Consider the last 24 hours of your day, how many times did you go on to Facebook or a different social media platform? Whether it was to mindlessly scroll, to see a delivery menu, watch an amusing video or simply to consume content, social media has become a part of our daily lives.
More than 2.5 billion people are active on Facebook and over 100 million users are active on Instagram each month. That is an 8% increase Year on Year, so while Facebook has become a household name, they are still on an upward trajectory – and they are monetizing it! Mobile advertising revenue is reported (according to Facebook) to represent approximately 94 % of advertising revenue for Q3 2019 up from approximately 92% of advertising revenue in the third quarter of 2018.
So with all these users milling about on social media, how do you utilize it effectively for your niche?
The Correct Platform
Active Monthly Users:
2.45 Billion
Active Monthly Users:
330 Milion
Active Monthly Users:
310 Million
Active Users:
1 Billion
Snapchat
Active Monthly Users:
360 Million
Target Audience
Each of these platforms offers something different in terms of the method of content consumption and the target market that interact with them. On average, the largest demographic for Roofing companies are Male between 35 -65+ though this will obviously be different for individual companies, it is worth considering which platform appeals most to your top-performing demographic.
Content Consumption
Consider how each of these platforms interacts with the user. While Twitter is the champion of the bitesize sound bite, eminently quotable and shareable, Instagram hails visual content as king and pushes for aesthetics over anything else. As a Roofing company, you want to offer both written and visual content, whether that is a weekly update of your workforce on the job or additional information on your newest safety equipment, Facebook is the best starting point for your social media journey.
Facebook also gives you the opportunity to mix up your uploads. Long-form content posts will do well, but you cannot hope to produce one every week to a high standard with engaging content. Instead, utilize Facebook to share relevant industry information, exciting technological breakthroughs, even fun content that is engaging and within your industry remit like quizzes. By mixing up the style of posts on your page, not only will you offer your customers fresh content, but you can also track how well each style does and gear your posts towards it in future.
Scheduled Updates
There is no point doing social media poorly, every user will be able to see if the page has not been updated recently, if the posts have little engagement and if you have a poor response time when messaged directly. So how do you engage with your customers through social media in the most efficient way? Planning your social media strategy a quarter in advance will help you maintain a structured approach.
Including Seasonal holidays, local events and markers from the company’s calendar gives you events to start building your long-form content around. Pad these out with industry updates that can be written in advance and then uploaded through a scheduling platform. Still, give yourself space for some flexibility, you never know what will come up and you may want to take advantage of that beautiful image of a finished home with the material you are trying to promote.
Interaction
Social media is not just about putting posts out there and hoping people will read them, it is about engaging with what other people are doing as well. Follow local businesses, industry giants, influencers with a push towards DIY, home improvements or architecture. A quote from a local realtor about how much a new roof could improve a home’s value can be a fantastic hook to put on a landing page or advert, the best place to connect with that realtor is through social media.
Though liking and following businesses and social media may feel organic, it can be as precise and calculated as any other element of marketing. Research those relevant companies and individuals with large followings on your social media platform and follow them, learn from them and engage with them.
The Motivation
One of the areas where many people struggle with social media is they see it as another platform to push for sales. You have to keep in mind why people are on these platforms, you don’t go on Facebook to be bombarded with a sales pitch and people will quickly unfollow a page if they feel that is all it is. Instead, social media is there to offer quality content and in turn you will have people who truly engage with your brand. Once you have established a firm and loyal base of followers, update with the occasional offer, but never slip into an extended sales pitch.