by John Wright
Scroll through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok today and you'll see great content from construction companies. You'll find roofing businesses sharing time-lapse videos of projects taking shape, kitchen and bathroom designers posting before and after transformations, and builders engaging with their communities through behind the scenes content. It's a far cry from when I started in the construction industry, when a brochure (if we were lucky) and printed business cards were our main marketing tools!
While SEO remains crucial for getting found online, social media has become the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. A powerful way to showcase your craftsmanship and build trust with potential clients.
But there's a challenge that many construction businesses face; how do you find time to maintain an effective social media presence while running a busy construction operation? And how do you ensure your social media efforts support your broader digital marketing goals?
In this article, I'll share practical strategies for construction businesses to leverage social media effectively, showing you how to complement your SEO efforts and engage meaningfully with your target audience. All without spending hours on your phone.
The Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Trade Businesses
Social media marketing offers numerous benefits for trade businesses, including:
Increased Brand Awareness: By consistently posting engaging content and interacting with your followers, you can increase your brand's visibility and reach a larger audience.
Improved Customer Engagement: Social media platforms allow you to connect with your target audience on a more personal level, fostering trust and loyalty.
Targeted Advertising: Most social media platforms offer powerful advertising tools that allow you to reach specific demographics, interests, and locations.
Increased Website Traffic: By sharing links to your website's content, such as blog posts or service pages, you can drive more traffic and potentially generate more leads.
Enhanced SEO: While social media signals don't directly impact search rankings, they can indirectly influence your SEO by increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, and encouraging engagement.
Integrating Social Media with Your SEO Strategy
While social media doesn't directly impact search rankings, a well-planned social media strategy can significantly boost your SEO efforts. Here's how to make them work together.
Content Cross-Promotion: When you publish new blog posts or project case studies on your website, share them across your social media channels. This drives traffic to your website and increases the visibility of your content.
Keyword Consistency: Use the same target keywords in your social media profiles and posts that you use on your website. For example, if you're targeting "house extensions Southampton," incorporate this naturally into your social media content.
Building Quality Backlinks: Share your expertise in industry Facebook groups and LinkedIn discussions, providing valuable insights with links back to relevant content on your website when appropriate.
Local SEO Enhancement: Use location-specific hashtags and geo-tagging in your social posts to strengthen your local presence both on social media and in search results.
Social Listening for Keywords: Monitor conversations in your industry on social media to identify new keyword opportunities and trending topics for your SEO strategy.
Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equal, and it's essential to focus your efforts on the channels where your target audience is most active. For construction businesses, some of the most effective platforms include:
Facebook: With over 2.7 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a great platform for sharing company updates, project photos, and engaging with your local community.
Instagram: This visually-focused platform is ideal for showcasing your projects, behind-the-scenes content, and company culture.
LinkedIn: As a professional networking platform, LinkedIn is perfect for connecting with other businesses, sharing industry insights, and establishing your company as a thought leader.
X (formerly Twitter): While X has a smaller user base compared to Facebook and Instagram, it's still a valuable platform for sharing quick updates, engaging with industry hashtags, and providing customer service.
Managing Your Time Effectively
For busy construction professionals, finding time for social media can be challenging. Here are some practical strategies to maintain an effective social media presence without it taking over your workday:
Content Planning and Scheduling: Set aside 2-3 hours at the start of each month to plan your content calendar. Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or our favourite platform Metricool, to pre-schedule posts, allowing you to maintain a consistent presence even during busy periods.
Batch Content Creation: When you're on a project site, take multiple photos and videos that can be used for future posts. Spend an hour organising and editing this content, creating several posts at once rather than daily.
Delegate Responsibilities: Assign specific social media tasks to team members. For example, site managers could be responsible for taking progress photos, while office staff could handle posting and responding to comments.
Set Specific Time Blocks: Allocate 15-30 minutes each morning to check notifications and respond to comments, and perhaps another 15 minutes at the end of the day to share any project updates.
Use Downtime Effectively: Take advantage of quieter periods to create content banks that can be used during busier times.
Creating Compelling Social Media Content
To make the most of your social media presence, it's crucial to create compelling content that resonates with your target audience. Here are some content ideas for construction businesses:
Project Showcases: Share high-quality photos and videos of your completed projects, along with brief descriptions of the work involved and the challenges you overcame.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give your followers a glimpse into your company culture, team members, and daily operations to humanise your brand and build trust.
Educational Content: Share helpful tips, industry news, and how-to guides related to your trade to establish your company as a valuable resource.
Customer Testimonials: Share positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied clients to build social proof and encourage potential customers to choose your services.
When creating social media content, aim for a mix of promotional and educational content to provide value to your followers while still promoting your services.
Engaging with Your Followers
Engaging with your followers is just as important as creating compelling content. Here are some tips for fostering engagement on social media:
Respond to Comments and Messages: Make sure to monitor your social media channels regularly and respond to comments, questions, and messages in a timely and professional manner.
Encourage User-Generated Content: Encourage your followers to share their own photos and experiences with your company by creating branded hashtags or running social media contests.
Participate in Relevant Discussions: Join local Facebook groups or chats on X to share your expertise and engage with potential customers.
Running Targeted Social Media Ads
In addition to organic social media marketing, running targeted ads can help you reach new audiences and promote specific services or offers. Here are some tips for creating effective social media ads:
Define Your Target Audience: Use the targeting options provided by each platform to reach users based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and location.
Create Compelling Ad Copy: Write clear, concise ad copy that highlights your unique value proposition and includes a strong call-to-action.
Use Eye-Catching Visuals: Choose high-quality images or videos that grab users' attention and showcase your services in the best light.
Set a Clear Budget and Schedule: Determine how much you're willing to spend on each ad campaign and set a clear schedule for when your ads will run.
Monitor and Optimise Your Ads: Regularly review your ad performance and make adjustments based on metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per click.
Conclusion
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for construction businesses looking to complement their SEO efforts, connect with their target audience, and drive engagement.
By choosing the right platforms, creating compelling content, engaging with your followers, and running targeted ads, you can effectively showcase your expertise, build brand awareness, and ultimately grow your business.
Take action: Conduct a Social Media Audit
Set aside time this week to conduct a social media audit of your construction business. Use this simple checklist:
List all your current social media accounts and note when you last posted on each
Review your last 10 posts on each platform - which got the most engagement and why?
Compare your profiles to three of your competitors - what are they doing differently?
Use these insights as a starting point to refine your social media marketing strategy and set clear goals for the future.
Up Next: Email Marketing for Construction Businesses
In our next blog post, we'll dive into the world of email marketing and explore how construction businesses can use this powerful tool to stay in touch with existing clients, nurture leads, and drive repeat business. From crafting compelling subject lines to segmenting your email list, we'll cover the essential strategies for creating an effective email marketing campaign.
Found This Useful?
I hope you've found this guide to social media marketing helpful. If you'd like to discuss social media marketing and/or your construction company's digital marketing strategy, feel free to email me or connect with me on LinkedIn.
About the Author
John Wright began his construction industry career at Kennedy Builders Merchants in the 1980s, marking the start of a 35-year journey in sales, marketing, and business development within the construction sector.
In 2016, John transitioned into digital marketing as an it'seeze web design franchisee, before founding RBC Marketing in 2022. Today, he combines his deep understanding of the construction industry with digital and traditional marketing expertise to help construction companies build an effective online presence and drive business growth through both digital and offline marketing strategies.
Comments