Social media for electricians doesn't always come easy. As an electrician, finding time to balance all of your responsibilities can be a difficult task. You may be wondering, "How can I fit social media into my busy schedule?" The truth is, incorporating a social strategy into your role as an electrician doesn't need to be time-consuming. In fact, getting into a simple routine with posting can actually result in a steady stream of clients for your business, making social media for electricians a valuable investment!

To help you get started, we're sharing four simple steps to launch your social media accounts and create an online community for your services.

If you simply don't have the time to incorporate social media into your schedule as an electrician, we understand. For support in your marketing strategy, contact our team at Profitworks for support today!

Social Media for Electricians: 4 Simple Steps To Get Started

1. Create an Online Presence

The first step in launching your social media strategy is choosing the social media platforms that you want your business to be listed on. One of the first things that customers do before booking a service is research their options online, meaning its important for your business to have an online presence and positive reviews.

Some of the most valuable platforms for business owners include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,  Pinterest, and Google+. All of these platforms offer business-specific features and tools to support business owners in growing brand awareness online. When it comes to choosing the right platforms for your business, you have to ask the question, "Where does my target audience spend their time or look for information?" The reality is, social media platforms are not one-size-fits-all. For example, if you offer commercial electrical services, it may be more beneficial for you to invest your time on LinkedIn where other business owners are located, vs. Instagram or Pinterest.

Once you've chosen your platforms and claimed your business pages, be sure to take the extra time to include all company information that would be relevant to a prospective customer who discovers your page. Things like company hours, address, website and background information can all be valuable pieces of information that lead users to follow your page or message you directly for more information.

For example, similarly to Walmart, create a Facebook page for your electrical services that includes all of the information that a prospective customer would need to decide to contact you. This may include your business hours, services, as well as images of your work to generate interest.

Another key feature of these platforms is that they all offer advertising services that you can leverage to promote your brand even further. For example, Facebook's advertising services allow business owners to run highly-targeted ads to Facebook users in order to achieve different objectives, such as driving traffic to your website, growing brand awareness, or increasing conversions. Companies like Relevantly specialize in Facebook Advertising to help business owners get the most out of their advertising dollars through intentional targeting and well-crafted ads. After launching a brand Facebook page, the advertising feature is a fantastic way to showcase your new page and generate some interest from people in your area who may be interested in your electrical services.

2. Develop Your Online Community

Now that you have made account(s) on social media platforms, it's time to actually create the content that your audience will want to see! There a number of different types of content that you can share online, including images of projects that your business is working on, before and after images, company-wide updates, contests or giveaways, customer reviews or even company blog posts. When it comes to the type of content you should share, there is no right or wrong answer. It's really about finding what your audience loves to engage with and maintaining the balance between over-posting and not posting enough to keep them interested.

It's important to remember that social media is not just about posting your content online but maintaining a two-way conversation between your business and your audience. This means that taking the time to respond to comments, reviews, and messages is important in actually developing a sense of community online that will lead to more potential clients and stronger brand loyalty.

3. Supplement Customer Service

One of the most beneficial aspects of having a social media presence for your brand is that it allows you to elevate the level of customer service provided to customers. Many individuals on social media use their accounts to research brands, products, and services, and having a presence means that you are able to quickly respond to customer questions or complaints. This makes their experience looking for the services that you offer more enjoyable, creating a more positive perception of your brand overall.

In the same way that Canadian Tire uses Instagram to respond to customer inquiries, your electrical business can respond to comments on images, whether positive or negative, to maintain relationship with your followers.

Tools like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct are both critical for your business to monitor for messages from current or prospective customers. Taking time to review your messages each day or as they come in will ensure that you don't miss any customer questions and are able to provide the best digital customer service possible.

4. Leverage Customer Reviews

Gone are the days that customers review services anonymously or keep their experiences to themselves--these days, reviews are shared much more openly and frequently on social media. As a business owner, seeing these reviews come through on your social media pages is an excellent opportunity to respond and either thank customers who have left positive ones or address customers who have had negative experiences. When followers of your page see your commitment to engaging with reviews, it will give them a more positive perception of your brand, too. 

In addition to the reviews that come through organically, having social media pages also presents an opportunity for you to personally ask customers to review your services. This is a great way to keep up communication with past customers and increase the number of positive reviews on your page!

Stay Current as an Electrician with Social Media

Now that you've been equipped with the steps to take in launching your social media strategy, we hope that you feel confident in creating an online community for your electrical services. Keeping your business "current" is important, and social media for electricians is one of the best ways to do it!

Looking for more support with social media or your small business' marketing strategy? Profitworks can help! We are a team of marketing experts with experience helping countless small business owners, including electricians, improve their digital marketing strategy. Contact our team to find out how we can help.