How to Use Social Media to Get More Leads for Your Contractor Business

Ever wonder where all the leads are? 

Or how you can reach the perfect customers who will love your contractor business and services so much they’ll tell all their friends, who will in turn become new customers for you, taking your business to new heights and sending profits through the roof?

We’ll tell you where they are. 

They’re on social media.

Social media is one of the world’s most popular online activities, with nearly 42% of people worldwide logging on to a social network each day:

• Facebook: 2.32 billion users
• Instagram: 1 billion users
• Twitter: 326 million users
• LinkedIn: 590 million users

When you look at the number of people interacting on social media it makes you wonder if using social media to market your business might be a great way to find new customers...

...and you would be right.

Social Media: a Powerful Tool for Small Artisan Contractors

What marketing tools do you rely on?

People don’t want to be marketed to anymore. They see advertising and traditional marketing as an intrusion and a nuisance. Take a look at some of the traditional marketing tools:

• Telemarketing
• Print ads
• Door hangers
• TV and Radio ads
• Billboards

They all have one thing in common. 

They are interruptive.

To reach today’s consumers you have to meet them where they are and get their permission before you show them your business. 

Social media allows you to show up to their virtual front door, and bring them exactly what they’ve been looking for. 

The result is a warmer reception, a happier prospect, and a lead who is eager to hear what your business can do for them.

Benefits of Using Social Media to Reach your Customers

Still not convinced you should be spending more time on Facebook? Check out some of the benefits you could reap from this powerful marketing tool:

Generate word of mouth
A person will value a friend’s opinion more than a brand’s every day of the week. If your current customers can connect with your business online, they can easily tell their friends about you. 

A nod of approval from a friend is worth more than paid advertising ever could be.

Increase Brand Loyalty
Chances are you aren’t the only contractor in town. What you could be though, is the only contractor in your specialty who interacts with your community online. Being present in conversations about your brand/trade/industry will show that you are ‘one of them.’

Capture leads
Yes, it is possible to capture leads using social media. 

It could be a private message from a fan asking if you can help them solve a problem, or an email you collect during the course of a facebook giveaway. There are many ways to capture emails and phone numbers from prospects.

Build trust in your company 
The ‘real person’ effect is strong on Facebook, Twitter, and other conversational platforms. 

Remember how annoyed you were the last time you tried to call the utility company and got that robo-response that took 18 button pushes to finally lead you to a conversation with a real human being?

Most people feel the same way you do, and as the digital landscape grows and people become more and more disconnected, a response from a real person carries more weight….

and more influence.

Drive more traffic to your website
Every time you post a link to your blog or website on one of your social accounts, you create another opportunity for the world to visit your website. 

More traffic builds upon itself, and every link gives you more power on the great wide web.

Show authority
Social media gives you an opportunity to post informative and interesting blogs from your website, comment on newsworthy contributions from others in your community. 

Here is your chance to stand front and center as a seasoned professional who knows their stuff.

Picking the Right Tools: Your Best Social Media Platforms

If you tried to represent your business on every social media platform that pops up, you wouldn’t have time to do your actual job and run your business. 

Luckily, you don’t have to have an account on every social media platform.

Only the ones that matter. 

Facebook: the Reigning King of Social Media
Whether or not you personally use Facebook, there’s no denying:

Facebook is the king of all social media platforms.

Nearly ⅔ of adults use Facebook. 

While the younger generation may be flocking to other platforms, trendy teens aren’t necessarily your ideal demographic. No sir, if you want to reach adults — you know, the ones that own their homes and are looking to remodel their kitchen — Facebook is a logical place to start.

Once you’ve conquered one social media platform and want to expand, great! You can start moving on to Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Instagram. 

But here’s a pro tip worth heeding:

Pro Tip: Don’t spread yourself too thin. Start with one social platform at a time, and only move to another once you’ve mastered the first.

Automate Your Efforts

If you are wondering how you’re going to find the time to master social media marketing and still run your business, you’re not alone. 

A lot of time and thought goes into a solid social media strategy. Which is why many busy professionals use marketing automation tools. 

Marketing automation tools help you bring all your content together in one place, and allow you to schedule posts far in advance, usually on multiple platforms at once. 

And many of them are free.

Pro Tip: Check out tools like Sprout Social, Buffer, and Hootsuite to get started.

The Best Tools are the Ones You Use

Don’t let information overload or fear of failure stop you from using social media marketing before you even get started.

Pick a single social media platform and get going! There is an endless supply of potential new clients waiting for you — and all you have to do is meet them right where they are. Online.