Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that social media seems to be one of the popular topics for new business development. Many people thought that social media was a fad, and wouldn’t last. The reality is that social media platforms are already becoming a preferred method of contact for customers who are already using—or may be considering using—your services.
You might be wondering what social media has to do with irrigation. If you’re not involved with social media, you’re missing a huge opportunity to learn about the latest irrigation technologies, the latest information about water conservation, and more. Equally important, you are missing out on the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with current and prospective customers, as well as effectively embrace a relatively inexpensive marketing strategy.
Let’s look at some of the various forms of social media, and how they can help your business.
Facebook
Although Facebook may to some seem like a place for people to post personal pictures and tell the world what they’re doing almost every minute of the day, the business community has gravitated toward this platform and is learning how to attract the more than 1 billion people who are members.
If you haven’t already, I suggest you create a company page on Facebook and start using it as a way to communicate to your existing customers. Post pictures of jobs that you’ve done. Share with them seasonal information about landscaping and irrigation. To get started, visit www.facebook.com/business.
LinkedIn
Are you looking for a way to reach out to your professional network? LinkedIn is a great way to do that. You’ll need to set up your own personal LinkedIn page first, and then you can connect with colleagues—or even find high school or college classmates and see what they’re up to with their careers. LinkedIn also has company pages where you can post company information, jobs, and more. It’s a great way for people to learn more about your company and skills.
Twitter
What’s a tweet? It’s a 140-character message you can use to share your thoughts on a topic, often with a link to supporting information on the web. You can even share pictures on Twitter. It’s really about building a brand for yourself, and your business. People can choose to follow you based on searching for topics/words you use in your tweets. You can follow other individuals or companies, and always be kept up to date on what they’re doing.
Want to let potential customers know about a service special you’re running? Post a tweet about it, and that information is instantly shared to anyone following you. Did you know that there are more than 500 million users on Twitter, and more than 340 billion tweets posted daily? Talk about a big audience! Log on to learn more about how Twitter can help your business.
Pinterest
Are you looking for a place to share pictures of projects to potential customers on the web? Think of Pinterest as virtual pinboard; each pinboard can be grouped by subject matter. You can also browse pinboards created by other people. Visit pinterest.com/pinterestbiz for more information on how Pinterest can support your business.
Be a social media standout
As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to leverage social media to help grow your business and communicate with current and potential customers.
I’d like to recognize ValleyCrest Landscape for its industry-leading social media efforts. The company has several employees on staff that have helped create and brand ValleyCrest, especially as it relates to water conservation. Check out the “ValleyCrest Takes on…” blog for more information on what they’re doing.
Many smaller companies are taking advantage of social media successfully, too, by investing just a few minutes of their time each week. All you have to do is get started, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it really is, and how quickly you’ll see results.
For those interested in finding me in the social media world, follow me on Twitter @waterguru2 or connect with me on LinkedIn.
You can also find Ewing Irrigation in the social media world on Twitter @ewingirrigation, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Author Warren S. Gorowitz, CLIA, serves as vice president of sustainability and conservation for Ewing Irrigation Products.
