Social Media for Construction Companies: A Q&A With Our PR and Social Media Executive
Are you a building product manufacturer or construction company that is wondering if public relations and social media should be part of your communications plan? If so, then you’re in the right place.
Our PR and Social Media Executive, Courtney Chandler, answers some frequently asked questions by our B2B clients.
Learn how social media and PR for construction can drive traffic to your website, create valuable leads and generate brand awareness.
Q: “What social media platform should a construction company use?”
A: I always find this question interesting, because you’ll have some people and B2B companies that want to be on all the social media platforms, however you’ll have some companies that choose the platforms based of their personal preferences. And then there are some who are almost non-existent on social media because they don’t know how to approach it!
Those who choose to be on all the social media platforms are most likely spreading themselves too thin. And that is because, they’re posting on social media to interact and engage with their target audience. Now, from research and insights, we know that almost every platform has a different target audience. Although there may be some crossover.
For example, 60% of people on LinkedIn are aged 25 to 34 and 57.2% of users are men. They are probably well educated and business professionals. Which makes LinkedIn great for business B2B networking, professional promotions, and thought leadership. Whereas, TikTok is a completely different ball game. This video led social media app is most popular with people aged 10-29. 57% of users are female and content posted here is usually fun, entertaining, personal and sometimes emotional. This app is great for influencer content and might therefore work best for B2C brands.
As a building product manufacturer or construction company, you’ll probably find that your top four social media platforms are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (now X) and YouTube. And that’s because LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook has similar audiences and styles. YouTube is also good if you have a lot of video content. If you are a B2B brand and need more advice on what social media platforms to use for your construction business then feel free to get in touch with Dragonfly PR. We can conduct a full audit on your current social media pages and provide recommendations on what platforms you should be on.
Another tip, is to also think about what your goals are. Are you trying to reach a new audience to what you normally would do? Or are you trying to reach your existing B2B target audience?
Q: “How often should I post on social media?”
A: This is a great question! Most people think they have to be posting the most out of their competitors and numerous times a day. This is not always the best way forward. You have to think, quality over quantity.
It doesn’t matter if your competitor is posting twice a day, every day of the week. As long as you’re posting good quality content, you’ll outshine them all with engagement, reach and comments. And I don’t just mean the imagery or video must be good quality. Although that is true, you should also make sure that you’re written content is interesting to your audience.
And this is where it becomes different for everyone. Not everyone wants to see the same content, style of post and topic. So, you need to hone in on your target audience. Who are you talking to? What do they need from you? Once you nail that, you’ll know how many times you need to post on social media to make sure you’re getting the most out of what you’re doing. But, if you’re struggling then the rule I usually go by is post three times a week. Overtime, you can increase the frequency of posts if needed.
And how do you know when to increase the frequency of your posts? Again, everything comes back to your audience. Are they engaging with your posts, commenting on your feed, asking for more content?
But also think, do you have a lot going on in your business. Are you taking on a lot of construction projects. Do you have team news, company culture and successful projects to shout about on social media?
Hopefully that will give you a basis on how many times you should post on social media. But if you’re looking to get the most out of social media, consulting with a B2B PR and social media specialists like Dragonfly PR can help you make targeted PR plans and campaigns to achieve your objectives.
Q: “I’m not keen on social media, what other opportunities is there for me?”
A: When I hear this question, I always ask well, why they don't like social media? Sometimes it can be because they haven’t previously seen results. And if that’s the case then it goes back to the other questions, are you on the right social media platforms. Are you targeting the right people? It can also be because they don’t think B2B brands have much to talk about on social media. But that is where we can help by producing content ideas and a PR marketing plan for the year.
But social media alone isn’t enough. If you’re really wanting to dominate the digital landscape then exploring the world of public relations is a great start. Social media and PR work hand in hand. There are endless of opportunities.
In simple terms, public relations specialists help obtain media coverage while maintaining a positive company image. But it’s also so much more. It involves crafting impactful press releases for the media and well written thought leadership blogs on your website to generate brand awareness and leads. It also involves utilising SEO to divert traffic and get ahead of competitors.
From here, we can also link with writers, influencers and big names within the construction industry via social media to create meaningful collaborations, guest blogs and partnerships. There is so much more we can cover. But essentially, all these digital tactics are to help you to reach your goal and objectives. Whether it is to be recognised as the best in your industry, to be seen as a thought leader, to be invited as a keynote speaker at a well known event, to generate leads and sales, to increase revenue or to even increase your presence online - we are here to help.”
For more valuable tips on public relations and social media, follow our LinkedIn page. If you’re looking for assistance with your PR, social media, and content marketing then contact our friendly team at our Sheffield PR agency today. Call 0114 349 5345 or email hello@dragonflypr.co.uk