April 2022 – IFTS, Inc. Blog

What is your reputation online?

If it’s

bad
you don’t have one or
don’t know what it is

Then, this article is for you!

Painting a house, kitchen or even a room is costly and time-consuming, which is why most people will go online to find a reliable painter.

To seem credible, a home service business must have a Google rating of at least 4 stars and a steady stream of fresh reviews. Reputation marketing may be the answer you’re searching for if you want to cut down on callbacks while still offering high-quality service.

Let's get the basics out of the way first: what is reputation marketing?

Promotion, monitoring, and acquisition of positive third-party brand content, like reviews and social media posts, is called “reputation marketing.” This is done to improve your online reputation.

Your painting company’s online reputation will benefit from this tactic. It’s also a tool you can use to find more positive opportunities and make it into a line of defense for your brand.

When it comes to accumulating favorable information about your company, there are two options: organic and paid

Organic Reviews

Organic evaluations are always more dependable and trustworthy in the eyes of the public than paid advertisements. The majority of consumers are able to discern whether reviews are authentic and posted by other customers who have used the product.

Paid Reviews

Because they are not “earned,” which implies that anybody may obtain them, paid-for evaluations are not the ideal choice, and they often have a bad image as a result. This covers the payment for reviews, press releases, and interviews, among other things.

The use of exclusively paid-for information, according to seasoned marketers, is a lousy business strategy. In a well-thought-out reputation marketing plan, both kinds would be utilized, with a higher emphasis placed on the organic method.

While purchasing phony reviews, bribing consumers to submit reviews, or attempting to have your company listed on particular websites may sound appealing, these strategies are likely to provide little to no return on your investment in the long run.

The Many Benefits of Reputation Marketing

The unfortunate reality is that smaller painting companies tend to overlook or entirely disregard reputation marketing and management as helpful tools until they are confronted with an inflow of negative reviews.

In truth, reputation marketing serves as a safety net for your business. As long as it is implemented in a timely and appropriate manner, it will assist you in establishing strong brand authority and reputation before a crisis scenario spirals out of hand…like receiving multiple bad reviews in a row.

So, if you are still unsure about how reputation marketing might assist your painting business, here are a few ideas to consider:

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE RATINGS

Make sure to pay close attention to the comments and reviews people post about your service and that their comments and reviews portray your home service business in the best possible light. You won’t be able to avoid bad feedback, but you can at least curate third-party reviews over time to mitigate the effects. The fact of the issue is that public opinion counts, and the difference between a 4-star and a 5-star rating may translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income.

GOOGLE KNOWLEDGE PANEL

It is the short description with info (and pictures) about your business that Google pulls and appears on the right side of your screen in desktop search results. This Knowledge Panel can be an important business asset and a game changer when it comes to getting more people to visit your home service website. That said, getting it to be shown frequently depends on how well your brand is known and how much structured data you have on your site/Google Business Profile.

GOOGLE PROFILE OPTIMIZATION

If you really want to get serious, you should set up a Google Business Profile (formerly called a Google My Business account). A well-optimized business profile can help your house painting business show up in search results above the rest. Plus, it’s free to set up and allows you to connect with potential and current customers and build your brand’s trust.

WEBSITE SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

SEO is all about getting your site to show up high in search engine results. If Google and other search engines think your page is an authority for certain target keywords, like “house painter near me”, then you will get more traffic that all of the painters in your area are fighting for.

GET YOUR BRAND INTO THE SEARCH RESULTS

As time goes on, the hard work that you do pays off in a big way. By building your brand online in multiple directories, you should see more branded results. Your website will show up at the top of the search results if someone searches for your painting company’s name.

LOCAL SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

Local SEO is one of the most important tools for home service companies because it allows you to target the specific community that you serve directly. Implementing an effective local SEO strategy can boost the search exposure of your business.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this topic, where we will discuss the impact of online reviews and how to create a successful reputation marketing campaign.

Let’s talk about all of the ways house painting companies can benefit from social media marketing.

For house painting business owners who aren’t “tech-savvy,” social media may not be their choice way to advertise their firm. But you can’t ignore the reality that social media has become an integral part of almost everyone’s daily routine.

Marketing your firm and reaching your business objectives will be easier if you use social media. If you’re still skeptical about the benefits of social media marketing for your home painting business, here are some examples of the tangible results you may expect.

BENEFIT 1 - EXPANDING YOUR TARGET MARKET

Social media is a great way to reach more people and find new customers without putting in a lot of work or spending a fortune. Social media ads on Facebook and Instagram are two sure ways for your brand name to reach new people in your area. You can also make content that people can share.

BENEFIT 2 – INCREASING BRAND AWARENESS

Social media is a low-cost yet extremely successful method for increasing brand exposure and attracting new consumers. Most of them also allow you to sign up for a free account, so all you’re investing is your time and effort.

Your house painting firm will stand out if you show consistency in your brand voice, color scheme, and logo. A memorable and distinctive brand identity boosts your chances of landing a lead. The more traction you get for your brand name and voice, the more familiar your service area will become with your brand. Instead of looking you up on Google and going with a competitor, they will call you the next time they need painting to be done.

BENEFIT 3 - IMPROVING TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE AND YOUR SEO RANKING

According to most marketers, a strong social media presence leads to a rise in website traffic. Considering that 73% of individuals who use the Internet spend the most of their time on social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., this should come as no surprise.

