Why Integration Companies Should Leverage Social Media Marketing

Why integration companies should use Social Media Marketing

Social media can be an extremely useful marketing tool in the right industries, and we find that home automation is one of them.

Firstly, the projects integration companies are visually very interesting and so can make great content for sharing.

Secondly, home integration is a very personal service that involves going into people’s homes – likability and trust play a big part in your company being chosen over another, and social media can help with conveying a personable and trustworthy image.

The rules of social media go against a lot of other forms of marketing and thus it’s important to understand each social media platform first. The first important lesson in social media is to recognize that it isn’t about you, it’s about your potential followers. Most people use social media during their personal time for speaking with friends or engaging with their interests.

In today’s connected world, consumers also use social media to consumer media, to discover and research new products and to keep up with the latest trends. This is why social media provides integration companies an opportunity to gain new customers and leads as well if used strategically.

Which Social Media Marketing platforms should Integration Companies use?

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the biggest and grandfather’s of social media, so it is important to have a presence on these three channels.

For example, at Domotz we get 5% of our leads from social media, and most these are coming in from Facebook. Facebook is still leading the way as the most powerful digital platform for reaching your target audience other than search marketing and optimization. The whole world is practically on Facebook and so your brand should be there too.

Since Integration is about Home and Office environments, visuals are also super important.

That’s why we’d also recommend using Pinterest and Instagram to promote your Integration Company on Social Media. Many consumers search up home ideas on Pinterest and Instagram (I know I do when making a new purchase for my home!) to look for ideas. This is where you should place yourself too. Use Pinterest and Instagram to target potential customers with the right media and inspiration at the right time and place.

For each platform that you do choose to create a presence on, make sure to match your posting style to the platform as well – hashtags work very well on Instagram for example, but go down badly on LinkedIn.

Tips for Integration Companies on getting started with Social Media Marketing

• Presence – when we started Domotz in 2014 one of the first things we did was set up our social media channels, as just being present increases your chances of being found. It also creates back-links to your website and enables you to engage with industry peers. Having a solid social media presence also makes you look more established as a company.
• Build your brand – you will achieve more results on social media by appearing as a team of people rather than a faceless company. Decide what you want your company personality to be (professional, fun, friendly) and then tailor your content to convey that. Pictures always work better than words, so sharing photos that reflect your company personality are a great start. If your company prides itself on its professionalism, for example, you could share pictures of your team working on a project or testimonials from clients.
• Spark Interest – when you are a service provider, gaining and keeping new followers can be difficult as people only want to engage as long as they need your service. However, if you are a fountain of knowledge on something they are interested in you are more likely to keep their attention. Sharing articles about things your followers are interested in, such as home automation tips, or the latest smart home gadgets, will make you more valuable to follow.
• Timing is Everything – it’s easy as a company to just post when you are using social media, but you are posting during the working day, when most of your followers are also working. Lunch time and evenings are the most popular times for people checking their social channels, so use a scheduling platform to post around then. We use Buffer – it allows you to schedule posts to go out at different times, but also lets you see which types of posts have been performing well with your followers.
• Engage – this is very important! Commenting, liking and sharing is a great way to gain notice and build up your reputation. If you see someone has tweeted asking what the best smart switch is, give them your honest opinion – it is a great opportunity to start a conversation in which you are demonstrating your knowledge, and could lead to a sale.

Put in the time and reap the rewards of social media

As a social media manager, I will be the first to tell you that it can be a slow and time-consuming process to build, engage and create content for your social media communities. However, once you put the effort into your social media channels and they begin to grow, you’ll eventually start reaping the rewards.

Try posting once a day to start with on each channel for a week, or month and measure your success using tools like Google Analytics. Remember though, results won’t happen over night and it is an ongoing commitment that will truly pay off.