So you’re a contractor, right?  You may have your own personal Facebook or Twitter account, but have you ever thought about just how social media can benefit your business?

Let’s start with looking at how people choose particular contractors to do work for them in the first place:

  • Those interested in your type of service will head to a search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc).  Whatever results come up, they’ll then check out the website, decide if they’re interested, and jot down the contact information
  • Word of mouth: As a contractor, you know just how important word of mouth marketing is for your business.
  • They’ll check local and/or national construction associations and see if you’re registered with them
  • They’ll ask for quotes
  • They’ll ask for references

Now just imagine if you could offer up a one-stop shop that could provide all of those different things to potential customers and clients.  Well, that’s exactly what social media can do for you. Having a social media presence on several of the popular social media sites will give visitors a ton of information about you all in one spot that’s accessible and easy to find.  They’ll be able to find:

  • Your contact information
  • Testaments from people who have used your services before
  • See whether you’re registered with any required or optional associations
  • Review prices you’ve provided to other clients
  • Find quick references right on you social media business page

What’s even better about social media marketing is that it can only better support your traditional marketing techniques.  Like I said earlier, you as a contractor probably rely quite heavily on word of mouth marketing.  Social media is a way for people to spread the word about you, and fast.

Also, to learn of more easy ways to generate customers, check out our FREE eBook, “25 Simple Ways to Generate More Customers.”

Facebook

If you have a presence on Facebook, then you are exposing your contracting biz to hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Having a business page on Facebook allows you to immediately connect with hundreds and thousands of potential clients and customers.  It really lets you get down on a one-on-one level and talk to people about what kind of services you provide, and offer real-time quotes for projects that individuals may ask you about over Facebook. With the new Facebook Timeline, you can also personally message individuals from your business account, making it easier to build and maintain relationships and connections through social media.

For more on maximizing your Facebook marketing, check out our FREE eBook, “Mastering Facebook Marketing.”

Twitter

Twitter is great for branding and getting the word out about your business.  You can send out quick tweet blasts now and then about a number of things, like a blog about a recent project you’ve started or finished, or you can ask people to ask you some of their most pressing questions about the industry you’re in.

Twitter isn’t only good for communicating with people who are or may be interested in your services, though; it’s also a great way to SPY.  You can easily use hashtags and other tools with Twitter to run searches on your brand and other things related to your industry to see what people are saying about you and your industry in general.

LinkedIn

This is the site that smart contractors will take advantage of the most.  LinkedIn has a ton of stuff that contractors have to take advantage of, including:

  • Posting testimonials/references about their contracting services (word of mouth marketing doesn’t get any easier than that!)
  • The ability to connect with other contractors in your area.  Not only will this maybe help you get to know your competition better, but can also connect you with some other contractors who can help you out on future jobs
  • You can now sync up your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts
  • You’ll make real friends on LinkedIn with likeminded individuals.  You’ll be surprised by just how much having someone else’s opinion or expertise will help you, especially if you are faced with any tough business questions or decisions.

Key Takeaways

The bottom line is that social media is where contractors are meant to be.  What other venue out there that will allow you to hook up with not only customers and clients, but with other contractors like yourself so easily?  Having a social media presence – as long as you’re active on your accounts, that is – will also be huge selling point for customers and clients, and this will only become more and more important over time as more and more people move online to find businesses like yours.

Need Help?

If social media marketing is something you are interested in but are having trouble getting started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.