The popularity of social networks like Instagram and Tik-Tok has increased, although Facebook remains the most popular social media platform. In addition, your search engine position is closely correlated with the amount of media shares you’ve got. As a result, a well-maintained social media account might help your website rank higher in the search engine results page (SERP).

BENEFIT 4 – BOOST YOUR CONTENT MARKETING

Place well-optimized high-quality content on your website, and you’ll be able to get some of that organic traffic without having to pay a penny. However, getting your content in front of as many people as possible in the quickest amount of time is still a digital marketing problem.

This is where social media platforms come into play, and they can help you! Content that is of value can be shared on your business profiles so that you can get in touch with potential customers quickly and for free.

BENEFIT 5 – AUDIENCE TARGETING MADE EASY

A nice advantage of social media is that it lets you better tailor your adverts and content to the specific demographics of the people using it. This way, home painting companies may identify and target their ideal clients, and finally convert them into paying customers.

These findings will be used as a guide for developing campaigns and presenting appropriate offers, which normally yields a higher return on investment.

Learn how to define your target audience here.

BENEFIT 6 - LOWER LEAD GENERATION COSTS

Many home service business owners still choose conventional marketing methods such as radio, ads, and newspapers, not realizing that lead generation from social media costs only a fraction of the expense of traditional marketing.

Using social media marketing may reduce lead generation expenses by as much as 80%, resulting in a higher return on investment (ROI) through reduced spending and improved sales volume.

As a result, social media platforms like Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and Twitter Ads offer cost-effective paid advertising options that allow painters to expand their audience and boost their reach.

BENEFIT 7 - LEGITIMIZING YOUR HOUSE PAINTING COMPANY BRAND

Before making a purchase, how frequently do you perform a search on Google for the product or service you’re considering?

Consumers frequently look up businesses and corporations online. People aren’t only using search engines to learn about a company. In today’s world, consumers also rely on social media to find out about brands, products, and other people’s experiences with them. Customers will recognize and trust your brand more if you make the same information available on social media as you do on your website.

BENEFIT 8 - IMPLEMENTING A LONG-LASTING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

Customers are more likely to remain loyal to a company that has established credibility in the marketplace and provides exceptional service. Content and interaction are critical in the world of social media. If you provide your audience with valuable content and engage them in meaningful dialogue, they will develop a positive impression of your company.

A company’s online interactions have a significant impact on the likelihood that customers would return for additional service.

BENEFIT 9 - SEEKING OUT REVIEWS FROM CUSTOMERS

A review and comment area is available on nearly every social media platform where firms are permitted to sell their goods and services. It has two main purposes: it helps you identify areas for development in your painting business and it confirms your commitment to providing high-quality client experiences.

Every business has to deal with unhappy consumers at some point. When you get a bad review on social media, don’t get down on yourself. This is actually a great chance to think outside the box and discover a solution to the problem while also bringing optimism to the situation. These kinds of encounters are essential if you want to persuade potential clients that your company is trustworthy.

Want to know more about responding to reviews? Check out this video that helps you respond to both positive and negative reviews in a helpful and productive way.

HERE ARE SOME BONUS SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR PAINTING BUSINESSES

Now that you know the many benefits of using social media, let’s discuss some specific marketing strategies to make it work for your painting company.

To help you get started, here are a few pointers:

TIP 1 - IDENTIFY THE PLATFORMS THAT YOUR AUDIENCE USES THE MOST

When it comes to social media marketing, there are a lot of alternatives to choose from. You should go to places where your clients and potential consumers meet. Begin with what social media networks your consumer base uses to hunt for services and follow other businesses.

Your major rivals’ social accounts are also a wonderful place for research when it comes to discovering which platform has been the most effective in terms of follower numbers and post interaction.

TIP 2 - LINK YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

A new or different social media site doesn’t always make it easy to build a profile. However, you can and should encourage your existing customers and fans to follow, like and subscribe to other accounts in a few ways.

Adding social media connections to your home painting website is essential. You should also include your page URL and the location of your firm on all of your social media profiles.

TIP 3 - CONSISTENTLY POST UPDATES WITH A CONTENT CALENDAR

In order to maintain and grow your following, it’s critical to post online on a regular basis. The easiest way to do this is to construct a social media schedule.

A content calendar will keep you on track and allow you to avoid last-minute scrambling. It’s critical to maintain consistency, but don’t go overboard with it. There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to how often you should post on social media.

To find out what works best for your home service business, you might experiment with different post frequencies and timings. You should also look to see what is working for your competitors.

TIP 4 - ENGAGE WITH YOUR FOLLOWERS

What better way to make use of social media than to interact with your followers?

There are a multitude of new methods to engage with your audience and clients in today’s social media landscape. Pose a question and respond as promptly as possible with relevant, helpful information to elicit more conversation. The first two hours following a post are critical to generating interest.

IS YOUR PAINTING COMPANY REAPING THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

Social media gives your business the opportunity to connect with a global audience and keep clients who are already loyal. If you’re suffering with your company’s social media strategy and aren’t confident in your marketing abilities, then this video is for you.

A social media specialist with the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your company goals is the ideal choice in this instance. The idea here is to take advantage of the increased traffic that comes from social media and use it to grow your house painting business. Contact IFTS today at 412-715-6266!

Month: April 2022

Reputation Marketing for House Painting Companies PART 1