It’s no secret that social media for home builders’ marketing is in the future. Your prospective customers are searching for credible, trustworthy people to build their next home. They are turning more and more to social media to verify you before ever picking up the phone.
In 2020, 93 percent of home builders were leveraging at least one social media platform to connect with clients—and for good reason. It’s one of the most effective tools to build a recognizable brand, create an authentic following, and position your company as an industry leader.
If you’re new to social media, or you’re still not convinced it’s worth your time and effort, you’re in for a surprise. You’re about to learn how our clients are using social media to reach new leads, drive website traffic, and close more sales. Just like them, you have countless opportunities to showcase your work and connect with new clients. And it’s a lot easier than you might think to leverage social media for home builders.
You probably already have a Facebook page for your home-building business, but are you making the most of it? If the answer is “no,” it’s time to rethink your Facebook marketing strategy. Facebook is the biggest of all social media networks, by far, based on nearly every measure, from active users to engagement.
It’s a goldmine for home builders thanks to its endless potential for raising brand awareness, reaching local homeowners, and converting leads into paying customers. In the last year, home builders spent over $17 million on Facebook ads alone, according to MediaRadar. In other words, if you’re not already using Facebook to drive clicks and conversions, your competitors probably are.
Using Facebook to reach leads is easier than it sounds, but you’ll need to treat your Facebook page as more than just an extension of your company’s services. That means connecting with your followers, posting captivating ad content, and crafting a holistic long-term marketing strategy. Here’s how to cut through the noise so you can start winning at Facebook marketing.
Before an interested lead reaches out to your company, they’re going to conduct some research. That means browsing your landing pages, checking out your social media accounts, and reading reviews to learn more about your business and see how you stack up to the competition.
Like it or not, people want reassurance before committing to a purchase—especially a major investment like a new home. According to BrightLocal’s 2020 Local Consumer Review Survey, 91 percent of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations and 93 percent of consumers say that online reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
In most cases, homebuyer reviews aren’t as plentiful as they are for restaurants. That’s where Facebook can help you give interested leads the nudge they need to convert into paying customers. You can share “reviews” by posting about your new homeowners. When you post about real people buying homes—and how excited those homeowners look after purchasing their new home—you can count that as a positive review.
When it comes to Facebook marketing, video content will be your MVP. Video is one of the most affordable, effective, engaging types of content—and it’s not going away anytime soon. Most Facebook users will watch a video longer than they’ll read a blog post, and video now accounts for nearly half the time spent on Facebook.
On top of that, they have an average engagement rate of 6 percent, and Facebook videos with captions can increase viewing time by 12 percent. If you want to turn up the heat, placing a call to action in the middle of your video can boost your engagement rate even higher—up to an astounding 16.95 percent.
If you’re already using video for other promotions, post those videos to your Facebook page. If you don’t have the budget for high-quality videos or virtual home tours, you can still use video to your advantage. Try turning multiple images of a newly built home into a slideshow video or filming a quick walkthrough of an inventory home from your smartphone. Alternatively, consider hiring a professional video marketing company to film a few videos of your model homes.
When you start posting on Facebook, you’ll have the option to boost Facebook posts or create a Facebook ad campaign. But before you put your money behind Facebook ads, we recommend experimenting with a few different types of posts.
Even though ads come with better targeting capabilities, it’s still important to strengthen your Facebook page with valuable, compelling content. Whether Facebook users find your page organically or they’re researching local contractors before moving forward, your posts should build credibility, showcase your expertise, and give your brand an authoritative voice in the home building industry.
Maybe your followers love sharing pictures of your past projects with their friends—or they’re commenting on your latest blog post. Review your results and boost your best posts to promote engagement and drive leads to your landing pages. Once you gain a better picture of what’s working (and what’s not), you can start thinking about your Facebook advertising strategy.
Pinterest is usually lumped together with other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—but it offers some unique benefits for home builders. When homebuyers imagine their dream home, they turn to Pinterest for inspiration. They’re searching for the latest kitchen designs, home buying tips, and floor plan inspiration. They’re scrolling for information about the types of projects they might want to undertake in the future—and that gives you a valuable opportunity to connect with them.
The majority of Pinterest’s audience (women between the ages of 18–54 years old) are a home builder’s target audience. Research shows that women are more likely to make the final decision when it comes to home purchases and renovations, so it only makes sense to build a presence where you can reach them. What’s more, “DIY” and “Home” are some of the most popular categories on Pinterest.
With a strong Pinterest presence, you can reach countless new leads. Plus, you can use Pinterest to stay up-to-date with current home design trends. And if you’re still not sold, you can even use Pinterest to offer ideas and designs to clients who might have trouble visualizing their dream home.
At the end of the day, Pinterest is a powerful tool for marketing your business and guiding your clients through their home renovation projects. So, how can you use Pinterest to captivate new leads?
