Instagram? Why?
Before we get into the whats, hows, and wherefores of using Instagram to market your construction contracting business, let’s talk about the why. It isn’t likely in today’s economy that you’re too worried about finding new clients. I recently heard it described this way; “The way you get new clients today is to answer the phone.” Yep, the construction industry is swinging along nicely, thank you!
Why spend time and energy getting the word out when you’re so doggone busy?
It’s hard to market when you’re busy.
I know. I get it.
Yet, it becomes a great deal harder to market when you’re desperate and low on funds.
There is a very real chance that soon, and I mean very soon, things can change. And you don’t want to be “that guy.” You know, the guy who was so busy he didn’t take time to let his future potential clients know he even exists.
It’s busy now, but . . .
This article from Forbes has a scary headline, The Next Recession Might Be Worse Than The Great Depression, yet actually hedges a bit toward the end, mentioning there are differences of opinion.
What the author seems to understand is, crystal balls (even those backed by historical evidence and personal experience) sometimes crack or fog up.
What doesn’t have a question mark attached to it are the opening words of the article, “The Next Recession.” The economy is cyclical. It goes up. It comes down.
Another article from Money has much the same to say about the possibility that things won’t be looking so good in just a year or two. And this article uses the construction industry as an indicator of the slow down ahead.
Time to sit up and pay attention.
Back to Instagram
You have a multitude of platforms to use when it comes to marketing. And, our recommendation is you take advantage of as many of them as you can. Yet, today I’m focusing on one in particular, and I have a reason for doing so. Instagram is both simple and sophisticated at the same time.
Under the simple column you can include these words. It is:
Visual
Quick
Mobile
And it’s easy to use
Looking at the sophisticated side. It:
Provides value to your present and potential clients
Helps your clients stay engaged
Provides a means for your company to stay relevant
Allows you to interact with like-minded business owners
A funny thing happened on my way to Instagram
Because I get to wear the content creation and curation hat around here, part of my job includes doing lots of research. And, during the course of that research I kept hearing construction contractors mention that their business was boosted by their use of Instagram. What? Are you kidding me?
I thought Instagram:
Couldn’t possibly work for service-based businesses (like construction or bookkeeping)
Would likely have a hidden cost associated with obtaining professional photographs
Must make it difficult if not impossible to measure the marketing results
Had (at best) a slim chance of reaching our target market
Would take up too much of my time
What I found
I was wrong on all counts!
Now, let’s pause for a minute so I can throw in this little disclaimer. I don’t know very much about using Instagram. I’m learning. There are lots of things I’m probably doing wrong. There are tons of things I plan to get better at doing.
Yet, with all that said, we’ve already (in only a few weeks of using Instagram) had numerous contacts from folks in the construction subcontracting industry who are interested in getting in on what we have to offer. We presently have a waiting list of contractors who desire our services and contacted us here.
The opportunity you have
When you give a bit of your time to posting on Instagram, there are numerous things Instagram gives back to you. Just a few of them include:
Get your logo and brand seen
Allow your target market to see your service in action (pictures or videos of “Ned” painting, hammering, moving supplies into place, and so on)
Let your present and potential clients get to know your team (events, parties, promotions, awards)
Show folks the before and after of your jobs
Promote the differentiator which sets you apart from the competition
Further thoughts about the use of the Instagram platform
Think of using Instagram as a part of your long-term marketing strategy.
Start using it while it is still a viable free platform.
Take a class, read about it, or learn by doing – Just Get Started.
Do you use Instagram?
Are you a user of Instagram? If you are, let us know. We would like to see what you’re up to. Oh yeah, if you want to see what we have kicken’ over on the IG page check us out here.