Social Media: Why it’s Important and How to Use It

In the digital age, social media is one of the greatest assets a business can utilize to grow. In the past, in order to get your brand in front of potential customers, you would need to purchase advertisements, billboards, or commercials. This was an incredibly expensive, but necessary, debt you incurred when you started your own business. Today, all you need is a smartphone or a computer. It’s free to create accounts across multiple platforms and you can engage directly with your customer base in a matter of seconds. The value that a well curated social media account can offer your repair business is exponential. While you can use these platforms for free, you also have the flexibility to dip your toes into paid advertising with even a smaller budget as well. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some quick tips on how to get the most out of your social media.

Finding your Audience

Every customer base has a social media platform that is more geared toward their community and it's your job to find what platform that is. So, how do you do that? We suggest creating accounts across multiple platforms and to post on all of them for at least 1-2 months. After that time, take a closer look at your analytics to see where you’re getting the most interaction. But don’t only look at likes, the most meaningful engagement you can get are comments. Comments will help you actually build a relationship with your audience.

It’s also very important to make sure you’re not only getting comments, but responding to them in a timely manner. These positive interactions with your audience are the best advertisement you could have. When customers feel well taken care of, this turns into positive reviews as well as great word of mouth.

Consistency is Key

While your platform options have grown, they have for everyone else as well. This means that, in order to keep your customers' attention, you need to be posting consistently. We suggest posting 2-3 times every week at the very least.

Now, we know that can seem like a lot when you’re also running your business day-to-day. If you’re having a difficult time, try a social media service like Hootsuite. A service like this will allow you to schedule your posts ahead of time. This can be really helpful because you schedule the week’s posts to publish, then just let it upload while you go about your day.

Content Diversity

You’ve been consistent in your posting, but you’re still not seeing a lot of interaction? It’s likely your content diversity could be the issue. It’s important to keep things fresh and interesting on your feed to keep your audience engaged.

A great way to start is by getting creative with shorter videos into your timeline. For example, short tutorials, customer interactions, and staff antics. Also, take advantage of other tools, like Instagram stories. Stories give you the chance to be a little more informal and interact more genuinely with your customers. They can give your business a more human, approachable feeling.

If you’re looking for more tips and more specific guidelines on different platforms, download our Social Media E-Book! You can also visit our YouTube channel, where you can watch our RepairTalk TV series for tips not only on social media, but over a multitude of things.