97% of consumers go online to find local services: how you can use Facebook to get their attention.

With over 1.96 billion people logging onto Facebook daily, it's no surprise that Facebook is an effective marketing tool for contractors to expand their businesses by reaching new customers in their target market.

Despite the effectiveness of being online, only 45% of contractors report using social media for their business. That means that by simply creating a Facebook page and having a content strategy, you are already well ahead of 55% of other contractors in your area.

In this article, we will cover the first five steps you need to do to start a successful Facebook business page. Read on to learn how you can get started, create a content strategy, and begin running Facebook Ads so that you can reach new clients sooner.

1. Set up a business page

The first step to finding customers on Facebook is making a business page so that they can find you. If you do not yet have a business page, creating one is easy:

1. 1. Navigate to Pages.
   2. Select Create New Page.
   3. Add your page’s Name, Category, and Bio.
   4. Include additional information such as Contact, Location, and Hours as applicable.
   5. Add a Profile and Cover Photo.
   6. Invite friends to connect with your Page.
   7. Click Done.

In just a few simple steps, you have a Business Page set up and ready to start posting content and ads.

2. Define your target audience

When running Facebook Ads, it’s important to first consider who you are trying to reach. If your primary target audience for Facebook content is homeowners looking to hire a contractor for a remodeling project, you’ll want to target these specific people by delivering content tailored to their needs and concerns. 

Through engaging visuals, language, and offers, you can gain the attention of homeowners, who can then be nurtured over time to become a customer.

Creating a targeted strategy may include:

• • • Location: what areas do you serve? Use Facebook Ads Manager to target specific cities or zip codes.

• • • Demographics: what kind of customers are you looking for? Consider specific characteristics such as age, gender, education, or income.

• • • Audience interests: is your target audience looking for high-tech homes, or maybe they are hoping to be as energy efficient as possible? Creating content that reflects these interests can help you to attract the right audience for your business.

In addition, Facebook provides some additional options that may be helpful in finding your target audience:

• • • Lookalike users: these are users who share similar characteristics as those who already follow you and engage with your content.
    • Retargeting: this allows you to reach out to users who have already engaged with your business in some capacity, whether that means they've hired you before or simply visited your Facebook page.

3. Post content regularly

Keeping fresh content in your audience’s feed is the best way to keep your business in their minds. So, how often should you be posting? The answer, of course, is not always straightforward, but the general consensus is that businesses should aim to post 1-3 times per week on Facebook.

But, timing isn’t everything. According to HubSpot, audiences who see high-quality content are more likely to engage, even if they see it less often. Meaning, it is better to focus your time on posting high-quality content less frequently than it is to post lower-quality content more frequently.

Some examples of the kind of content you could post include:

• • • Before and after photos
    • A finished project you’re proud of
    • Testimonials from customers
    • Design tips
    • Behind-the-scenes glimpses

Consistency is key when using social media to advertise, so it’s important for you to come up with a plan and stick with it. By using a scheduling platform such as Later, you can make it easier on yourself by planning and scheduling your content ahead.

4. Engage with your audience

You're losing business by not answering your comments. 

According to a Survey by SproutSocial, 60% of homeowners would rethink their decision to purchase from a brand if it has negative comments on social media, so it’s important that you take the time to engage with the people who comment on your posts. That way, you are building trust in your home remodeling brand. 

That same survey showed that 80% of customers see social media as a channel that makes businesses more accountable. Users you have listened to and responded to—especially if they have asked a question—will see your business in a positive light just because you took the time to respond to them.

Engaging with your audience helps them to see you as a real person, not a business. People buy from people, not businesses.

Dedicate 15 minutes per day to go through your Facebook comments and engage with each one. Let them know you appreciate their support with comments or likes, and see how their trust in your businesses grows. You shouldn’t go more than 48 hours without checking your business page, as followers are quick to move on when they don’t receive a reply.

5. Monitor your performance

A common mistake companies make is that they post whatever they think is good vs. what people want to see. Track the number of engagements you have on your content. Try before and after photos, testimonials from customers, design tips, etc. See what gets the most engagement, and add more of those to your content calendar. Over time, you can track which elements of your strategy are working, and which ones receive less attention. That way you can focus your efforts on posts that are going to attract the right customers.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself when analyzing social engagement:

• • • How much text is written in the post?
    • What is the topic?
    • How high-quality is the image?
    • Did you use a single image, multiple images, or a video?
    • What is the image or video of?
    • Did you engage with any comments?
    • Did you link out to a website?
    • Was anyone tagged?

Once you have a regular flow of content, you can follow the data from these ideas to ensure you are posting the content that your target audience tends to engage with the most.

Takeaway

Marketing on Facebook is going to take some time and effort, but with only 45% of contractors currently advertising on social media, it won’t be long before you’re ahead of the game. When you engage with your audience, and provide them with regular interesting and useful content, you will be at the forefront of their mind when they are ready to renovate.