Richard Costello, owner of MultiPlumb, offers six reasons why your business needs to be on social media if it isn’t already.

Social media for business is no longer an option if you want to stay in business. There are over 3 billion internet users worldwide and over 65% of them have active social media accounts. The numbers don’t lie, so I’m going to give you six reasons why your business should be on social media.

Brand awareness and social proof

Customers are becoming more and more savvy when it comes to contracting out any plumbing or building work in their home. If your company has been recommended by a friend, you can be damn sure that they’re going to Google you.

If you don’t have a basic presence on any of the main social media networks, then you’re not likely to be seen in a good light. If you have a half decent Facebook page which is updated on a regular basis, then it shows that you’re keeping up with the times and that your business is reputable and can be trusted.

Become a valued resource for your followers

You’re an expert in your industry, so why not share your knowledge by posting useful value based content on social media? Potential customers research online and when they search on Google, YouTube or Facebook, if your post/video is keyword optimized then you will be found.

If they find that you post unique and helpful content they’re more likely to see you as an authority/expert in that industry and are more likely to trust you (buy from you). If the information that you’re posting is useful then people will share your content with their family and friends online which helps to extend your reach and increase your credibility.

Google counts social sharing when ranking

Social media helps direct people to your website which helps with your search engine ranking score. If people are talking about your company on social media, search engines like Google will take notice. If your company has a strong social media presence and you’re posting useful content and it is getting shared, then you’re likely to outrank your competitors who aren’t using social media and vice versa.

Run laser targeted ads

Traditional marketing methods for plumbers include the Yellow Pages, leaflets through doors and local newspaper adverts. While these methods worked to some degree it was always difficult to pinpoint exactly what was working and who was seeing your ads. Facebook Ads allows you to target specific consumer groups based on demographics, interests, geographical regions, age and much more. If you’re a plumber based in Yorkshire, then you can specify that your advert is only seen by homeowners who live in Yorkshire. It would make sure that it isn’t shown to someone living in London which would probably be of no use to you.

Cut your marketing costs

I just talked about how social media allows you to very specifically laser target your audience, but it is also significantly cheaper than advertising through ‘traditional’ means too. Research, from Lyfe Marketing, reveals that it costs roughly £43 to reach 1000 people through direct mail, £12 to reach 1000 people through newspaper advertising and £8 to reach 100 people through radio. It costs just £2 to reach 1000 people through social media. You can cut your marketing budget by well over 75%. These cost savings cannot be ignored any more.

In my own personal experience, a four-page advert on a local newspaper costs roughly £1000 and I really didn’t know how many people saw the advert. While I got a good response, I now know that if I spent £1000 on Facebook Ads I would reach a lot more people then that newspaper advert ever could.

Spy on your competitors

Some people would compare this to stalking but monitoring your competitor’s social media activity can help you to gain key information about them. You can use this information to help make strategic business decisions so that you stay ahead of them. You can use this information to create special offers of your own or tailor your prices so that you’re still competitive.

So there you have it. Why I believe that your business should be on social media. I believe that Facebook should be your first choice, YouTube second and then if you have time or budget available you should create active Instagram and Twitter accounts too.

Richard Costello

Richard Costello, from Dartford in Kent, is the owner of MultiPlumb and has been involved in the plumbing industry installing bathrooms and boiler systems for over 15 years. If you have any questions or suggestions for future blog posts feel to get in touch at richard@multiplumb.co.uk.