7 social media marketing tips for home builders

It’s not just hashtags and viral TikTok dances. Social media can – and should – be an integral part of construction marketing strategies. Here’s how to win social and more clients in the process.

Social media icons on a construction hook

The smartest marketers know the best place to meet potential customers is where they already are. So – the questions remains – where is that exactly?

The answer is simple: social media. Whether you love it or hate it, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are here to stay. Successful home builders are leveraging these outlets to their advantage. As for those who have chosen to forsake it … well, they’re getting left in the dust.

Still not convinced social media is for your construction marketing strategy? Consider these statistics from an AdWeek article that should make you sit up and take notice:

  • Millennials (perhaps the most social media-savvy group of current home buyers) now make up more than 66% of the market for first-time home buyers
  • 86% of home shoppers say they would watch videos on sites like YouTube to help them learn about a company they were considering
  • 52% of marketing professionals say that video content, which is easily shared on social media platforms, has the greatest return on investment
  • Both TikTok and Instagram currently have 1 billion monthly active users
  • The power of Facebook –one of the first and older social media platforms – is still undeniable. As of July 2021, it has nearly 3 billion monthly active users.

Still not sold? Sometimes numbers only tell half the story. Here are a couple of fun anecdotes from Builder Online to further encourage your team to make social media a high priority in your construction marketing strategies:

  • After doing a pizza giveaway on Facebook, the Charlotte, North Carolina, division of M/I Homes saw traffic to their website jump from 5,800 views each day to more than 50,000. Additionally, their Google search ranking went from page five to page two.
  • Southern Homes of Lakeland, Florida, credits a revamped social media campaign for a 64% single-year sales increase.

So, it’s settled. Social media marketing is a must for home builders looking to grow their business. However, it’s not good enough to just be on social. You now might be wondering … how can you use it to help your brand? Which social media platforms should you be using? And what social media strategies can you employ to see real engagement and real results?

We’ve got you. Here are seven social media ideas for contractors:

1. Don’t just say it with words. Use images and videos, too

You know what they say – a picture says a thousand words. That’s why you don’t just want to say it. You want to show it, which makes social media platforms the perfect place to add images and video.

Sites like Pinterest, Instagram and Houzz – a social media website focused wholly on home builders, industry suppliers and homeowners – are perfect places to share photos of your work. Of course, if you’re going to post pictures, make sure they’re high quality so your homes really shine.

2. Capture for social – then share anywhere, everywhere

YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are the perfect places for video. Videos should be such an important piece of your construction marketing strategy, we wrote an entire blog about how to get the most out of this medium.

Pro tip: Start with sharing videos on social then get more life out of them by adding them to more of your marketing mix.

3. Make your content more valuable with testimonials and blogs

Sometimes the hardest thing about social media is figuring out where to start and what to post. You’ll never run out of content ideas if you keep your clients first. Think about providing them educational content that enriches their home building process.

Facebook and LinkedIn are great for publishing client testimonials and sharing the awards and accolades you’ve won to help build credibility and drive conversions. They’re also great for sharing relevant articles and helpful tips for home buyers that start as company blogs on your website.

Here are some other quick ideas for social media content:

  • Sharing before and after pictures of projects or progress videos
  • Showing what a day in the field is like
  • Giving credit to a hardworking sub
  • Posting industry news
  • Spotlighting what makes your business stand out

4. Respond to comments – even those that are less than glowing

Posting is only the beginning when it comes to smart social media strategy. It’s also all about engagement and interacting with your audience. When your followers and clients leave comments on your posts, you should respond – even if they’re not necessarily the nicest comments.

Because you can bet that if someone has something negative to say about your company, they’ll use social media to do it. When someone leaves a negative comment, be sure to respond calmly and positively. Express your concern, and ask them to reach out to you directly so you can resolve the situation.

5. The more often you post, the better

As a home builder, it’s not just what you post that matters. How often you post is just as important when it comes to growing your audience. It’s generally recommended to post one time per day, and no more than three to five times per day.

If you’re a small staff that’s stretched thin, you should at least add new content weekly. A stale social media presence is worse than no social media presence at all. It’ll make your company look unresponsive and not customer focused.

6. It’s not just about quantity. Quality is important, too

Post with care! Blurry pictures, poor grammar, misspellings and links that don’t work reflect poorly on your business. “If their social media posts are this sloppy,” potential clients will think, “How careful are they when they build a home?”

It’s also important to consider the tone of what you post. Make sure your content is authentic and genuinely communicates your brand and values. That’s key to attracting the type of clients you want to work with.


7. Do more of what works – and less of what doesn’t

As a home builder, you’re no stranger to metrics and reports. It’s how you measure the health of any job. Your social media platforms are no different.

By tracking your metrics, you can perfect your efforts and make a greater impact with each post. Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t by checking out the number of likes, shares or comments each post gathers.

By doing more of what’s really resonating, your social media footprint will grow and grow.

While it may seem like just another chore, in today’s industry, social media marketing is a must-do for any successful home builder looking to expand their business or net new clients. Now that you know, go forth and post, post, post.

Marketing tips like this are only the very beginning of how CBUSA can help your business. If you’re interested in joining our nationwide network of premier independent home builders and enjoying all of the benefits a CBUSA membership has to offer, contact us today! And we’d like to get social, too. To keep up with our latest updates, join our group on LinkedIn.

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Alyssa