Oops…Did I Do That?
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By now we all know the reasons to be using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. But, knowing we need to do it and doing it correctly are vastly different things. In fact, that’s why so many companies don’t have success with social media and start questioning the value of the sites.
What we don’t know can hurt us, so let’s look at some of the biggest social media mistakes and how you can avoid them, or correct them!
Mistake #1: Not Being Present On The Site
It’s no surprise that contractors are busy. But, when you set up your social media sites, you made a commitment. If you want these sites to work for you, you have to put in the effort to post, monitor, and respond.
People will not continue to follow a company that never shares anything. So, you must dedicate some time each day to posting. Post links to your blog, news about the industry, or share pictures of staff, repairs, and installations.
Also, make sure you respond when someone comments or asks a question. In this day and age, people are “keyboard happy” and don’t think twice about heading to the internet to speak their minds. So, make sure you:
- Thank people when they post ringing endorsements about your company.
- Answer any questions asked, and offer further assistance.
- Respond to any upset customers, in a cool and calm manner, both online and offline.
Mistake #2: You Are Only Selling
It goes without saying that you are going to post information about your products and services. The problem is that social media isn’t just about the sale. If you want to lose followers faster than you get them, only post sales type items. However, if you want your company to be seen as the source for information in your market area, you should post helpful tips, notes and photos about your charity work, raving customer reviews, along with the things mentioned in mistake #1.
There are times when sales post are acceptable, like when you are running a promotion or are having a mega sale. The key is following the 80/20 Rule; 80 percent of what you post should be informational and 20 percent should be sales. So if you post five times a week, only one post should focus on selling something.
Mistake #3: You’re Fake!
Being genuine is extremely important to making your followers like you. If you seem robotic or too polished, people can’t connect. This again goes back to the types of things you are posting.
A Facebook page that has done a great job of this is the Brimfield Police Department (https://hvac-blog.acca.org/brimfield). They post information on weather alerts, drug busts, and visits to schools. These things show that they have a vested interest in their community and the well-being of those following them on Facebook.
Don’t mistake being real with being sloppy. You still want to make sure you are proofing your posts so they are not laced with mistakes. Spelling errors, wrong words, and nonsense will turn followers off, as well.
Mistake #4: You Think You Have To Do It All…NOW!
There are so many social media sites out there, it can be hard to choose which ones to join. The key to all of this is start small and grow. You don’t need to jump right into Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+ today. Choose one, get a good following, get comfortable with using social media; then expand. If you try to do it all at once, you probably won’t be able to devote enough time to all of them and they lose their value to both your company and your customers.
Mistake #5: You Have Unreal Expectations
You’re not a social media marketer by trade, you’re a contractor. Becoming an expert at this takes time and since social media is constantly changing, so must your strategy. To expect thousands of follows and doubled sales from your social media effort is just not realistic. Remember, your social media sites are here to help you show you are the expert in your market. So, give it some time, but encourage your current and new customers to follow you. You should have your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or whatever social media site you are using on your website, your business cards, and your advertisements, so people know where to find you.
None of us are perfect, and we will all make these mistakes at some point. The key to being successful though is acknowledging these mistakes and correcting them. At the end of the day, if you spend a little bit of time on these sites, you will expand your reach in your community as the go-to company.
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Posted In: ACCA Now, Technology
