As an HVAC contractor, using social media to grow your business can seem like a daunting task. How could heating and air conditioning possibly make an impact in the world of funny animal videos, pictures of colorful coffee drinks, and memes? Well, it turns out that social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to interact with and learn about your customer base. Here are five tips to drive social media engagement for your company.
1. Use original images — In order to break through the noise and create posts that captivate your audience, you need to use unique and brand-specific images that speak to your company’s personality. Posts with images receive far more likes and comments than those without. By the same token, a post with an original photo will generate genuine engagement, while a stock photo is more easily ignored by social media users. Snap a photo of your employees at work or your staff at a lunch meeting; this helps to give a face to your organization.
2. Encourage participation — One of the keys to differentiating your social media strategy from other HVAC contractors is getting your followers involved in the fun you’re having. Post a funny photo of one of your techs, and caption it “Caption this.” Your followers will be eager to out-funny each other. This makes your social media profile an avenue for interacting with your customers and your social community, helping to increase your brand awareness and authenticity.
3. Interact with your social community — The feature that makes social media really special is the ability to carry on real-time conversations with your target audience. However, neglecting the tools that allow you to interact with your followers can actually hurt your brand image. Comments on social media should be responded to in a timely manner, and with helpful or friendly messages. In addition, show your appreciation for brand engagement by tagging users who share your content. This kind of interaction will elevate your social media presence from the vast majority of HVAC contractors.
4. Drive social media engagement with contests — Contests are a great way to involve your followers in your social media community and incentivize their engagement. You can use social media to host sweepstakes for free service or tickets to local concerts. In particular, user generated content is an effective way to use earned media to increase brand presence. For instance, the follower with the most creative #FamilyPoolDay picture gets a free service call. Or, pick a follower at random who likes or follows your page to receive a prize. Use contests to drive social media engagement and excite your community.
5. Watch for trending topics — Remember that social media is a platform to humanize your brand in order to interact with your customers. With that being said, tailoring your content more to your followers’ interests and less to HVAC will strengthen your connection with them. Watch for trending topics on social media and popular hashtags. Also, you can use advanced social media tools to see what kinds of topics people within your target area are talking about. Instead of trying to use social media to promote your business, engage with your followers and amplify your brand presence.
Publication date: 7/11/2017
