If you run a plumbing business and want to differentiate yourself from your competitors, customer service may not be enough. You should expect your competitors to deliver high-quality plumbing services to their customers. Your only chance to stand out is to reach potential customers first and to make them want to choose your services over others that may be cheaper or closer to their homes.
Digital marketing may hold the secret formula that will set your plumbing business apart from the competition. Social media, in particular, when used creatively, can make a huge difference without breaking the bank. For example, Google Ads are usually pricier than Facebook Ads:
- the average CPC on Google Ads is $2.69 across industries
- on Facebook, the average CPC (cost-per-click) is $0.45
For more data, check out the following infographic from AgencyAnalytics.
So what do you do when you want to gain more leads and customers for your plumbing business? First, of course, you turn to Facebook for advertising, but the social media offers many other opportunities you should not miss; here are five tips to get you started:
Hire a Social Media Copywriter
As strange as this may sound, you need a social media copywriter – someone who understands what kind of messages make people react and interact on social media.
The copywriter you choose must also understand your business, goals, brand, and, most importantly, customers. Then, of course, you can try to do it yourself. Still, your lack of writing skills will show: typos and grammatical blunders make people giggle, but they are also inexcusable for serious businesses.
Share Relatable, Fun Trivia
Whether on Facebook or elsewhere, try to put a smile on your followers’ faces. A trivia update like this may do the trick:
This is just an example. You know your customers and understand what makes them smile. Share enough to remind them that a plumbing issue, while frustrating, is not the end of the world: you will be there to help.
Fun trivia is entertainment while you are busy serving other customers.
Create Compelling Photo Galleries
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media networks offer you tools to create compelling photo galleries.
When you think “compelling,” you could imagine magazine-perfect pictures of your best work. Of course, in doing so, you set up very high expectations. But unfortunately, there will be instances when your perfect gallery examples cannot find an equivalent for customers who are not ready or willing to pay premium prices.
Selling dreams may be a tempting venture, albeit unrealistic. Please don’t do it. Instead, show people your work behind the scenes. These images may not be pretty, but they are honest, and your clients will appreciate your candor.
Use Live Video to Communicate
You can use live video for anything you want potential customers to know about your business. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others have live video functionality to help entrepreneurs connect with their clientele.
You can use live video to reply to FAQ, but use it for “behind the scenes” scenarios or show your clients how you work. They will appreciate seeing you “in action” because they know you have nothing to hide.
Live video is not mandatory: it’s just more engaging than traditional formats. If you are not comfortable with live video, hire someone to shoot professional clips for ads and sharing on social media.
DIY for social media videos works too. DIY videos are candid, and they are valued more than staged clips.
Offer Exclusive Discounts and Deals to Your Social Media Followers
Advertising on social media (especially Facebook) can be more effective than using Google Ads. But if you don’t have the budget to pay per click, you could use social media to drive leads by enticing your followers with discounts, deals, and special offers.
You could also use a platform like Woobox for giveaways – another Facebook marketing strategy, not many businesses exploit.
And, There Is More…
Besides the five social media strategies for plumbing businesses mentioned above, you could also consider adding a chatbot to address customer inquiries and FAQs around the clock. Surveys are another excellent way to engage your audiences: most social media networks have quiz tools and multiple-choice questions. Finally, while memes are no longer trendy, you could start a #hashtag-focused campaign.
Feature your clients – especially those you satisfied. Carter’s My Plumber’s “Testimonial Tuesday” is a good example of using social media to drive brand awareness while capitalizing on customer satisfaction.
Whatever you choose, remember to be true to yourself. Your clients will appreciate ingenuity, genuineness, and trustworthiness.