Shop Management

Choosing the right social media platforms for your business can help improve the quality of engagement with your customer base. By Ron Coleman

Retrieving accurate news and information on your business is essential to any business operating in this day and age. The development of the internet arguably could have been one of the most impactful innovations in the way we now conduct business. Both in good and not so good terms.

For instance, it allows for companies to get a better understanding of potential and existing customers for your business. Increasing brand awareness has never been so important and complicated. Social media is a great way to all that. It allows for you to stay connected with your followers and engage with them. Currently, 74 per cent of consumers rely on social media when making purchasing decisions. This comes from an ODM Group study, with several other studies backing-up this conclusion, including Forbes. You need to be on the first page of their search, which comes via efficient search optimization engine (SEO) parameters.

Another use for social media can be within the recruitment sector. Contractors are continuing to have problems hiring and retaining employees. An effective social media presence can reap the rewards in this area. This would be a very different content stream generally used for generating sales.

This might all sound out of your comfort zone, but don’t get overwhelmed. Start slowly and build up. Four key areas to start with would be setting your goal, understanding your audience, choosing the platforms that work with your goals, and adding good content daily.

Set measurable goals

There are numerous platforms to choose from and there are new ones popping up all the time. Each platform will attract a different audience. It is essential that you pick the right platform to get your message across. Some are better suited for the written word, while other are better suited for videos or images. According to a recent Global Statistics report, in Canada, Facebook is the most popular platform of choice, followed by Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tik Tok, LinkedIn, and Reddit.

This may seem like a lot to choose from but, as previously stated, based on your desired outcome, what you are looking for will help determine which platforms are best suited for your company.

The first place to start is to set a goal for your company’s social media platforms. This might look like a predetermined number of impressions, comments, clicks, or followers. Follow the rule of three M’s — monitor, measure, and manage. The more targeted you are the more relevant information you can provide, which in turn will provide better outcomes.

You likely already have two or three platforms already on the go and you don’t even know it. Your website, email, and customer relationship management (CRM) are often ignored as social media; however, I believe they should be at the top of your list.

Retaining attention

Keep people interested in your social media by giving them reasons to visit your platform. This will mean that the posting conducted for each platform is relevant to the audience. Make it all about them. Once you know which topics you’d like to cover and how to deliver them (text, audio, photos, or videos) then you can decide which platforms to use, how often you should post, what to post, and when to post.

Develop a template of topics that will draw people to your platform. 1. Profile an employee, a customer, or a project before and after. 2. Product information—explain what a heat pump is, and how to get grants for purchasing it. Put a link to the relevant information. 3. Healthcare—indoor air quality, smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors. 4. Maintenance guidelines—how to winterize your water pipes, how to minimize energy costs, or how to maintain your furnace. 5. Handyman projects—how to change a flapper, a washer, or a garburator.

Those are five topics you can build on and repeat. Brainstorm ideas with your team and your customers, or consider setting up a focus group. The same information can be reposted on more than one platform. Always have at least one month’s worth of content ready to go. Consistency is critical.

Look for feedback

Setting up and maintaining serious social media platforms can be expensive and timeconsuming. Negative feedback can be hugely detrimental and needs to be dealt with quickly, efficiently, and in a timely manner. Invest in ongoing maintenance of your platforms. You are putting your business out there and people will take pot-shots at you. Your competitors will likely be monitoring your online presence as you should be also keeping an eye on what they are doing as well.

With the creation of a larger digital platform comes with it additional cybersecurity concerns. Practice protecting systems, networks, and programs from potential digital attacks. Hacking seems to be all the rage these days.

Take advantage of the Canada Digital Adoption Program and get free money and interest-free loans and guidance from experts. Check out the previous edition of this magazine for all the details.

Reminding your audience to like or subscribe to your content is always a great idea for engagement. And for those not already doing so, they should check out Plumbing & HVAC magazine’s variety of social media and give it a like. It’s about audience engagement after all. :

Increasing brand awareness has never been so important and complicated. Social media is a great way to all that.

Ronald Coleman is a Vancouver-based accountant, management consultant, author and educator specializing in the construction industry. He can be reached by e-mail at

ronald@ronaldcoleman.ca.