In a world filled with technology, the tools to market your business are endless. There are so many in fact, being able to reach your target market (and potential customers) becomes somewhat difficult. This is where social media comes in handy.Â
Considering your target market is important when choosing social media marketing outlets. There are a number of social media options out there. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram are among the social media giants that have revolutionized the way businesses communicate with the public. These media sources should be utilized more int he Green Industry. Let’s take a look at the best practices to be effective on these platforms for landscaping contractors.
 Face the public.
Facebook is one of the most effective social media platforms for marketing small businesses. With over 1.13 billion active users, Facebook is the leading social network in the world. For this reason, it is the one most commonly used by businesses. With a business specific page, users are given the capability to schedule and boost posts, produce paid advertisements, and even track page data.
A business Facebook account allows for interaction with customers through direct messaging and post commenting. Facebook is very user friendly. Most people use Facebook or are familiar with it. This creates a large accessible audience.
To be effective with Facebook marketing several things are important:
- post at least once a day
- create balanced material
- insert images
- add locations to posts
- use # (hashtags) and tag other users when appropriate
Posting on a regular basis keeps an audience involved. This makes businesses less likely to be forgotten. Creating balanced material between relevant information and humorous posts keeps followers interested. Adding images to the majority (or all) posts stimulates followers as it attracts their eye.
There are a few tricks built into Facebook that will help you reach your local audience, and potential clients. Attaching a location using the pin button on the post makes a post appear on more of the pages of people near you. Using # (hashtag) allows users that don’t follow you to find your posts more effectively. Finally, tagging people allows the tagged person’s friends to see that post.
Facebook is very compatible for business owners. It adds to the overall image and marketing of any company. Facebook can be used as a tool to connect with clients as well as represent your work. By posting pictures of your completed projects and transformations from before your work, your will build your company portfolio. Click here to visit Wolf Creek Company’s Facebook.
 Just a tweet away.
Twitter is also a great way to market a small business. The nice thing about Twitter is the system allows you to link to Facebook. By connecting the two social medias, a post on Facebook will automatically post to Twitter. This is effective marketing because you are reaching two large audiences while doing half the work.
Twitter can serve as a mini blog for companies. The characters in which you can type are very limited so a user must choose content selectively. This social messaging tool is helpful when keeping your customers informed of upcoming deals, promotions or events. Twitter is a form of news reporting for your followers.
To be effective with Twitter marketing several things are key:
- keep posts (“tweets”) short and simple
- use images to grab reader’s attention
- show some humor
- post daily
- use # (hashtags) and tag other users when appropriate
Twitter is less video oriented than Facebook and other social media platforms. Giving short thoughts that grab readers’ attention by using caps will reduce the amount of people to skim over your post. Keeping comments light and humorous will attract a larger following. And again, posting daily will grab people’s attention to your posts more often. Twitter is a great tool for business owners because it is easy and quick to use. Although, Twitter is bit yet very popular among landscaping companies. Despite this, creating an active Twitter account can increase your Search Engine optimization, which is what gets you on search engine results. Click here for Wolf Creek Company’s Twitter.
 Picture that in an Instant.
Some call Instagram the Facebook of pictures. This social media allows users to post pictures, captions, locations and tag people to the picture. In a world growing more stimulated by images than words, Instagram is a big player. And, it has its advantages and disadvantages.
This social media platform allows businesses to display their accomplishments and can be used as a portfolio. The biggest advantage of Instagram is the ability to easily edit photos and move through the app. Even if you don’t get a great photo to post, editing is easy and fast with the use of filters. Just like the other social medias, direct messaging to clients and commenting helps build customer relations.
When posting on Instagram be sure to:
- add a general location to the post when possible
- use # (hashtags)Â and tag other users when appropriate
- edit photos to be well lit and cropped accordingly
- don’t post a photo more than once a day
These amenities are useful but Instagram is limited for businesses. Users can only access Instagram via smart phone and are not given analysis of the page. Instagram is not business friendly due to the restricted advertising and span of users. Unlike Twitter and Facebook, which both can be linked together. Instagram has a one way linking system that only allows Instagram posts to be shared on other social medias, not both ways.
Although, Instagram can serve as a good tool to house pictures of projects and can easily be pulled up via mobile device to show to customers. Click here for Wolf Creek’s Instagram.
In conclusion, social media is the new and easy way to market your business. Each media source has its own benefits and drawbacks, but for now Facebook is the most effective and user friendly for business owners.
