Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that the social media game has changed drastically in the last decade. Between 2021 and 2022, social media users increased by over 10 percent, marking over 376 million new users and a total social media reach of over 4.62 billion—and that number is only going to keep growing.
Today, social media marketing isn’t just about buying ads and posting the right hashtags. It’s a powerful tool to spread the word about your business and engage local homeowners. So, what’s the catch? You’re going to need a carefully crafted strategy to outpace the competition and keep your resources in check.
Chances are, your biggest competitors are wasting money on social media right now. Maybe they’re marketing to the wrong audience, sending the wrong message, or boring their leads with snore-worthy content. The good news? You’re going to take a different approach—and that starts with a smart, data-driven social media marketing strategy.
After all, you’ve already got exceptional service, top-tier contractors, and countless DIY tips on your side. Here’s how to play it up to generate more leads, boost your following, and grow your business.
You don’t need a strategy to win at social media, right? Well, not exactly. Sure, building a social media strategy might seem like an obvious thing to do, but countless companies jump in without any planning or preparation. They fall into the trap of posting random content on social media without any real marketing plan, target audience, or goals in place. And just like any other type of marketing, jumping into social media without a strategy translates to ineffective campaigns, wasted money, and drained resources.
How can social media marketing drain your budget? If you’re not working toward an objective goal, then you’re probably not tracking your results or working with a clear budget, either. In fact, you might be spending hours of valuable time (and thousands of hard-earned marketing dollars) on content creation and social media ads without driving any real results for your business.
According to a 2013 study, 18 percent of companies see a negative return on investment (ROI) from social media—while 44 percent don’t even measure the value of their social media campaigns. That said, the majority of companies who have measured their social ROI find it to be positive, with additional benefits ranging from improved customer sentiment to increased brand awareness.
How to fix it: Obviously, you need a marketing plan before you launch your next social media campaign. Start by brainstorming some specific objectives you want to achieve, whether that’s driving more organic traffic to your website or increasing social engagement by 25 percent. From there, you’ll be able to create a step-by-step game plan to achieve your goals and allocate your budget accordingly.
At the end of the day, you need a target so you know what success looks like for your business. If you want to grow your social media following, that might mean planning more Facebook Lives to draw in new followers. On the other hand, if you’re looking to connect with a new audience, your strategy might mean trying out new channels like TikTok and Instagram. No matter what your goals look like, you need a plan of action to steer your marketing strategy in the right direction.
Everyone uses social media. According to a 2018 survey, over 90 percent of 18-24-year-olds use some form of social media, while middle-aged adults (45-54) account for the greatest share of users (80 percent). You’re working hard to drive leads, build awareness, and grow your social following, so you should create content for everyone who might stumble across your social media profile, right? Wrong.
It might seem contradictory, but your goal isn’t to market to everyone who uses social media. Why? It’s simple: Even if you have an amazing marketing strategy, you’re going to have a hard time growing your contractor business if you’re not reaching the right people. Instead of creating content for everyone who uses social media, you’re only going to market to a select few. This is known as your target audience (see: the people most likely to convert into paying customers).
When it comes to social media marketing, companies make the mistake of targeting a general audience, but remember: When you make a conscious decision to target a specific audience, you’re not excluding everyone else from buying your products or services. You’re just committing more of your marketing resources to reaching customers who are more likely to hire your company.
How to fix it: You need to define your target audience before you launch your next social media campaign. Not everyone on social media needs a landscaper or an electrician, so you need to identify your target audience to concentrate your marketing efforts on potential leads. You’ll also be able to save time, money, and resources by marketing to the people most likely to convert.
To identify your target audience, take a look at your past customers. What do they have in common? Can you speak to their demographics and behaviors? If you don’t know what your average customer looks like, it’s worth taking the time to analyze your customer base. You can review past orders, customer feedback, and data from your customer relationship management (CRM) tool to craft buyer personas.
It’s important to remember that your buyer personas aren’t actual people. Instead, they’re examples of buyers you’d like to target with your social media marketing strategy. When you paint a picture of your ideal buyer, from their demographics to their pain points, you’ll take one step closer to creating personalized messaging that resonates with your target audience.
It doesn’t matter how often you’re posting on social media. If you’re not taking the time to engage with customers and prospective leads, it’s going to be a waste of time. You need to create relevant content that people want to engage with, whether that’s sharing industry news, talking about community events, or posting details about an upcoming promotion.
Of course, engaging content shouldn’t mark the end of your strategy. After you’ve posted, you need to check in with your followers regularly to respond to their comments, questions, and messages. Social media should be a two-way conversation between you and your followers. Make sure to acknowledge and respond to negative comments, too, since they offer a unique opportunity to build your reputation.
How to fix it: Think of engagement as the bread and butter of your social media marketing strategy. Whether you’re trying to drive more contractor leads or grow your following, social media engagement is an effective way to build trust and cultivate your relationships with leads. And although it might seem time-consuming, our clients tell us that interacting with customers on social media is well worth the time and effort.
There’s always room for improvement when it comes to social media marketing, but you don’t have to spend hours behind a desk each day to keep your followers happy. Instead, mark an hour on your calendar each week to respond to your customers. Social media engagement not only boosts your SEO success, but it also shows your customers that you’re listening—and that can make the difference between a lost lead and a loyal customer.
It’s time to stop wasting hard-earned money on ineffective social media marketing. From Twitter to Facebook, social media channels can provide a solid foundation for your contractor marketing strategy—but you’ll need the right plan to make them worth your while.
Have any questions about your social media strategy? Want to start promoting your business with scroll-stopping social ads? Reach out to our team today to make social media work for you.
