If you’re running a home improvement company like Burkfield and wondering how to boost your exposure to the market and attract more clients, social media marketing is the obvious way to go. Burkfield, which started as a small time online retail in the US has seen significant growth in their business through the past couple of year, thanks to social media. Setting up shop and hoping to catch the attention of potential customers through the spreading of the word via previous and existing customers is a highly ineffective and rather redundant method to be relying on. Data from Global Web Index states that around 30% internet users choose to use social networking sites to find out about the products they’re interested in, and the brands offering them. The race is more competitive than ever now, and under the circumstances, being on social media is almost a mandatory requirement. Here are the top reasons you should be considering having a social media front to represent your company.
1. Establishing a convincing first point-of-contact
Social media allows increased exposure and awareness of your company to the masses. Potential customers can get to know of you when people they’re connected to are subscribed to your business’s online front, or may naturally discover your page when looking for companies providing home improvement services. Unlike the promotion via word-of-mouth, customers can learn about you and the work you do when they enter your page. This makes you more than the “people to get the job done”, and makes you a unique business they might like to come back to for future requirements. The effect your social media presence has on customers depends on the impression you manage to create, which brings us to the next point.
2. Giving your customers a reason to avail your services
In order to convince your customers of your proficiency in home improvement services, you can set up your social media page accordingly in order to display your skill, something that is not really possible to do otherwise. You should be regularly updating your page with insights into the process of your work through photos and videos, talking about common problems faced by homeowners and offering your unique solutions to some of these- and how they’re better than other common options; even discussing criticisms of your services and stating how you’re working to improve in those areas. Apart from these, you should also consider taking an interactive, approach by giving your clients a peek into the day-to-day life at your projects, posting photos of the surprise party thrown for an employee’s birthday, so on and so forth. All of these demonstrate to visitors of your page your knowledge and expertise, as well as making them feel acquainted to you, which are critical in helping them make up their minds about hiring you, and maybe even stick to you for future requirements.
3. Being able to use social media as a research tool
Social medias are the ultimate tool when it comes to market research. You can keep track of the demographics of the patrons of your page, and their responses to the quality of your service. When these customers discuss your work among their circles, you can find potential customers and their comments and expectations. Furthermore, this allows you to keep an eye out for your competitors and what their customers expect, thus allowing you to work to attract these customers as well, and how to improve advertising and promotion in order to be able to do so. Thus you have the opportunity to assess what your customers and customers of your competitors are talking about and their wants –and this can be very helpful for you in improving your services.
4. A customer-business interface
Your social media platform allows you to interact with your customers and answer any queries they might have, and offering suggestions of any sort. Customers can give their feedbacks of your service, good or bad, and you also have the opportunity to respond to them. It is possible, however, that unsatisfied customers can choose to go public with their discontent and this can come as a blow to your company’s reputation and cost you severely. That brings us to the last, and perhaps the most critical edge your social media front gives you.
5. Being able to organize content on your page
Negative reviews can be trouble, and can affect your business’s reputation since everyone can see them. Fortunately though, you can control what visitors can see and what they cannot. You do not necessarily need to hide negative reviews from your page, and sometimes patiently responding to an angry customer and calming him down, and eventually sending him off with a smile on his face can be an important show of your maturity and experience.
