Social Media, your website 2.0, shapes how potential clients judge your home-building business's credibility and worth. Social media content is another opportunity to interact with your customers and support your home-building business.
As your business grows and technology trends change, how can your home builder marketing keep up with the social media content? It seems social networking sites emerge monthly, and updates occur to popular social accounts. What is the best approach to unlock the potential of social media marketing for the home-building industry?
With its brand-oriented community, Instagram provides a great place to start in your home builder's social media marketing. Based on total website traffic, Instagram is the 8th most-visited website globally, according to SEM Rush. With so many potential leads, your business must add this form of social media to its repertoire.
Instagram's main features include the feed, stories for temporary postings, and video reels. Most users will access the platform via mobile devices. Here are a few of my prized Instagram hacks to level up your Insta game and improve your marketing strategy:
Profile Bio
Your Instagram bio is often the first thing users see when they visit your profile. It allows for a solid and memorable first impression, conveying your brand's essence. Use the 150 characters to help introduce your brand. Here's our quick bio recommendations:
- Be Clear and Concise: Your bio has limited space, so use it wisely. Clearly state who you are, what you do, and what value you offer.
- Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords related to your industry, niche, or expertise. This can improve your profile's discoverability in search results.
- Highlight Your USP: Showcase your unique selling proposition (USP) or what sets you apart from others in your field. Communicate why users should follow you.
- Add a CTA: Include a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages users to take a specific action, such as visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or watching your latest video.
- Mentions and Hashtags: Mention other relevant accounts or use branded hashtags if they align with your content or collaborations.
- Update Regularly: Keep your bio up to date with any changes to your brand, offerings, or contact information.
- Be Authentic: Your bio should reflect your brand's true identity. Authenticity fosters a genuine connection with your followers.
Note that Instagram allows you to include one clickable link in your bio. This is a chance to guide users to your website, a landing page, a new blog post, or any important place. Chose wisely!
The Hack:
To bypass the single clickable link in your Instagram bio, create a linktree. This tool allows you to create a personalized landing page to house additional links to your company and platforms.
Bookmark Posts
The Bookmark icon is the flag-like button to the right of the top left icons. This is one of Instagram's most valuable features for watching the competition. Bookmarking Instagram posts allows businesses to save seats by organizing, curating, and revisiting content.
The Hack: We suggest Bookmarking photos and video content that inspire you or provide insight into your competitors. This competitor research is a great option. Your competitor accounts can't see what you've Bookmarked.
#UseHashtags
Hashtags make your posts findable to users searching for or following those specific hashtags. This increases the chances of your content's visibility to a broader audience, including people who don't follow you yet.
When using hashtags, it's essential to strike a balance between popular and unique ones. Overloading your posts with too many hashtags or using unrelated ones is a disservice. They can come across as spammy and dilute the effectiveness of your message.
The Hack: Take time to develop your go-to your "go-to" hashtags based on your brand, location, and industry. Save these in a note or draft for easy copy and paste for future posts. Also note several social media management platforms, such as HubSpot, have also started adding AI-generated post suggestions, including helpful hashtags. These can help you save time and keep consistency.
The Reel Deal
Instagram Reels allow users to share 60-second video clips. Their popularity has rapidly grown into a dynamic marketing tool for brands to display creativity and engage followers. Reels offer a unique opportunity to add a personal touch to your brand and exhibit your proficiency as a home builder.
The Hack: Canva is a great tool to help home builders craft Instagram posts, including reels. Canva offers templates for reels and opportunities to add video elements to your static images.
Story Time
Instagram Stories offer a more casual and spontaneous way to share content. They are temporary, with the option to save as a highlight to categorize stories. Home builders typically use stories for sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and real-time updates.
The Hack: Consider keeping your story's content consistent with a theme or type. Maybe you only use Instagram Stories for a "This or That" poll for interior design selections. Or your stories can be a more casual "slice of life" look at your company culture.
Watch the Trends
The home-building industry is not one to reinvent the wheel. Take the same approach to finding your voice and inspiration on Instagram. Following competitors' Instagram also helps you stay updated on their strategies, content, and offerings.
Monitoring other Home Builders' posts, engagement trends, and audience interactions can provide ideas for your content and campaigns. By observing what resonates with their audience, you can tailor your content to better cater to your shared target market.
Furthermore, following competitors allows you to gauge your brand's positioning within the industry. You can identify gaps in your content or offerings and find opportunities to distinguish yourself. This can also help you stay informed about market trends and shifts, ensuring you remain relevant and adaptable.
The Hack: Check out these dynamic home builder Instagram accounts to see your potential. Note the branding, investment, and energy that make these accounts thrive.
Patterson Custom Homes/ @pattersoncustomhomes
JPP Construction / @jjpconstruction
JPM Construction / @jpmconstructioninc
Marie Oursler / @marnieoursler
Plan your posts
Planning an effective Instagram strategy involves a thoughtful and systematic approach. Begin by setting clear goals, whether increasing engagement, driving traffic to your website, or building brand awareness.
Understand your target audience's preferences, demographics, and behaviors to tailor your content to their interests. Put energy into reels, stories, or posts based on where your audience is most active. Create a content calendar that outlines when and what you'll post, maintaining a consistent schedule to keep your audience engaged. Start by expanding upon your website copy if you are in need of inspiration.
The Hack: Consider using an outside resource to help you plan and implement your social media strategy. Illumine8 has expertise in marketing for home builders and the built environment industry. We'll help you discover your customer personas, lead conversion strategy, and reach your social media goals.
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, mastering the art of Instagram is a decisive advantage. We hope these valuable hacks help your home-building business harness the potential of Stories, Reels, and interactive features. Illumine8 can help your home-building business grow its presence from ordinary to extraordinary on Instagram and beyond.
Call us today to discuss how to connect with your customers with social media and an engaging marketing strategy.