Updated July 22, 2023: Here’s how often Americans use social media sites, according to data from Backlinko:
“According to platform statements, the number of social media users in the US is 240 million in 2020, meaning 72.3% of Americans are actively using sites monthly. The most popular platforms in the United States are YouTube at 81.9% and Facebook at 73.4% among internet users aged 16 to 64.” –Backlinko
Use this data to help you figure out which social media site to invest your time in. Hint: it should be wherever your prospective customers are. Most likely it’s Facebook. But do your homework so you’re sure.
If you would like assistance with managing your social media marketing or training you or your staff how to manage it in-house, give us a call or contact us. We’d love to help you.
Considering how often Americans use social media sites, you should have a strategy and processes in place if you decide to manage your own social media.
Here are 27 types of social media posts that can be easily created by business owners, especially those in the home services industry:
- Before and After Shots: Show off transformations your work brings.
- Tips and Advice: Share your expertise on common household issues or maintenance.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Show your team in action, offering a glimpse into the process.
- Customer Testimonials: Build trust by sharing positive experiences from satisfied customers.
- Local Features: Highlight your participation in local events or showcase local landmarks.
- Seasonal Content: Share tips and advice that are relevant to the season.
- Product Highlights: Showcase the products you use and why you trust them.
- Service Specifics: Share in-depth details about a particular service you offer.
- DIY Tips: Share simple DIY tips that homeowners can safely undertake.
- Employee Spotlight: Highlight a team member and their role.
- Safety Tips: Offer advice on home safety related to your service.
- Polls or Surveys: Engage your audience with polls or surveys about home improvement topics.
- Company History: Share about your company’s background and values.
- FAQs: Answer common questions that clients have about your services.
- Live Video Q&A: Host a live video session where you answer customer questions.
- Project Progression: Share updates on a large project, showing progression over time.
- Checklist Posts: Offer checklists related to your service (e.g., seasonal maintenance).
- Quotes and Inspiration: Share quotes related to homes or improvement projects.
- Case Studies: Detail how you solved a particular problem for a customer.
- Celebrations: Celebrate company milestones, anniversaries, or employee birthdays.
- Day in the Life: Show what a typical day looks like for your team.
- Funny Posts: Share light-hearted, industry-related humor.
- Competitions or Giveaways: Host a social media contest to increase engagement.
- Home Trends: Share about latest trends in home design or decor.
- Eco-Friendly Practices: Share how your business is eco-friendly or tips for homeowners to be more eco-friendly.
- Promotions or Discounts: Promote your special offers or discounts.
- Ask for Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your social media pages.
Scheduling posts in advance can save time, keep your content consistent, and allow for strategic planning. Tools that assist in scheduling:
Hootsuite: One of the oldest and still around, Hootsuite assists you for managing and scheduling posts to a variety of social media profiles. Schedule updates for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more, all from one dashboard. The free plan allows scheduling up to 30 posts in advance.
Buffer: This tool makes it a little easier to schedule posts because you can work within one dashboard and track the performance of your content. With the free plan, you can manage three social accounts and schedule up to ten posts in advance.
Later: Later is primarily for Instagram but also supports Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. It offers a visual content calendar and a drag-and-drop feature for scheduling posts.
Zoho Social: This tool allows scheduling posts ahead of time and monitors keywords to manage multiple channels. It also has a free plan.
TweetDeck: If your business is focused on Twitter, TweetDeck is a powerful tool for scheduling tweets and tracking notifications and messages.
Standard Operating Procedures:
Content Calendar: Use a content calendar to plan out what and when you’ll post. This can help ensure a good mix of content types and topics.
Consistent Posting: Consistency is key in social media. Regularly scheduled posts can help keep your audience engaged and increase your visibility.
Best Times to Post: Each social media platform has high-traffic times that can lead to more engagement. Research the best times to post for each platform you use.
Batch Creation: Creating multiple posts at once can save time. Set aside a block of time for content creation and schedule your posts for the upcoming week or month.
Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on your analytics to see which posts are performing well. Use this information to adjust your strategy and improve engagement.