Business

Why Social Media Matters in the Business of Construction

Put simply, not having an online presence threatens a company’s credibility, visibility and future growth.
By Francis Lowe
August 30, 2018
Topics
Business

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a company’s website and social media accounts serve as a digital storefront offering a glimpse into the business’s products, services and culture.

Put simply, not having an online presence threatens a company’s credibility, visibility and future growth.

Most small and medium-sized construction companies recognize the value of social media but aren’t sure where to start, so they often put the most low-cost, high-impact communications tool in the hands of their youngest employee and hope for the best.

But relying on the youngest (and usually the least experienced) person in the office to connect with customers is a lost opportunity to attract new clients and form meaningful bonds with existing ones.

Instead, entrust someone with the company’s social media channels who can connect with clients on a daily basis and convey the firm’s values.

A social media manager should be the brand’s finest ambassador, a communications guru, the company’s part-time cheerleader and full-time customer service representative all rolled into one.

Here’s why social media is such an important tool for success.

It Levels the Playing Field

Not all marketing budgets are created equally. Some companies have more resources, but when it comes to social media, everyone starts off on a (fairly) level playing field. That’s good news for smaller businesses competing for attention.

A company’s social marketing success is determined by the amount of value created for its audience. By creating content that the audience wants to share, the business will gain more followers, build brand loyalty and discover customers it never knew existed.

Companies often make the mistake of sharing posts that read too much like construction project updates. Instead of telling the audience that a project is ahead of schedule, let them know what’s unique about the project and why it’s great news that it’s ahead of schedule.

Let them know how this housing development, school, hospital or stadium is going to change their community for the better and why the company is proud to be a part of the project. Social media is about sharing the human side of the story; it’s far more interesting and worthy of attention.

It Removes the Wall Between the Business and Its Customers

The companies that perform the best on social media are the ones that share quality content, show personality and give their audience a window into their corporate culture. Social media offers businesses the opportunity to informally connect with customers and show the human faces behind the company logo.

When utilized correctly, social media can lead to real relationship- building. Not surprisingly, staying in front of customers means they’re more likely to think of the company when they need a product or service.

For example, simple posts about safety orientations or toolbox talks will give the audience an insight into how seriously the company takes employee safety.

Additionally, many construction companies participate in charitable events or donate their time and expertise to local community projects. Sharing pictures of these events is a great way to communicate the company’s personality.

Posts about products and services are important, but posts about the people behind those products and services are invaluable.

It Can Boost the Company’s Search Results Ranking

If the company’s website isn’t at the top of search engine results, it’s time to start thinking about a search engine optimization strategy. One way to boost a firm’s ranking is to drive traffic from its social media posts to its website.

Search engine crawlers can tell which webpages are consistently visited and which are not. Driving traffic to optimized pages will cause them to climb in the search engine results pages.

It Allows for Measurable Targeting and Retargeting

Targeted advertising on social channels is an effective way to reach new audiences. Social media ads are highly customizable and allow users to be identified by location, age and industry.

It’s also possible to install pixels for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and AdRoll onto the organization’s website and use them to retarget the people who visit that page. Essentially, it’s a way to follow up with the people who visited the company’s website.

Paid ads on social channels also offer a low cost-per-click rate while maintaining specificity about who is targeted.

One of the biggest advantages of using social media marketing is that every post is measurable and the analytical data is available immediately, demonstrating what the audience clicked on, what they’re most interested in and when to reach them.

All this information will yield more effective marketing efforts in the future.

It’s Free

Running a social network campaign is as cheap as it gets when handled by internal staff.

It takes time to create and post relevant content across social media channels, but it’s an investment that will yield a return if managed correctly.

Simply put, social media marketing shouldn’t be an optional extra; it must be an essential part of how a company does business.

by Francis Lowe

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