Using social media to influence specifiers
Using social media to influence specifiers
The product decisions they make are more intensive and take more consideration than consumers who are looking for a new coat. However, their decision making process is still influenced by their social habits, and the content they see over social media.
Social media should form a key element in your specification strategy.
Let’s dive straight in to the benefits of using social media to influence specifiers.
Benefits of using social media to influence specifiers
- Increase brand awareness and loyalty: you will build a loyal audience who engages with your content and finds value from it
- Provide rich customer experiences: customers will use your social media channels to ask questions e.g. “Can I get that product in another finish?” By being reactive and helping your customers, it will foster better experiences and build trust.
- Build relationships: having an active and engaging social media channels will build credibility, and will make your brand look active. If you publish lots of content on your case studies this will build relationships with specifiers working on similar projects.
- Share content faster and easier: you can tell your story easier with social media, where your team posts about various aspects of the manufacturing process or while out on site on a job talking about how they overcame challenges. By doing this makes your brand more relatable and likeable among specifiers.
How do specifiers use social media?
By understanding where and how specifiers use social media, you can start to build your business and influence specifiers with your social media channels.
When specifiers are looking for a new product supplier/manufacturer for their project, they will first turn to search engines and social media networks.
Even when they are referred your product by an industry colleague or peer, they will still carry out their due diligence and research you. This includes looking at your website and your social media channels.
If they like your content that you use over your social media channels they are far more likely to engage with you, and ultimately buy from you. This highlights the importance of consistent, well-crafted content over your social media channels, which includes:
- Case studies: these are a great way to showcase to your audience how you helped your clients.
- Thought leadership posts: this is a great way to position yourself within industry as a leader, where you talk about important topics that your audience relate to and find value from.
- Introductions to your team: this humanises your brand, and the old adage is true where ‘people buy from people.
- Company developments: talk about developments from within your business that may benefit your audience e.g. new warehouse, and staff promotions.
Architects, contractors, sub-contractors and all other types of construction professionals will use social media in some part, whether personally, professionally, or both.
Many of the social platforms out there are being used as a research tool, and manufacturers and service providers who embrace social media as part of their specification strategy will find themselves in a position where they are leading the way in influencing specifiers.
And this means they will sell more products or services, build a greater awareness within specifiers, develop stronger relationships with specifiers, and ultimately build bigger businesses.
Carefully plan your social media activity
Research where your potential customers ‘hang out’ or which social channels they use. From our experience, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook (more for local trades) are the best platforms to concentrate on. Then think about who do you want to see your posts? What are their objectives? What are your key messages?
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Be consistent
Just posting once or twice a week every so often won’t cut it, and won’t influence your audience. If you post good content regularly, you have the best chance to influence specifiers.
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Be social
Connect with suppliers, customers and staff, and regularly feature these to amplify your message and build your network.
Time54 is a specialist marketing agency that works exclusively with construction industry clients. We can build your brand awareness through a social media strategy that leads to specification inclusion.
Time54 works with and has helped many building and interiors companies raise their social media profiles, build awareness, and increase their specification inclusion on numerous projects.
We are a specialist building and interiors marketing agency and help brands to:
- Increase specification.
- Influence architects and interior designers.
- Build authority.
If you are interested in how we can help your business grow with specification led marketing, get in touch to organise a Power Hour zoom meeting.
This is a one hour zoom meeting where we listen to your plans and ambitions to understand your products, services, and route to market. It is aimed at directors, marketing managers and business owners within the construction and interiors sectors who are looking to raise awareness of their business, generate leads, and improve sales.
The Power Hour is free to all building and interiors based businesses looking increase awareness, leads and sales through effective, long term marketing strategies with experienced building and interior marketing specialists Time54.
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