Creating meaningful connections with your customers has consistently remained one of the well-known tenants of customer service. And the construction industry – just like every other industry in today’s day & age – is a service-based industry. Thankfully, the advent of social media has opened up a myriad of new ways to connect with current customers and potential customers.
- Showcase Before & After photos of homes/offices: #transformationTuesday - Not only does this type of post give you an opportunity to show off the completion of a project at your company, it’s also a noteworthy post to get your clients sharing through their social media accounts as well. That’s what we call a mutually beneficial approach.
- Create a custom hashtag for your client’s project: While cute, catchy, and current, this is also quite purposeful. Searching by #customhashtag is available on most social media platforms and allows your client to easily access posts related to their project from the first post to the last.
- Provide a birds’ eye view of current projects by posting drone footage: Drone technology is certainly an emerging platform these days, and utilizing such a tool in your business marketing positions your company as cutting edge pioneers in the construction industry. Plus, you get the added fun of getting to operate a drone to get the footage!
- Profile your Clients: Put a face to the project – This could be a simple as sharing a local news article about the new business coming to town, who you happen to be building the facility for. Or maybe you are renovating a historical home and want to share about the pine floors laid by the current residents’ grandfather. People like people, and playing up those connections can lead to further engagement – the holistic goal of social media.
- Offer contests for your followers – (secret – your followers aren’t just your clients!) For instance, do you give out promotional drink koozies at builders’ shows and forums? Have followers share pictures of where their koozie has gone with them, and reward the one that’s farthest away, the closest to home, the coldest, the hottest, with a Starbucks gift card.
- Compile time lapse photography of projects: An approach like time lapse photography is an attention-getter and that’s the goal when working with social media – to stand out! These projects show progress and efficiency – two qualities you definitely want your company associated with.
- Poll your audience by requesting opinions on anything from paint colors to favorite flowers. Posts that ask questions increase engagement and with the tools available on social media now, it’s quick and easy to pose these questions and track responses. Sherwin Williams just released the hottest paint colors for 2018 – which one is the favorite for your followers? Do you followers prefer perennials, annuals, flowering bushes, trees? You’ll be getting insight into current trends and engaging your followers at the same time #winwin
- Vlog from the jobsite: Vlogging is the latest and greatest method of providing information online, and what better way to update your clients on project progress than to live feed from the jobsite? Break down time and distance barriers, building better connections with your clients.
- Promote your partners (and encourage them to do the same for you): You are who you associate with. Do you work with a particular landscape company regularly running an annual special? Or perhaps contract with a specific cleaning service that recently received an industry award? Work together to share one another’s successes or to simply get each other’s names out there. Social Media + Business Networking in an easy, effortless package.
- Get reviews/ratings: Nothing means more than the referral of a trusted voice. Consistently prompt (and even reward) your clients for providing your company with reviews & ratings across all social media platforms. This most standard form of engagement works even more today to provide visibility and credibility.
- Be a voice for the community. It’s always important to be involved on the local front, making your name known and building your reputation. Attend the ribbon cutting ceremony of an office you built? Photo opportunity! Exciting event going on in your town or state? Share! Some of your clients are probably new the area and looking for entertainment. Participating in a charity event? Recruit your followers to participate – or simply share because it matters. Receive an award from your city? Brag! Attending an industry event? Build credibility with your customer base and inspire your colleagues by posting about it!
It’s never been easier to connect with customers than it is in the age of social media. ConstructionOnline™ construction project management software even has built in social media sharing options – in the tools you are already using! These options above and so many more are at your fingertips, just a click away. What are you waiting for?