Social Media: The Modern Marketing Tool for Contractors

In a recent Social Media Survey sent to our clients, over 60% of the Contractors asked currently use Facebook and LinkedIn for personal use, but have they ever considered how social media could help their position as a Contractor professionally

Opening a social media account, be it Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, has the potential to increase demand for your work and create positive attraction to yourself if done so correctly.

Today’s online world is huge compared to how things were no more than a couple of decades ago therefore social media is the most current and modern marketing tool out there if you are trying to connect with a mass market. These online platforms have provided us with around the clock news updates and information at our fingertips, in addition to providing us with such an easy form of communication with the rest of the world.

For Contractors, keeping up to date with the latest legislation changes and news updates within your industry sector is key as things are forever changing. Getting involved in discussions regarding these changes are even more so beneficial as it is putting your name out there for others to see and communicate with those you otherwise wouldn’t. Putting across your professional opinion on topics relevant to your industry will add engaging content to your profile and hopefully attract followers and readers on a more regular basis.

Certain social media routes are primarily used as different tools, LinkedIn being created with the sole purpose of business in mind. On there, you can detail your employment history, current position of work, skills and endorsements and can even have ‘recommendation’ comments from former colleagues or clients. Furthermore you can join relevant groups, conversations and follow companies that you have an interest within.

Being a Contractor you are responsible for the ongoing search for future contracts and LinkedIn could assist with this by connecting you with others within your industry. Social networking with others (including former clients/colleagues) and having a social presence online will keep your name in everybody’s minds and could potentially provide you with work in the future. Your social presence will only add weight to the other more traditional marketing techniques such as advertising on job boards and a company website. Ultimately, social media has the potential to make the traditional ‘word of mouth’ route to market huge.

If you have not already dived into the online world of social media, you may think you are too busy to start. This can be easily overcome but creating a quick strategy for your ongoing usage. Book out sometime during your week, if only for an hour or so, to browse through your news feed, add comments to relevant discussions and post up content you feel necessary to share with your followers. Regular updates and activity on your page will help to continue to grow your following base and encourage others to share your content. Quick responses to comments are also key when maintaining social media accounts and with such a large percentage of the population now owning smartphones it is possible to remain responsive on the go at all times. So to round this discussion up…