Social Media has invaded businesses. Some people have embraced it and some ignore it. As an SEO Company we understand it’s important for Ranking purposes to have your Business on all Social outlets to show your Link, Address, and Phone Number. In the past people believed that Posting on Social Media daily would get them Ranked to #1 in no time and after testing we found that to be false. I’m going to talk a little about Social Media and how it can be beneficial to you.
For starters, Social Media can be very time consuming so I recommend you set aside a certain amount of time to do it and don’t go over that time. You can easily find yourself on all Social Outlets for hours!
My Perspective on Cleaning & Restoration Companies On Each Social Network
- Twitter: I don’t find it very effective at all. People that tend to be on Twitter use it to Follow Celebrities, Blogging, and I just have never been a fan. That’s me personally… I have a photography business on the site and I didn’t even find it effective with that. I don’t believe it’s a good social network to try to get work out of.
- LinkedIn: I think every business owner should be on it. It’s a great way to connect with other businesses in your area and sometimes out of area.
- Pinterest: I think this works as a learning tool for DIY Projects, Photography, getting Recipes. I do not think it helps you acquire a job at all. Like I said, I have a photography business on the side and I’ve never received a job from Pinterest. I do use it for ideas and a creative outlet but I don’t expect to find work there.
- Instagram: This is purely just photographs and doesn’t help to get you jobs either. It’s just fun to see all the great photos people take.
- Google Plus: Google is slowly phasing out G+. This is important for attempting to get into the Snack Pack (3 Pack) and that of course wil get you Jobs. I do think it’s important to Enrich this Listing with Photographs, Reviews, and Information.
- Facebook: I saved the best for last. I believe Facebook is your only Social Outlet that can get you Jobs. And I’m going to mainly focus on trends I see that work and outlets that can help you.
Understanding Social Sharing
People share posts for a reason and it’s important to understand why they share something and what grabs their attention. So, when you Post something it’s very important people Like and Share because if they don’t only about 10% of your Audience that Likes your Page will see it. It’s important to have engagement on your Facebook Page because people will tend to see it more in their News feed.
Why People Share:
To Entertain: They want to make others laugh, cry, or have some reaction to their post.
To Represent: People post and share content to show everyone what he or she likes or cares about.
To Network: People like to connect with other individuals. Whether it’s for fun, for business, or to learn.
To Feel Important: People feel as if they are impacting other people’s lives.
To Support: People Share or Like causes, products, or services they like.
Things To Think About Before You Post:
How can I make them take Action On My Post?
Will this Post make them feel Special or “Cool” if they Share it?
Does it give some sort of Value even if it is foolish?
Is it Simple and catchy?
How Do I Know What Works?
The best Advice I can give on how something works is go search! Search for other Carpet Cleaning Companies, Restoration Companies, and whatever Company you are in and look at their Facebook Pages. Observe what has the most Likes and Shares. Facebook Ads can help with Shares and Likes, it’s effective and can be cheap.
How do I get Jobs?
For one, this isn’t going to happen over night. First, you need to establish some things with your Facebook Page. Establish trust, give value, and show variety.
Second, get Likes for your Page. Obviously, the more the better, and the best way to get Likes in my opinion is running an Ad on a Post you make. Then they go to your Page and see you have other interesting Posts and then they’ll Like your Page. Get friends and family to Like your Page as well.
Third, start offers. Once you build up an audience then ask for work. Give coupons on Mother’s Day or around Back-To-School time.
What Works?
A Variety of Posts is always essential. People don’t want to see before and after pictures of dirty carpets every post, however you should do some to show what you’re capable of. Offer value to other areas of their life. Being in the Cleaning and Restoration Area you can always do posts on DIY Projects, Pet Projects, Kid Projects, and basically anything pertaining to Family and Home Life can be a relevant topic. You also want to show who you are. Show photographs of your kids helping, show photos of projects you are doing at home, take Selfies of you and the Client you just cleaned the home for. You want to look personable and trustworthy.
Tag!
Tag people in Posts! When you Tag someone his or her Friends sees that too. So, let’s say you are Friends of a Client on Facebook and you Clean their carpets they loved it and you took a picture of them like they do on Legacy Services (I put a List of Examples Below) So, if you tagged that person in that Post their Friends are going to see that and someone may hire you to do their carpets because essentially it’s A Social Media Referral from a friend.
Your Personal Facebook Page
Privacy Settings have kind of changed on Facebook. You have to be careful to set your settings correctly as well as to how you Post. So, for instance if you accidentally Post to the Public that means everyone is going to see it. Your Cover Photo and Profile Photo along with all the comments below them show to the Public. And I am very experience with Facebook and I’ve totally accidentally posted to the Public and then realized it the next day. You can always correct it but if you don’t catch it right away you could be in trouble.
My general rule of thumb is if you’re a business owner just don’t try to offend anyone! That goes with when you are driving, when you’re at a store, and so on and so forth. I know a lot of folks tend to over do it on Facebook and Post some things that can be taken very offensively to some people and basically keep it to yourself and behind close doors if you’re a business owner.
I’m going to close this with an example I experienced the other week. I walked into a BBQ Restaurant in my hometown. The owner was talking to a customer and they both had their backs to me when I walked in. The owner said to the customer, “Well, I think every woman should know they’re going to be sexually harassed when they walk into a bar.” He said that right when I walked in. I doubt he would have said that if he knew I was there obviously, however he said it at the wrong time. I walked right out and I’ve told several people about that story and I won’t eat there. I hope this examples helps in clarifying that Posting something or saying something in Public could come back and bite you so be careful. I know we all more than likely have some opinion that could offend someone else so that’s why I say that you should keep it at home and with close friends.
Below Are Some Great Examples Of Facebook Pages That Are Offering More:
Mark It Clean: https://www.facebook.com/MarkItClean/timeline
Stanley Steemer: https://www.facebook.com/StanleySteemerSanDiego
West Tenn: https://www.facebook.com/Westtenncarpetcleaning
Legacy Clean: https://www.facebook.com/legacyclean
Bonus:
Going to Your Settings And View Your Personal Profile Like The Public!