determine what your followers like to see and plan your future content .

7. Consistency is the key to success

In our third tip, we also suggested putting together a content schedule and posting at least twice per week. Now, we’re reiterating the importance of sticking to that schedule and staying consistent with your posts. Nobody cares if you miss one post here and there (this just means you’re busy with jobs), but if you go silent for a month, after being active for a period, it could appear as if your business has gone under, or you’ve just given up. Either way, it’s not a good look.

Social media channels are based on complex algorithms that determine which posts show up in the average person’s feed. These algorithms favour profiles that post on a consistent and regular basis – especially profiles whose posts have a loyal and dedicated community who engages (likes and comments) with each post.

What does all that mean? If you post on a regular basis, your posts have a higher chance of getting eyeballs!

8. Create posts with a purpose (every now and again)

You aren’t posting on social media for fun, you’re doing it to generate interest in your business. Therefore, it’s important to ensure at least some of your posts are created with this goal in mind. Examples of this include posting about a promotion you are running or posting about a new service you’re offering (and linking back to your website for more information).

As a guide, between 10-20% of your posts should be aimed at generating new business. We don’t recommend posting more than 20%, as this will turn your channel into the online equivalent of a telemarketer.

9. Respond to everything in a timely manner

If you’re just starting out on social media, you should be responding to everything in a timely manner. This means replying to every comment and review - even if you receive negative feedback. Doing so shows that you care about your customers and business.

While this might sound tedious, intimidating and time-consuming, it’s crucial if you want to build a community from the ground up. The way you respond should be honest, confident and professional (no swearing) – but still done in a way that reflects your own personality and style.

10. Get involved on social media (other profiles, groups, etc.)

Success on social media won’t happen if you live inside a bubble. To build a following you’ll need to branch out and start interacting with other profiles, joining industry groups on Facebook, creating a personal LinkedIn profile and so on.

One of the fastest ways to build a community is to start your social media journey by following and liking a bunch of construction industry profiles and influencers.

• Like their posts
• Write comments
• Ask questions
• Share your thoughts on a topic

We recommend dedicating at least 5-10 minutes a day to this activity alone (yes, you could do it on the toilet like most people do).

11. Promote your channel

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people forget to do it. Some think that you can just create a social media account, start posting and success will magically happen. It won’t. To achieve success, you need a loyal and dedicated community. Getting a community to follow you is a hard slog that requires promotion, time and regular posting of quality content. This won’t happen overnight so don’t expect to get thousands of people liking your posts in the first few months.

Here are some ways to promote your construction business’s social media presence:

Free or Internal

• Prominently display social media links on your business website as noticeable buttons.
• Put social media links inside your email signature.
• Update all business signage to include relevant social media logos, e.g., your vehicle.
• Update all business documentation to include relevant social media logos, e.g., the bottom of invoices.
• Email all your customers to let them know you are now on social media, providing them with links.
• When you verbally interact with customers, tell them you are on social media and suggest they follow (explaining why they should and what type of content you’ll be posting).
• Ask everyone you know to follow you on social media, including friends, family members and employees. At the same time, encourage them to share your content.

Paid

• Using the channel’s own advertising platform, create a campaign to generate likes/follows.
• Boost your posts to a target audience (this ensures your post will be seen by people you choose).
• Online banner (display) advertising (we recommend using a marketing agency for this).
• Construction industry media partnership – have a construction industry media partner (website, magazine, etc.) promote your new social media channels.
• Local traditional advertising – radio, buses, billboards etc. While traditional methods might be old school, they are still an effective way of making an announcement in your local area (especially if your goal is to get local people to follow your channels).