No one could have anticipated such an unusual shift in business this year. With home service pros having to pivot and adjust to new norms, the most tenacious pros are putting their thinking caps on and getting creative, particularly when it comes to social media.
According to eMarketer, Facebook saw a 70% increase in usage in March, undoubtedly due to the unexpected pandemic that created more downtime for most. Homeowners are spending more time online, actively planning future home projects. Don’t go dark – make sure your business stays top of mind through your social channels with these 5 tips.
1. Keep Your Followers Up-to-Date With Your New Safety Precautions
Provide your followers peace-of-mind during these times of heightened health and safety anxieties through your social channels. Rise to the occasion and share what it is your business is doing differently to flatten the curve. Most homeowners feel anxious allowing anyone into their home, even for emergency calls, so over-communicate and showcase what you’re doing. Here’s a great example of Cardinal Plumbing and Electric reassuring homeowners they’re a safe choice for hire.
2. Create Inspirational and Educational Posts
Now more than ever, homeowners want to see your heart and compassion. Any cash-grab marketing initiatives will not resonate well. Instead, create a content series that teaches homeowners how to do something independently. Create a video about a do-it-yourself project, or write about preventive precautions as Urban Piping demonstrates below. Use this as an opportunity to engage your audience and put your followers’ needs first!
3. Show Community Support
Homeowners can’t help but want to support a home service professional that gives back to their community. This is the time to share any community initiatives you have in place; from donations to our first-line workers to offering complimentary trade support to those less fortunate, celebrate and share how you’re doing your part.
4. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Go Live!
Consumers love live video streams – they create immediate engagement and definitely capture attention! You may be thinking, “no one wants to see a plumber, live”, but they might, and the opportunities are endless. From a live-5 minute session sharing your background or teaching a plumbing tutorial, think of a topic that may interest future customers, and run with it.
And don’t forget to check in on your social posts and respond to any questions or comments! This is an amazing way to build rapport, loyalty, and continue to engage with your audience. The more acquainted you are with your followers, the more confident they will be in picking up the phone and calling you directly when they’re ready to hire.
5. Share Positive Company Reviews
Now is a great time to share positive reviews from past clients. Homeowners are still in need of repair and emergency services and are also researching for their future home projects. Once this storm has passed you’ll want to leverage these reviews to win more business. So, keep your feed positive and share those 10/10 star reviews!
Now is the time to rethink the way you promote your services and engage customers on social media. While these are trying times, have fun with exploring new messages, staying top of mind for when the time is right.
