6 Social Media Tips for Chicago Home Remodelers

For Chicago home improvement companies, connecting with homeowners and building trust in your brand is key. One perfect tool to do that is social media. Social opens the door to reach and interact with consumers in a way traditional marketing alone can’t match.

In this post, we’ll share our top tips and ideas for Chicago home remodelers to put social media to work to showcase your expertise and team, inspire homeowners, and develop a community of followers.

6 Social Media Tips for Home Remodelers

1. Show Up Where it Matters

You don’t need to be active on every social media platform—simply because your customers aren’t there. Put your efforts into building a robust following on the platforms where your customers are present and looking for home remodeling inspiration, options, and company reviews.

Even though it’s not as shiny and new as other platforms today, Facebook is a must because the majority of internet users today still log into the platform. It’s also a good idea to explore image- and video-rich platforms. Did you know that 44% of homeowners between the ages of 25 and 44 have drawn inspiration for home remodeling projects from Pinterest and Instagram?

Pinterest describes itself as a catalog of ideas. Others have described it as social media’s rising star. What’s certain is that Pinterest is an essential social media marketing platform for home remodelers. 72% of Millennials say they use Pinterest to connect with their favorite brands, and 35% of users have an income over $75,000 per year. Create boards to share images of your own work, categorized according to the type of remodeling project, as well as inspiration for types of work that Chicago homeowners may be looking for and how-to’s for the DIY’er.

2. Monitor Your Presence

Even if you or someone else from your business didn’t create a Facebook Page, one may still exist. This can happen when someone checks into a place that doesn’t already have a page, for example, as a new page gets created to represent the location. If you’re the official representative of your business and someone has create a page for it, report it. If no one is managing it, you can request to claim it and, once claimed, you’ll be able to merge it with any duplicate pages you may have.

This is just one example of why it’s important to keep tabs on your online presence, particularly on social media. Information about your business can show up without your permission, and reviews (positive and negative) are shared across platforms. It’s smart to build active reputation monitoring into your social media management plan, including setting up alerts for mentions of your company on different social platforms. 

3. Show, Don’t Sell

Social media is a great place to announce promotions, new products or services, and events. However, the majority of your content should focus on educating consumers, demonstrating your expertise, and putting the spotlight on your work. Some things home remodeling customers want to see:

• Before-and-after photos of projects
• Step-by-step how-to’s
• Product or design features, with a particular focus on what’s new or trending
• Case studies and customer testimonials
• Behind-the-scenes series to meet the professionals

Those last few types of social media content can be particularly compelling in the remodeling business. Consumers are trusting you with the place they call home, so giving them a glimpse into who is doing the work, how it’s done, and other satisfied customers can go a long way to make them feel confident and comfortable choosing you.

4. Post Videos

In the same vein as “show, don’t tell,” video is an essential marketing tool for home remodelers. The popularity of video has exploded, and by 2021, it is expected that 82% of consumer internet traffic will involve video. Use your social platforms to share videos of before-and-after walkthroughs, or how your team resolved a tricky remodeling issue. 

The growth in popularity of YouTube across nearly all demographics makes it one of the platforms where your remodeling company should focus on building a following. In addition, you can repurpose your video content to use on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms, thereby stretching your investment and increasing your reach.

5. Consistency Counts

It’s tempting to take a break from marketing during the home improvement “off season.” But, as we’ve covered on our blog before, it’s never a good idea to pause marketing. For one thing, winter is a good time for some Chicago homeowners to tackle interior home improvement projects they may have been putting off. In addition, it’s a great time to build brand awareness while other advertisers drop off and spring gets closer.

Particularly for social media, consistency is a must. Potential customers are not going to take the time to visit your Facebook Page or Pinterest boards to see what you’ve been up to. Either you show up in their feeds because you’re sharing relevant, fresh content that relates to their interests and searches—or you don’t, and they’ll be on to a competitor.

Lastly, consistency also counts in terms of your business profiles across platforms. Ensure that your information is up-to-date and uniform on all your social media accounts.

6. Boost Social Media Results with Radio.

Pairing social media with radio advertising provides a one-two punch that can greatly extend your brand’s reach and increase ROI. Radio provides the ability to target your ads based on listening trends and important psychographics. Complementing your radio spots with a social media campaign targeting a similarly focused segment of this audience, you can engage with customers one-on-one and bring them closer to taking action.

Use your radio ads to encourage listeners to engage with your brand on social media. Ask what home improvement projects they’re tackling, or invite them to participate in promotions or contests. With greater reach and added frequency, social media and radio can complement one another for a campaign that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Social media comes with countless opportunities to connect with customers new and old, but an effective social strategy isn’t built overnight. Remember to focus where it matters, stay consistent, and treat social as a component of an integrated marketing strategy.