There have recently been several surveys circulating amongst home improvement and building professionals. These surveys have been aimed at industry influencers, with one of the criteria for being an industry influencer being a strong presence on social media. Home builders and other professionals who engage with their client base on social media are more likely to build their business effectively, find the type of clients and projects they want to work on, and improve their relations with clients and manufacturers alike.
There are numerous social media channels out there, some newer and more effective than others. So, when the time comes to start building your social media profile as a home builder, check out these seven options to make the most of your time online.
You may already have a personal Facebook page that you’ve been using to keep up with friends and family. You should also be considering have a Facebook page dedicated just to your business as well. Facebook is the most community based type of social media. As a local business, you can use Facebook to interact with people who are in the target area you want to reach. With strategic marketing, you can either use Facebook ads to reach people who may be searching for the type of skillset you offer, or you can use your follower base to begin growing your reputation.
For example, once you’ve built up a sufficient number of likes, you can begin interacting with your base by recommending trends or materials. The more people see you on Facebook, the more likely they are to trust you and the things you say. In turn, they may be more likely to reach out to you when the time comes to start their project, simply because they feel as though they know you.
Pinterest is where everyone in the home design industry is congregating these days. Homeowners turn to Pinterest to get information and inspiration for the types of projects that they may want to undertake in the future. With a strong Pinterest presence, you can get a lot of support for your portfolio and the types of projects you’ve done in the past. You can also use Pinterest as a means of gathering information about current trends and designs that you may want to offer your clients. In addition, you can use Pinterest as a way to offer ideas and designs to clients who may have difficulty visualizing what they want. Think of Pinterest as a tool that will allow you to both market your own work, and get a deeper look at what your clients are looking for.
Like Pinterest, Instagram is heavily image-based. Unlike Pinterest, however, you’ll find it much more effective to focus solely on your own work, rather than looking at everyone else’s. Instagram works best through hashtags. When you upload an image of your work, you can tag it with strategic keywords to get other people’s attention. For example, a new kitchen might feature tags like #whitekitchen, #whitecabinets, #farmhousesink, #granitecounters. These tags will make your portfolio very searchable, enabling more people to see your work.
The key to really building a presence on Instagram, though, is through interaction. By leaving comments on other people’s images, and by answering questions and comments left on your own, you can build a reputation as someone to trust and to follow online. While this alone won’t help to build your client base, having a strong Instagram account means that you can refer potential new clients to it, strengthening your portfolio and your expertise in their eyes. You’ve heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words; with Instagram, you can refer a potential new client to your site before you even meet for the initial meeting, allowing them to get to know your style and ideas so you’re able to hit the ground running.
SnapChat
SnapChat is how you can have a little fun with your clients and followers. The idea behind a Snap, is that it’s both temporary and interactive. Think of a Snap as a very short video you’re using to showcase an idea or a project. Encourage potential clients, as well as followers on other social media platforms to view your chats. Then, give a quick tutorial on things like choosing a tile or knocking down a wall. The idea is to have fun and connect with people, with the idea that the chat is going to vanish shortly, so there’s a slight sense of urgency attached to viewing it. A fun chat circulates quickly as more people want to view it. If you get a reputation on SnapChat, you’ll find that clients will think of you as being more approachable. In turn, this can help to grow your business as more clients may want to work with someone that feel they “know” than someone who they may never have heard of before.
Twitter can a great way of interacting with people and drawing attention to relevant ideas, quotes, sales, other information you may want them to know. As a business account on Twitter, you can interact with your clients by answering their questions, pointing them to your favorite manufacturers or alerting them to information they may not have already had.
You can search for specific tags on Twitter to help hone the demographic you’re interacting with. For example, you can search for trending topics to stay in the know and on top of what’s going on, or you can search for keywords like roofing or siding, that will enable you to both see what people are discussing on these topics, and to establish yourself as an expert and someone to trust on these matters.
Houzz
Houzz is one of the most important sites for any home builder to establish a presence on. With Houzz, you can upload your portfolio, have clients post reviews that will enable others in your area to find you and your information more quickly, and comment on other types of work so that you can share the information with clients. Houzz has an incredible number of images and items for sale that you can direct clients to when needed. You can search images on Houzz based not only on the original description, but also on comments that other people may have put on them. This is a great way to get your work seen, and establish your credibility within the community.
Youtube
You don’t need to be a star to utilize YouTube and everything it has to offer. Many home builders use YouTube to showcase short videos detailing a piece of an installation. This is useful for homeowners who want to know what’s entailed in their project or renovation. While some will want to use this info to DIY, others will use it as a way to reassure themselves about what they are about to undertake.
Filming yourself installing some fiber cement siding and detailing its benefits could be a way to convince a homeowner to make the switch and to hire you to do the job. Builders with a lot of subscribers on YouTube will often find themselves becoming trusted sources of information, which in turn will help your business grow.
Build Your Presence
Having a strong social media presence in this day and age is critical to anyone’s success. More home builders are joining in and building their reputations through these seven social media channels. Start building your social media presence today to start growing your own.
