Using social media
The internet has revolutionised the way we make purchase decisions, Chris Ashworth Explains.
The internet has revolutionised the way we make purchase decisions. Before we book a holiday we will use a website like TripAdvisor to get feedback on the different hotels. We can use YouTube to see videos showing us how to do things. If we have a problem with a piece of technical equipment we will go to a discussion forum to find out if other people have had similar problems and how they solved them. And if we are unhappy with the service we receive we will tell people using Facebook.
As a consumer we have a wealth of information available to help us with our decision making. Traditionally the construction industry has been slow to follow consumer trends, but many of those consumers selecting a new washing machine or booking holidays are also Architects, Engineers, Project Managers and Estimators making decisions about construction projects. While they may not be using the new social media extensively yet, it is starting to happen.
Competitive Advantage recently completed the Construction Media Index, extensive research into the use of the different forms of communication channel by the construction industry. That showed that while such tools as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are not being used by the majority for business decisions, they are being used by a significant proportion and usage is set to grow (see side panel).
This presents an opportunity to improve communication with your customers, but also has the potential to consume large amounts of time. The key over the next few years will be selecting the right channels and using them effectively, developing a presence as customer usage increases.
So why use social media? There is an element of carrot and stick about this. First the carrot.
Any decent salesman will tell you that selling is about building relationships with your customers, particularly when they are making a purchase decision. At this time the customer will go through the process of information search and then evaluation of alternatives. Traditionally this will involve collecting literature, looking at product directories, visiting websites, issuing tender requests and evaluating PPQs. While this is still the case, there is also the opportunity to use social media to seek other’s opinions and experiences, gather impartial comments about products, services and companies and view projects that are under construction or completed. Those companies with a wealth of good references in circulation will have created a positive impression with decision makers.
Onc of the strengths of the internet is that the ability of the single voice to be heard has increased massively. In the past a large corporation could afford to ignore a lone customer’s complaints. Not today. That customer can set up a blog, join a forum and make a comment on Twitter. Very quickly, anyone searching for that company is going to find a string of criticisms and complaints creating a negative perception. So at the very least you need to be monitoring what is being said about your industry and your company, acting quickly to respond to complaints and criticism.
Social media is a factor that every company will have to take into account. Perhaps not yet, but it is wise to start now and develop the skills before it becomes absolutely necessary. When starting a programme there are some basic rules to be followed. Most important is that it should be integrated into the company’s communications strategy. That means consistent messages should be presented through ever channel which reflect company values and strengths. Your customers are gaining an impression of your company from many different contacts; personal meetings, letters, proposals advertising, stories in the press, website, newsletters and now social media. It’s important that every message is consistent, building a strong and positive image of your company. It is also worth noting that today’s journalists monitor social media for stories so your comments are likely to be picked up and used in the press.
When using social media remember that people do not want to be sold to. You should be presenting advice and guidance, which in turn presents your organisation as experts and people to trust. If there is a discussion on Twitter contribute by giving some impartial advice, this will naturally lead to people turning to your company for help. Perhaps one of the biggest problems here is keeping to message. The nature of social media is that it is immediate, that means there is no time for everything to be signed off by the MD. It also needs to be personal reflecting the belief and enthusiasm of the individual. So only a select group of employees, who understand the communications strategy, should be allowed to comment on behalf of the organisation. In would also be wise to forbid other company employees from making any comments about the organisation on social media. There have been a few high profile cases on YouTube which have been very embarrassing for construction employers.
The good news is that most of the social media options are free or low cost and do provide a great means of communicating, either linking back to your website or from your website, helping to improve its rankings.
YouTube is increasingly being used for product demonstrations. This might be a simple homemade video clip, although standards are rising as professional video companies offer their services. Clips might be installation guides, tours of projects, interviews about how an installation was completed or technical advice. The key is to make the clips relatively short but use the media to make the message interesting. Links can then be built from your website or newsletter to guide customers to the clip, although search engines should also create plenty of awareness.
Slideshare, as the name suggests, provides a platform for people to post presentations. This can be used in the same way as YouTube, presenting information about your company and issues where you have an expertise. It can be used as a means of displaying this material but also to link to and from your website.
Writing a blog is a way to gain a following, improve search engine rankings and funnel visitors to your website. Wordpress is the leader, gaining good rankings with Google. To build a presence articles need to be posted regularly. Some suggest daily or weekly, monthly is a minimum. The challenge here is in selecting a subject which will be interesting to readers, presents the correct values and strengths, but at the same time has enough subject matter to remain fresh and interesting. Not easy.
At the moment the principal social network used to discuss the industry is LinkedIn. Facebook has higher membership and is increasingly being used for business but has not caught up yet. The other construction specialist networks like tCn, Building Network and Property Network have still to become as established. As a first stage have your ‘communicators’ join LinkedIn. There are quite a number of construction industry specific discussion groups already established, so join those that are relevant. If none are relevant consider forming a new one. Monitoring the discussions will give you an idea of the issues of concern, presenting an opportunity to comment as well as identifying topics to write about in your blog or present on YouTube. LinkedIn also provides a medium to share other postings on YouTube or a blog and increasingly allows you to promote to categories of members (at a price).
Twitter is starting to develop as a means of sharing industry information and views. This might take the form of architects discussing a project, comments on published journal articles or reports on events and conferences. For the average company this is more about listening than talking, unless something very specific and relevant presents itself.
Finally, there is the information gathering role of social media. This is about gathering information on your company, competitors and clients. Google Alerts is a free tool which allows you to receive reports on search terms. In this way you can easily see what is being said on the internet and respond as necessary.
So social media is a key tool, but it also has the potential to consume a lot of time. While today it is not vital to be part of this revolution, it will become key very soon. Start by defining your objectives in getting involved and the success criteria. Have a clear, integrated, communications strategy which is fully understood by those selected to represent your organisation. Then start building and understanding relationships.
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Chris is founder of Competitive Advantage Consultancy Limited which specialises in market research and training for the construction industry. He is also a member of the organising committee for CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Construction Industry Group
First published: April 2011, AIS Interior Insight
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