“On Facebook, I have been able to acquire over $500,000 in business with about a 12X ROI on our ad spend over a two year period.”

Last week, I shared some tips around using word of mouth and networking in the field service industry as Part 2 of my series, Building a Marketing Funnel. Today, I’ll be focusing on how to make the best use of web content and social media. Let’s get to it!

Web Content

‘You are who Google says you are,’ is a popular phrase in marketing circles.  If you do not have a strong internet presence, you are truly missing out.  Not only is it a great place to send customers to learn about your services and see pictures of past projects, it also lends credibility to you and your company and is a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year salesperson for you and your business. It takes time to build good content that customers will engage with, but it can pay off big in the long term.  A few things you need to consider when building your web presence:

• Keyword research
• Backlinking
• Consistent new content
• Creating helpful content that your target audience wants to read

There are several ways to focus on this, and here are a few resources that can help start you on the right path:

1. Ahrefs.com can be used to find keywords and will rate your site on its effectiveness. I use it to track my progress and to keep an eye on my competitors.
2. Moz.com can help you do a lot of the work and also has free tools you can use. 
3. Backlinko.com will teach you about creating links: how to do it, and why you should.
4. We all use Google.com to search, but it can also be a tool to help us figure out what others are searching for.  Just start typing and Google will tell you what others are searching for.

Social Media 

Most painting contractors have no idea how to use social media to grow their business.  Everyone talks about it, but few do it well.  We think it is great because it is free right?  Wrong.  It takes time to get a good revenue stream from social media, and really to get it to work well, it costs money.  The idea behind social media (and most people forget this) is that it needs to be social and a little fun.  If it’s not fun, no one will share it…and that is kind of its big strength.

As a painting contractor, you need to understand three things about social media:

1. It is not a fad, and it is not going away.
2. You are not too old to participate.
3. It is NOT a diary about what you did today, yesterday, or last week.

I hear guys say, “It’s not my thing.” Or, “No one wants to hear about what I did yesterday.” Or some say they just don’t have time.  Well, it is here to stay (just like the internet), it’s not that hard to figure out, and you DON’T need to be on every platform – just pick one or two.

There are a lot of options for social media, but I will highlight two:  Facebook and LinkedIn. Both of these platforms have been around a long time, and both should be staples for every person reading this.   Firstly, Facebook has lost some appeal from younger people, but for those who have the money, Facebook is the ‘Mack-daddy’.  Secondly, Facebook is doing some great things to stay relevant and to get users to stick around and stay engaged.  The game has changed over the years on follower engagement, but if you know what to do, Facebook can be a cash machine that consistently brings you new prospects.

On Facebook, I have been able to acquire over $500,000 in business with about a 12X ROI on our ad spend over a two year period. Facebook is great for painting contractors because you can spend as much as you want, it is easy to use, and you can target your perfect customer.

LinkedIn on the other hand, is more for the professional, and if you consider yourself a professional painter, you need to have a presence there.  LinkedIn is a great tool to elevate your personal brand and your business above the fly-by-night contractors that are here today and gone tomorrow.  You will be able to connect with business leaders in your community as well as other contractors.  I have gained so much knowledge by connecting with other painting contractors on LinkedIn from across the county.  It is not only a good marketing move, but it will help you grow your business in ways you never thought possible.

Are you happy with how you’re using web content and social media for your business? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.

Also, look for the final part of this series coming next Wednesday, January 25! I’ll be sharing my best practices around another important marketing vehicle, direct mail.
Nick

Read Part 1 of Building a Marketing Funnel | Read Part 2 of Building a Marketing Funnel

Nick May owns Walls by Design, based out of Denver, CO. He started the business in 1999 with one employee, and grew it to be one of the largest residential interior painting businesses in Colorado. May believes in systems, team building, and marketing…not necessarily in that order. When he’s not working with his team, you can find him playing soccer or hosting his successful interior design podcast called The Chaise Lounge where he shares the stories of some of the most successful designers in the industry today.

Last modified: April 6, 2018