So what exactly should you do as a building material manufacturer once you’ve created a social media profile? Here are eight strategies that can help you grow and engage followers.
1. Use Photos and Videos
It doesn’t matter what platform you’re posting on — you need strong visuals to accompany your posts. Both photos and videos are going to draw your followers’ attention and get them interested in what you have to say. Anyone with an iPhone can craft a visually compelling social media post.
However, a lot of manufacturers bristle at the idea of creating videos. The good news is that your video clips don’t have to be polished. People love to see behind the scenes and feel like they’re interacting with the brand in real-time.
2. Offer Inspiration
Use your social media platforms to promote project ideas with your product. Both industry professionals and DIYers are always looking for project inspiration. Even if your product isn’t used for aesthetics, you can still find interesting ways to demonstrate its value on social media. For instance, a sound-dampening tile company could post before-and-after videos showcasing how much quieter a room is after installing their product.
3. Tailor Your Content for Different Platforms
You can repurpose content across multiple social platforms, but be sure to tweak them based on where you plan to post. Facebook and Instagram can handle lots of text alongside your image or video. But Twitter and Instagram Stories come with character limits. And While TikTok and YouTube are completely video-based, Instagram is also becoming a platform that is heavier on the video side so planning to add captions to your videos is a good best practice. Designate how to repurpose each of your content assets when you’re building out your social media calendar.
4. Interact with Followers
Your social media job isn’t done once you schedule your posts. You also need to interact with followers. The more engagement you have on a post (such as likes and comments), the more it will be promoted on the platform, allowing more people to see it.
Ask questions or include polls to get people to engage with your posts. You can also hold contests and giveaways to grow your following. Just be sure to follow all of the relevant rules on your chosen platform.
5. Take Advantage of User Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content is an easy way to post interesting content while also engaging your audience. If someone tags your product in a post, reshare their project on your own page. This provides a couple of different benefits. First, it creates a more loyal customer because you chose the original poster to showcase on your brand’s account. Second, it gives third-party validation that your company offers a quality product.
When sharing UGC you must give credit to the original poster otherwise it could appear you are sharing the image as if it is your own when it’s not. If you can, reach out and ask for permission and be sure to tag other people involved like photographers who may have ownership to the images.
6. Incorporate Customer Service Into Your Responses
You may feel some vulnerability in exposing your brand to a public forum. Enter the situation by creating a response plan in advance for both positive and negative comments. Assign a point person (or persons) on your customer service team to connect with anyone who negatively posts to try and rectify the situation, and to give a shout-out to those who comment about a great experience. It increases interactions, engagement and adds a level of transparency that customers appreciate.
7. Share Company News
Social media is also a great platform to share company news. Definitely follow the 80/20 rule. Post 80% educational content, which can consist of posts about company culture, community involvement and trending business related topics for the industry, and then only 20% promotional content. Social media can be a great place to announce things like new launches or product availability updates.
8. Go Live
Livestream videos are a fun way to engage with your audience via social media. Don’t feel concerned about being completely polished. This strategy is meant to humanize your brand and provide your leads and customers with real-time interactions with the experts on your team.
If you're concerned about questions and comments live during the feed, you can hide them and then answer them at the end to keep your plan of action clear and organized.