By now you’re probably quite familiar with the power of using social media as part of your company’s marketing strategy. You’ve heard the head-turning statistics like how 96% of businesses are now using social media in some capacity to enhance their marketing efforts, or how social media has revolutionized the way we interact with each other.
And what if you’re one of those not-so-in vogue businesses? You know, the plumbers, the pest control companies, HVAC, and waste management companies. You might be wondering if you should even be on social media. And if so, what are you supposed to be posting, and how often?
We’ve compiled our top three most helpful types of social media posts for the less alluring industries to show you how social media CAN be effective and positive, even if you’re not currently a trendsetter in your online space.
Post #1: The Helping Hand
What are the most commonly asked questions from your customers? What kinds of issues do your customers or clients tend to struggle with most? What other information might they need to supplement your product or service? These are some great questions to get the wheels turning on new, creative posts that you can share on your social media platforms. Even better is that you can use your social media pages to respond to customer questions, or even concerns, like Samsung and JetBlue did. Engagement is key and exactly what you are striving for —
How to share this information: We’d recommend creating blog posts on practical topics and then sharing them across your social media accounts, creating infographics to visually explain complex or dry data, or producing videos to help answer some of those more frequently asked questions.
Post #2: The Educator
Being the expert means that you know a lot about your industry as a whole and not just the particular products or services you offer. A great way to demonstrate your authority is to become the go-to resource within your industry. Take the national pest control company Orkin for example. They offer an entire pest library on their website with all kinds of information on the different types of pests we might find in our homes, how to tell if we have an infestation and they even offer some DIY pest control tips. They go out of their way to help educate us on pests before we even buy their pest control service. They become our ally, aiming to establish a relationship. Just think, how could you apply this to your industry? What types of posts could you publish on social media to educate your audience and become that go-to source of information?
How to share this information: You could create a page on your website with a library of resources and then share the link on social media, you could create an educational video series, or you could use relevant images to supplement your educational posts.
Post #3: The Influencer
Think your content is too dry, too complex, or too boring for the social world? It’s important to remember there are always enthusiasts out there who do in fact want to read your in-depth analyses, who do understand the complex language, and who might even be an influencer who can spread the word about your brand. We say go for it and don’t shy away from getting technical and in-depth on occasion. High-quality, in-depth articles will help to increase your rankings on Google, as well as establish your industry expertise.
How to share this information: A blog post is a great place to share the more in-depth articles. You could also consider publishing your article on an external publishing platform, or you could create a video that goes in-depth on your product, process or idea.
Well, there you have it! Hopefully, you’re feeling re-inspired to get back into the social media game and develop new ways of trend-setting (in perhaps your not-so-trendy industry!).
Do you have any specific types of social media posts that have been successful for your business? Let us know!