When it comes to Pinterest, home builders have a major advantage. Your website is probably already filled with visual content—whether that’s homeowner photos, home tour videos, or floor plans—that can be easily repurposed for Pinterest.
For example, you might collect pictures from past projects to create room-based boards (i.e., boards for kitchens, master bedrooms, and bathrooms). You can also post your available floorplans, boost your engagement with video testimonials and home tours, and re-pin pictures of your clients’ new homes.
Remember: There’s no one way to set up your Pinterest boards, so focus on an organizational strategy that works best for your business. Just make sure your pins link back to relevant landing pages so you can drive website traffic and build brand awareness.
Before purchasing a home, homebuyers are creating “dream boards” filled with inspiration for their next home. They’re searching for features they want in their new home, floor plan ideas, home décor inspiration, and more.
Themed boards give you the perfect opportunity to cut through the noise and grab their attention. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some popular board themes to build your Pinterest presence:
Congratulations! You’ve created a powerful Pinterest marketing strategy—but the hard work isn’t over yet. Now, you need to make sure Pinterest users are actually seeing your pins and visiting your website.
Start by creating a business account and filling in your business details. When you upload a new pin, add an URL that links back to the relevant landing page. Don’t forget to add tracking values so you can figure out which clicks come from Pinterest.
Like any social media marketing strategy, you’ll need to be consistent. Make sure to update your Pinterest boards regularly and engage with your followers. Because Pinterest is a search engine, you’ll want to optimize your pins for SEO just like your landing pages and blog posts.
Like Pinterest, Instagram is heavily image-based. It’s a must-have social media channel for contractors—and it’s ripe with opportunities for home builders and other visual businesses like landscaping. So, now is a great time to start growing your following. Many of our clients who have been building their businesses for years are just now realizing the unrivaled benefits of Instagram.
Instagram isn’t just a short-term strategy to reel in new leads. It’s a long-term play. You want to subtly get gorgeous images of new homes in front of potential clients so your brand becomes synonymous with beautiful new homes in your neighborhood. Your goal is to convert passive Instagram users into clients, so you’ll need to post consistently before you start noticing any results.
Sure, Instagram alone isn’t enough to generate a steady stream of clients, but a strong Instagram presence can go a long way for your business. You can refer interested leads to your Instagram portfolio to showcase past projects and highlight your expertise. A picture is worth a thousand words, and with Instagram, you can capture the attention of leads before you even meet. Here’s how.
Once you’ve created an Instagram Business account, it’s time to fill in your profile. Your bio is really important, and you only have 150 characters to make it engaging. You need to tell your brand story, highlight what sets you apart from the competition, and tell them who to contact. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch, so your company name and website should be on your profile.
Your main goal is to build a quality following, but that’s not going to happen overnight. Don’t be afraid to take your time, build your Instagram brand, and be thorough in how you present your company. It takes time to connect with the right people, but it’ll pay off in the long run.
Instagram Stories are one of the best tools for engaging followers. And when you consider that 500 million Instagram users are watching Stories each day, it only makes sense to back up your marketing strategy with compelling Story content.
Stories give you the perfect opportunity to show your followers an authentic behind-the-scenes glimpse of your business and yourself. It’s a real, unedited view of your company. And when you let your followers into your personal story, you’ll build an even stronger connection.
The best part? Posting a Story is quick and simple—and you can do it from the palm of your hand. All you have to do is open the app, swipe right, and take a picture or video. If you want to show your followers a special moment but you don’t have the time to take, edit, caption, and post a photo, Stories are the perfect alternative.
When planning Stories, focus on inspiring followers while providing them with useful information. This can range from personal opinions about home design trends to general advice, tips, and information about your services. Ideally, your Stories should encourage a reaction from your followers—whether they’re compelled to reply, respond to your poll, or click a link. Here’s how to add value to your Stories:
What’s the secret to building a strong Instagram presence? Interaction. You should be leaving comments on other people’s pictures, answering questions using Stories, and responding to the comments left on your pictures.
Not only are you interacting one-on-one, you’re also doing it publicly—so everyone can see how your business responds to comments and criticism. Your goal is to position your business as reliable, truthworthy, and reputable so you start building a strong community of potential leads.
And, if you’re not already, it’s time to start using hashtags to extend your reach and get in front of your target audience. Instagram users use hashtags to search for content, and Instagram’s algorithm uses hashtags to find relevant content for users. So, if you want to show up on the feed of someone interested in home builders, you need to start using the right hashtags.
Social media marketing is typically viewed as something reserved for eCommerce websites and product-focused companies, but that’s not the case anymore. An effective social media strategy can make all the difference for home builders—even contractors who serve a small, local client base.
If you’re struggling to grow your following—or if you just don’t have enough time to build strong social media pages and interact with your followers—we’re here to help. Our team can help you reach more followers, curate compelling content, and craft effective social media campaigns to fuel your business growth.
