4 Tips for Service-Based Businesses to Improve Their Social Media Presence
Those in service-based industries can find it challenging to engage on social media as no tangible product can be acquired. As a Social Media Intern at Homemade Social, I was encouraged to find helpful content and write a blog post about it. I had a few ideas, but at the end I decided this was the one. Being in the service industry I have learned tons about brands and social media itself. I hope this is helpful for service-based businesses and that these tips can help improve your social media presence!
Choose the Right Social Platform
To begin it’s important to set goals and select the social platform which best suits your business and end goal. Yes, all social platforms serve different purposes and aid our business in different ways. Instagram is widely used, and demographics tend to be younger increasing engagement.
Studies have shown that engagement with businesses on Instagram is 10 times higher than Facebook. Therefore, it’s important to understand your market and who your clients are, as this will allow you to target the right customers.
As mentioned before, knowing your goals before choosing a social platform is vital. For instance, if you are looking to drive traffic to your website, Pinterest may be a good option for your business. Pinterest allows users to “pin” and “save” pictures, so adding a worthy photo or graphic of a blog post or service-related image can help attract traffic to your website. Additionally, choosing the right captions and hashtags in posts is important to keep in mind, as users may search relevant terms related to your business - which give you the opportunity to pop up on their search results. Regardless of the platform you choose, remember to be consistent!
2. Show Your Expertise:
Social media is direct and concise, so make sure to know your stuff and make it clear in your posts. Your social media bio should clearly state your service and a link to your website and contact information. Remember keep it short and simple!
Market yourself and your services, this will allow potential clients to view your work and ethic before even meeting you (first impression is key!). Share infographics, success stories from clients and mention brands or clients you work with to add credibility and knowledge within your industry. Add to this by providing value to potential customers by posting weekly tips about the industry you’re in. This could be in the form of:
Helpful information
Recipes
Tips & hacks
Statistics
Recommended websites, books, and courses
Free templates
3. Incorporate Testimonials:
Know your audience, and engage with them on social media. In a service-based industry it’s important to ask your clients for feedback. Just because you may not have a tangible product doesn’t mean you can’t have a photo-filled feed. If you have regular clients, politely ask them to fill out a Yelp review online or capture an image for social media with a quote from the customer.
If a client sent a raving review via email, capture that testimonial by creating a graphic template using Canva or Stencil (both are free!). Remember that testimonials and reviews provide credibility to your service. Promote these valuable testimonials using visuals, quotes and statistics.
4. Quality Over Quantity
This tip is self-explanatory: make quality content for your audience. In order to engage and attract potential customers to your service, make sure to publish content that is relevant to your industry. Create a feed that clearly represents your service, use relevant hashtags, quotes and customers reviews.
We hope you found these tips helpful! If you’re looking for someone to handle your business’s social media, feel free to fill out our Client Application Form or book a one-on-one consultation with us. Chat soon!
-Jacqueline