MARKETING TIPS
85 % OF TRADESPEOPLE AREN ’ T SURE HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY
• Half of tradespeople say social media gets them more work , but most don ’ t know how to maximise its potential
• A quarter say that Facebook and Google reviews help get them more customers
• Builders get the most work from social media , plasterers the least
• Experts reveal how to get the most out of your social media trade platforms
» SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TRANSFORMED businesses in all industries , but despite helping many tradespeople get more work , a staggering 85 % say they don ’ t know how to use it effectively .
New research [ 1 ] by IronmongeryDirect , the UK ’ s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery , has explored how trade businesses currently use social media and how many are currently missing out on its benefits .
Almost half ( 47 %) of tradespeople say that having a social media presence helps them get more work , with Facebook being the main platform ( 22 %). This is for several reasons , including the ability to build stronger client relationships ( 15 %), get ahead of competitors ( 15 %) and interact with community groups ( 22 %).
Such is the power of social media , one in six ( 16 %) tradespeople believe it is now just as important , if not more , than traditional word of mouth . Because of this , 45 % now actively advertise on at least one social platform and more than one in ten ( 12 %) use social media as their only form of marketing .
However , despite recognising its importance , the vast majority of tradespeople say they are not using social media effectively . Nearly nine in ten ( 85 %) don ’ t know how to get the most out of it , with plumbers the least likely to maximise its potential ( 90 %). Joiners are the most social savvy of all the trades , yet 79 % still don ’ t know how best to use their channels to help their business .
While social media helps all trades bring in more work , builders are the most likely to attract new customers with it . Two thirds ( 66 %) of builders say their social channels help bring in business , followed by bricklayers ( 53 %) and landscapers ( 51 %). Plasterers are the least likely to see an increase in work ( 25 %).
One business that has directly seen the benefits of social media is The Brighton Loft Co , a loft conversion company in East Sussex .
Gilles Buxton , Director , said : “ When the pandemic hit this year , we started sharing our projects on social media and since we ’ ve started doing that , we ’ ve seen an increase in business and enquiries .
“ In 2019 , we had 40 enquiries , but we ’ ve already had 72 this year – so we are already up 80 % year-on-year , which is fantastic news .”
On average , female tradespeople dedicate the most time to social media promotion , with over half ( 51 %) pursuing leads online , compared to just 41 % of men . They are also more likely to ask customers to leave reviews online ( 28 % vs 23 %) and such digital feedback is growing in significance .
Over 20 million business reviews are posted on Google every day [ 2 ] and they can have a huge impact on a company ’ s
performance . A recent study found that businesses with positive scores on review sites can earn up to 58 % more revenue [ 3 ].
Overall , a quarter ( 25 %) of trade businesses ask for reviews and a similar amount ( 26 %) believe that positive comments can directly lead to more custom . However , more than a fifth ( 21 %) of tradespeople worry about receiving negative reviews and the impact that might have .
Charlie Carlton , Head of Digital at IronmongeryDirect , said : “ Whether you ’ re a start-up looking to increase brand awareness , or a larger firm trying to expand , most trade businesses can benefit from being on social media , so it ’ s definitely worth creating accounts if you don ’ t already have some .
“ For those who already have social channels , our research has shown that the majority aren ’ t currently getting the most out of them . However , it doesn ’ t take that much time or effort to create a basic profile that can start to pick up work .”
https :// www . ironmongerydirect . co . uk / blog / six-tips-for-boosting-your-tradebusiness-using-social
[ 1 ]
Survey of 500 UK tradespeople conducted by The Leadership Factor on behalf of IronmongeryDirect in November 2020 . [ 2 ] https :// www . bbc . co . uk / news / uk-england-essex-55027332 . [ 3 ] https :// www . womply . com / impact-of-online-reviews-on-small-business-revenue /
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