Its not news that home builders have embraced social media. However, we were shocked to learn that in the last 3 Pulse surveys, not one social media service included in our survey was used less than it was the year prior. This indicates that most of you that launched a Facebook page or a Twitter account in 2012, are still maintaining these online presences today and that more builders have joined the party.
Several questions plagued us when we saw this statistic. Are we simply that good at making every service work for us, is our industry too loyal, or are we not measuring what works best? It could be all or none of the above but let’s explore.
If you’re a social media rock star, which some of you are, and all the platforms you’re utilizing are helping you connect with prospects, market your brand in a positive light, and (fingers crossed) generating leads, then keep doing what you’re doing. High five! Maybe you can share some tips on how you’ve succeeded.
Now on to our loyalty to our chosen methods of social media. There is an ugly rumor out there that social media is FREE. So, of course, many builders jumped on board to this buzzworthy marketing venture. They started a Facebook page and signed up for Houzz and set up a Twitter account, then checked the box that they were “using social media.” This is great. We love to see builders embracing new ideas, but ask yourself, does my Facebook page look the same as it did 2 years ago? Are there cobwebs in my Twitter feed? Was the last video I posted to my YouTube channel of a Quick Delivery I sold in March 2011? Loyal does not equal effective. As motherly as it sounds, if you’re not doing it right, we say, don’t do it at all.
Here’s where we squash that “free” rumor. Managing a social media presence takes time and personnel which, last time we checked, cost money. What takes even more time and effort (i.e. money) is not so much keeping up with how social we’ve become, but measuring the success of these efforts. Is this stuff even making a difference? You could be in that first “rock star” group or, we hate to admit, you could be wasting your time. If we haven’t determined which social platforms are bringing us quality results, we can’t possibly know if we’re the former or the latter. By using tools such as website analytics, guest cards and/or engagement data available within each social media service, we can draw some conclusions on performance and success. These indicators may tell you whether to keep trucking, try a little harder or just get off the bus and go with something different.
For more on where social media stands today, don’t miss The State of Social Media 2014 – Tuesday 2/4 from 1-2pm & 3-4pm in South 221 with Carol Morgan, Jamie Gorski and Chad Davis.
