With COVID-19 changing the way we all travel, work, and spend our free time, it’s no wonder that your customers may be worried about how and where they should invest their time and money. While the future with COVID-19 is anything but certain, the current fear and worry that many are experiencing is very real.
People wonder if the economy will reopen for good or if they need to prepare for another shutdown. They can’t find solid information on the development of a vaccine and don’t know how much longer they may need to self-isolate to protect their elderly and at-risk loved ones. They may have lost their jobs and are facing a crisis deciding where to turn next.
As a contractor, you’re generally considered an essential worker. That said, all of these fears are probably making your customers reluctant to spend money. If they are willing to spend, they might be nervous about who they hire and whether or not a contractor will follow adequate safety precautions. So how can you continue to keep your workload full?
Social media may be the answer. It’s a great way to reconnect to your customer base and bring in more business. And since customers are spending much less time out of the house and much more time on their computers, there’s a good chance you’ll find your audience much more easily online than you might through other traditional marketing methods.
Here are some ways you can maximize your use of social media in light of current conditions.
Advertise How You’re Prioritizing Customers’ Health
Advertise all the safety precautions you’re taking—many customers won’t consider hiring anyone who they feel will endanger their family’s health. Let them know that you’re sanitizing often, wearing a mask to jobs in homes, and observing social distancing guidelines. This should be posted clearly on your Facebook business page and on your website.
Create Share-Worthy Posts
If you have a Facebook business page, you might already know that it’s not as easy as it seems to have customers see your content unless you pay for ads. Ads are a great way to use Facebook, but they’re not the only way. (If you don’t have a Facebook page, now is absolutely the time to create one). Facebook prioritizes content that users like, and a large part of how they measure that is by how much people who see your post interact with it.
This means that if you can create posts that your customers enjoy, they’re more likely to show up for more people. Here are some ideas for share-worthy posts:
● Create a video or write a post highlighting a local business that you’ve done work for. That business will appreciate the chance for publicity and their customers will share and see it too.
● Give viewers something that excites or inspires them. Share neat how-to videos or a list of summer maintenance projects they can do themselves.
● Ask customers to share their questions about home renovation or repair projects, then answer those questions in later posts.
Many businesses just use a Facebook page as a spot for more ads, but that’s not how it’s designed. Posts should be focused on getting customers to share your content, which will in turn bring customers to your business page.
Get More Reviews
Having lots of positive reviews will show potential customers that they can trust you. That is more important now than ever. Reach out to all past customers who haven’t left you a review yet and just ask (Facebook, Google, and Yelp are the most common places they can leave reviews). You could consider entering everyone who leaves a review into a drawing for a gift card to a local business (supporting local businesses is especially popular right now). Or for every review, you could donate a small amount of money to a local charity that is helping with COVID-19 relief. Customers like an incentive, but most people are more than happy to leave you a review if you just ask.
Hopefully, these strategies will help you engage more with customers and keep bringing in business despite the tough times. Let us hear from you! How has COVID-19 impacted your workload? Let us know in the comments!
