Top do's and don'ts on social media and marketing for Surveyors

Firstly, before I dive into this latest article, I want to express my gratitude to the over 350 property surveyors and student surveyors who have completed my survey which was asking for your views on using social media for surveyors. The results were VERY interesting!

The results are fascinating and diverse, and I can't wait to share my analysis with you. ?? Thanks to everyone who added their additional comments outside of the survey - your insights have been incredibly helpful! ?? If you want to hear about the results first, please ensure you follow this newsletter.

So, now on to some key Do's and Don'ts when posting on social media.

Do highlight your certifications and training: Highlighting your professional qualifications, training, and continuous education serves as a powerful tool to showcase your expertise and establish credibility. Sharing a social media post discussing a recent course, including your enjoyment and what you learned, is also an excellent idea. However, don't get too technical on posts targeted at the general public. A post on LinkedIn is not the same as a post on Facebook.

Do share personal insights and opinions: Sharing your insights on industry trends and local property matters can establish you as an expert with unique perspectives, facilitating a stronger connection with your audience. Have there been any recent housing developments, changes to green space, transport link upgrades etc?

Do showcase your community involvement: Highlight your involvement in local community events or charitable activities to showcase your active engagement with the community. For example, if your business is involved in a community cleanup or fundraising event, share photos and stories about the event on your social media channels.

Do offer seasonal maintenance tips: Provide timely advice related to seasonal home maintenance, aligning your content with homeowners' needs and interests throughout the year and keeping you in their minds.

Do highlight unique property features: Sharing captivating images or intriguing stories of remarkable or historic property features that have been uncovered during surveys can enhance discussions and foster a sense of curiosity that may lead to further exploration and discovery. This approach has the potential to generate interest and stimulate engagement among your peers and potential clients. One of my favourites is where surveyors find amusing notes or items left under floorboards or behind walls by a builder or DIYer. Or have funny encounters with pets!

Do network: Join groups and follow pages relevant to the surveying industry and your client base e.g. local community/property groups. Share, comment on, and like posts that align with your interests. Don't spam these groups with advertising, but offer advice and informative insight into property-related topics. The more present you are online, the more people will remember you.

Do talk about your tools and technology: Share posts about the equipment and technology you use in your work, explaining how they contribute to accurate and efficient results. Give examples of how this has helped home buyers and homeowners.

Example: Share a photo of a drone you use for roof surveys with a description of its benefits. Explain how using a drone can provide a cost-effective and effective solution for surveying large properties, and how the data collected can be used to identify hidden defects that would not be possible using a camera pole.

Do show behind the scenes: Showcase the effort and expertise involved in surveying by giving a glimpse into your day-to-day work. For instance, share a photo of you or your team working on a challenging project and include a caption detailing the work process.

Do collaborate with other local businesses to cross-promote each other's products/services: Consider how you might be able to work with other providers who have the same customers as you. Partnership opportunities could include sharing space on a trade stand, jointly speaking at a seminar or sharing a post on a local meetup. You could even sponsor local businesses such as a popular coffee shop where all the locals hang out. In return, they endorse your services and mention you on social media, websites etc.

Don'ts:

Don't advertise your availability: It's important to maintain a professional image by avoiding excessive advertising of your availability. This can come across as desperate and turn away potential clients. I have seen several surveying businesses do this! Please don't.

Don't compete solely on price: Lowering your prices could harm the perceived value of your services and negatively impact your profitability. Keep in mind that customers often equate higher prices with superior quality, so prioritising price above all else may cause clients to question the worth of your offerings. Highlight your unique selling points such as an efficient turnaround, post-survey call, local knowledge, a clear and concise report with extensive photos etc.

Don't appear overly negative: Present property issues or defects on social media or your website. It's essential to provide suggested solutions. This approach is crucial to avoid alarming potential clients or coming across as too pessimistic. It's worth noting that using scare tactics is not an effective strategy to drive leads and engage new clients.

Don't ignore user-generated content: Encourage satisfied clients to share their experiences and provide reviews to use as content to boost your business's credibility through word-of-mouth marketing. Potential customers trust the opinions of other customers, making it essential to utilise user-generated content to enhance your reputation and attract more clients. Share, share, share! Note: It's all very well to post on LinkedIn (I see this a lot), but it's unlikely to generate new leads with home buyers. It's important to also use other platforms such as Facebook for this and your website!

Don't overwhelm your audience: Avoid bombarding your audience with too much content at once. Space out your posts, avoid heavy text, use images/video and keep a consistent schedule. Better to post regularly each week, than once every few months.

Don't Make Assumptions: Avoid assuming homeowners have prior surveying knowledge (they don't!) Start with the basics and build from there.

Scenario: Instead of jumping into the types of surveys, start with why a homeowner might need a survey. Educate the public and your future clients in the process.

Don't ignore trends: Stay updated on trending topics in the property market and incorporate them into your content.

Scenario: If there's a recent news story about rising home prices in your area, write a post explaining how a survey can help homeowners make informed decisions.

Don't be too formal: While professionalism is essential, avoid being overly formal or technical in your posts. Write in a way that resonates with homeowners. For instance, instead of saying "Please contact us for more information," you could say "We're here to answer any questions you may have."

Don't Forget to Credit Sources: If you share content from other sources, always give proper credit. Example: If you share a post from a property article don't forget to tag or mention the original creator. The same applies to images. Always reference the photographer or source.

As always, I'm hoping these little titbits give you some ideas when posting online and marketing your business or employer. Above all else, be authentic and personable. Show your personality and don't be afraid to use a sense of humour too :)

If you enjoyed reading this and have any feedback then do drop me a line here on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].