Social media has become an essential tool for tradespeople to connect with potential clients, showcase their work, and increase their visibility online. In this blog, we will explore why social media is important for tradies, the platforms to focus on, the pros and cons of using social media, and tips for getting started.
The Importance of Social Media for Tradies
Social media provides tradies with an opportunity to connect with potential customers, showcase their work, and build their brand. By using social media platforms, tradies can also receive feedback and recommendations, share updates about their business, and stay ahead of their competition.
Building Trust Through Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust with potential clients. Through social media, tradies can showcase their work, share before and after photos, and share customer testimonials. These elements help to build trust with potential clients, making them more likely to choose your services over others.
Increasing Visibility Online
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for businesses. If you aren’t doing it, one of your competitors surely will be. Consistent posing on social media can help tradies increase their visibility online by showcasing their work, engaging with potential clients and increasing brand awareness.
Which Platforms to Focus On
With so many social media platforms available, it can be challenging to know which ones to focus on. As a tradie, it’s essential to focus on platforms that will help you connect with potential clients and showcase your work.
Facebook is a great place to start, with over 47% of the world’s population aged 13+ on the platform. Instagram is another useful platform, particularly for trades that rely heavily on visual content, such as carpentry and building.
While TikTok can also be used to increase brand awareness, it’s not the best platform for generating leads for trade businesses (at the moment).
Using Facebook to Connect with Potential Clients
Facebook provides tradies with the opportunity to share links, receive feedback and reviews, and connect with potential clients. How many times have you seen someone in a local group as for a recommendation? You want your Facebook profile to be the one shared when someone asks about your service!
Using Instagram to Showcase Your Work
Instagram is an excellent platform for tradespeople who rely heavily on visual content. By sharing photos and videos of your work, you can showcase your skills and attract potential clients. You can also use Instagram to share updates about your business and engage with your followers. Even if you don’t have a visual trade, you can still post videos to explain your services, your solutions, and show people how you work.
Pros of Using Social Media for Tradies
- Easy to set up – all you need is your business name, logo, and contact details.
- Provides social proof by showcasing your work to potential clients and gaining their trust.
- Gives your business a voice, making it more relatable and personable.
- Allows you to include a call-to-action to encourage people to contact you.
- Provides a free platform to share tips, resources, and last-minute offers.
- Gives leads another way to contact and interact with you that is convenient to them.
- It’s another tool in your marketing toolbox to stay ahead of the competition.
- Builds brand awareness – the more people see your logo, the more they will trust you.
- Gives you the opportunity to run paid ads.
Cons of Using Social Media for Tradies
- Taking photos and videos needs to become part of your process.
- Asking for reviews and testimonials is an additional task
- Creating attractive posts may or may not be your forte
- Remembering to post across multiple channels is a whole job in itself.
Getting Started
Social media can be as complex, or as simple as you want it to be. You just need to have a bit of consistency to see the benefit from it (ex. Don’t have three years between posts!).
These days, everyone has a smartphone, and that’s all you need to get started.
Snap a photo, take a video, set a timelapse for a job.
Once you’ve done that, you instantly have a story to tell, one that your audience will be interested in.
Here are some tips for getting started:
- Use your smartphone to take photos and videos of your work and process.
- Share customer reviews and testimonials.
- Share updates about your business, including new services or offers.
- Plan your content in advance to ensure that you are consistently posting new and engaging content.
- Engage with your followers by responding to comments, asking questions, and sharing updates about your business.
- Run paid ads to increase your reach and attract more customers.
Want to Take Your Social Media To The Next Level?
Social media is an essential tool for tradespeople to connect with potential clients, showcase their work, and increase their visibility online. While it does require consistent effort, the benefits of using social media can be significant. By following these tips, tradies can get started with social media and take advantage of its potential for their business.
Additionally, Tradie Web Guys provides a host of solutions that can assist with your marketing and conversions.
Customer Relationship Management Software – Bring all of your social media communication onto one platform so that warm leads don’t go cold. The Hub can also nurture leads through SMS and email marketing campaigns, automate review requests and plan your social media – all from one platform!
Some of the best features of The Hub will help social media marketing are;
- Social Media Content Planner – Upload your media, write your post, and schedule it multiple social media channels.
- Data Capture – Bring your leads from social channels, website and chat into one place for further lead nurturing and sales follow up.
- Automation – Automate out of hours replies, nurture sequences, seasonal reminders, birthday messages, and more!
You can learn more about The Hub here.
Other services we provide that can help improve the success of your trade business on social media include;
Content Marketing Services – we can turn your original content (photos/videos) into engaging case studies.
PPC Services (Google/Facebook Ads) – Turn your content into high converting ads to get more traffic to your website and more jobs in your books!
Want to hear more?
Fill out the Opportunity Assessment to get started.
