As a plumber, you cater to a local community, or if your business has expanded over time, perhaps to several surrounding areas. Unfortunately, even in small communities, plumbers likely still have plenty of competition to contend with.
This means you have to find ways to make potential customers aware of your business and market yourself appropriately. Word of mouth can go a long way. Anyone seeking plumbing services is likely to ask trusted family and friends for referrals before resorting to the Yellow Pages, so to speak. You don’t want to rest on your laurels, though, and risk spotty business.
These days generating new business requires an online aspect to your operations. If you’ve already got a website in place and you’re utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising, you’re on the right track. You’ve definitely got a competitive edge over rivals that have yet to begin building an online presence.
However, you need to take the next step and get on board with social media. In this day and age, your best chance to compete for business online is by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by premiere social media platforms. How can you use them to generate plumbing business? Here are a few tips to get you started.
Pick Your Platforms
This is an important first step. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin by trying to juggle a dozen social media accounts, which means you need to be choosy.
Facebook is pretty much a given. If you select only a single social media platform to focus on, this is the one. Not only does this platform have the most users (with a whopping 1.5 billion and growing), but it offers the advertising tools that will allow you to reach targeted consumers.
You might also consider popular options like Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you’re uncertain about how these platforms can be integrated into your marketing strategy, consider that you can use social media as a way to put a personal face on your professional undertaking.
You could, for example, feature employees or highlight participation in local or charitable events. You might want to focus on community spirit and how your business is an integral part of the community. You should also make sure to localize your marketing efforts for maximum impact where it counts.
There are endless ways to get creative when it comes to using social media to promote your business, and plenty of tutorials and guides to help you pick your path.
Complete Profiles
Once you’ve chosen the platforms you want to pursue, it’s time to create your profiles. It’s a good idea to take your time when filling out information, keeping in mind that the choices you make and the data you enter will have some bearing on how your business profile is displayed. Make sure to complete your profiles in full since every bit of information could help when it comes to reaching your target audience.
Be Present
Social media is, by its very nature, social. Don’t imagine you can simply set up your accounts and then ignore them. If you fail to participate in the process by posting frequently, coming up with a content management strategy, and interacting with followers who comment or ask questions, you won’t get much out of the process.
In other words, you get out what you put in, provided you make wise decisions. Keep in mind there are tools to help you automate a variety of processes, such as posting and gathering metrics. Still, you’ll have to show up on a regular basis to respond to comments and keep followers engaged.
Hire Help
Okay, you’re a small business owner – you’ve got enough on your plate simply managing your daily operations. You don’t have time to curate content and Tweet all day.
The good news is there are professionals that can help you with services ranging from social media management to SEO and SEO marketing. These knowledgeable and experienced social media experts can help you to create integrated marketing strategies, run your social media campaigns, and generally get the most out of your social media efforts.
If you want your social media profiles to help you generate plumbing business, the best option may be to hire professionals that can reduce your burden and give you the greatest opportunity to increase awareness and sales.
