3 Social Media Basics For Service Businesses

Social Media Won’t Build Your Business, But It Can Hurt It

Social media can help you build demand for your service business and trust in your brand, but it’s not designed to build a business by itself. That doesn’t mean you can forget about it, though. Poor social media presence can do a lot to damage your business!

“There are lots of ways it can hurt your business,” says Jaclyn Sanders, the Social Media Strategist at LeadsNearby.

Here are three things to know about social media for service businesses.

Social Shows People Your Business Is Alive

A great website is essential and offers your business a ton of advantages, but it’s not a topical tool.

“There are no dates on your home page or service pages,” says Ray Wagner, a Content Strategist at LeadsNearby. “Your site might be impressive, but it doesn’t say when it was posted. For all someone knows, you wrote it years ago and have since moved, or retired, or been abducted by aliens. There’s no way to know.”

Social media, on the other hand, relies heavily on a timeline.

Jaclyn says, “If you go to a company’s social media page and see they haven’t posted in weeks or months, it creates doubt about them.”

As an example, she says to picture calling the business and not getting an answer.

“If it’s a company that just posted a picture of a tech on a job site, you assume the phone is ringing because they’re working. If it’s a company that hasn’t posted in 3 months, you picture that the phone is ringing in an empty office.”

Jaclyn says that’s why posting regularly across your social media is crucial.

Post With Purpose

Posting regularly is important, but that doesn’t mean you just throw anything online.

Jaclyn says, “Pictures make great posts, but I cringe when I see someone posting one that’s low quality.”

This goes back to one of the main social media pitfalls: a page that does not feel current.

“Smartphone cameras are incredible now,” Jaclyn adds. “When I see a picture that’s really pixelated or small, I just find myself wondering where they found a flip phone in 2023?”

Social media is a great place to get credit for all of the good work you are doing, both on and off the job.

Jaclyn says that you don’t want to brag about yourself, but social is the perfect place to show that you are part of your community. “After someone knows you’re alive, they want to know what you’re doing. Are you sponsoring the local football team? Supporting a charity for veterans? Part of a 5k?”

People Do Business With People They Know

This is where your brand’s voice comes into play.

Ray says, “Someone has seen your vans around town, and maybe they’ve seen your techs at a community event. They are aware of you… but now they need your service. Why are they going to call you instead of a competitor that they’ve seen in those same places?”

The way you talk and the things you talk about might be the difference between getting a call and getting passed over.

“There are a lot of good ways to talk to your customers,” Jaclyn says. “You have to pick the one that best reflects who you are.”

• Is your company’s brand personable and funny? Do people call you because they’d like to have a beer with you?
• Do you build your relationships with expert knowledge and a calm voice for people that are in crisis?
• Do you have bargain basement prices and separate yourself from the rest by doing more for less?

“Whatever you say when you’re talking to a prospect is what you want people to see on your social media,” Ray advises.

People are comfortable with people they know, so make sure they know who you are from your social media.

Social Media Is Always Changing

“There was a time before the pandemic when a week without posting wasn’t a big deal. You had a Facebook page and a cover photo and so everything was probably fine,” Jaclyn remembers.

“But, since March of 2020, a lack of posting feels like the economy has finally gotten your business. That’s how quickly social media can change.”

Whether it’s the changing user base or new technology, a year from now it will look very different—as it will a year on from that. It’s important to stay current on trends yourself or partner with someone who can keep you on top of things.

We can be that partner! If you’re looking to step up your social media, or just get in the game, call 919-758-8420 . Let us walk you through what the right marketing strategy can do.