“Only 25% of your status updates should be promotional. The other 25% to 50% should be about the community and industry, the rest should be manufacturer updates and new products,” says Chris Marentis, founder and CEO of Internet marketing company Surefire Social. Stephen Hoefer, president of Inbound Marketing Associates, says you should picture your ideal/target client when you’re posting something. “You don’t want to reach everybody. Who is your ideal customer? Create content and post things of interest to them,” Hoefer says. Hoefer’s partner, Mary Karpinski, points out that trends in design or home remodeling are a hot topic. She says remodelers should use keywords that their ideal clients are using to search on the Internet. Ask your company’s sales staff about common questions that potential clients have, she says, and “develop content to answer those questions.”
What Should Your Facebook Posts Include?
1. Projects: Include photos of both in-progress construction/details, as well as images of completed projects. Coco Harper, marketing director at Jackson Design & Remodeling, in San Diego, says that project photos are popular. “Our beautiful work is where we get the most likes,” she says. “If a client sees their project on project of the month, Karpinski says,"they will post it and send it to their friends.”
2. Links: Provide links to your blog, newsletter, videos, and portfolios. This cross-marketing will make sure your potential clients can find the topics they want to read about.
3. Educational information: Offer ideas and links to information that will help potential and past clients make home improvement decisions. Include links to reports, surveys, articles, as well as your company’s own white papers or lists on what to ask a contractor. The majority of engagement for East Meadow, N.Y., company Alure Home Improvement comes from its 2,800 Facebook fans. Director of marketing Seth Selesnow says that the company posts a tip of the week about small, useful home-related items.
4. New products: Include photos and links to manufacturer pages or press releases for new products or a new use of an existing product. Add your opinion or your own experience with the product, or talk about cost or how the product should be installed. This helps potential customers view you as an expert.
