Last Wednesday, Bridget Willard (@RigginsConst), Carol Stephen (@Carol_Stephen) and I (@TessWittler) were guests on MyFixItUpLife. We were invited to share our perspective on this question: Do remodelers need Twitter?
Show hosts, Mark and Theresa, have different points of view on the usefulness of Twitter, and after some technical difficulty, we zoom out of the gate with Mark’s #1 concern: What’s the ROI? How is Twitter going to make him money? … which I am sure is a concern shared by most contractors.
Here are the highlights from our interview:
- Twitter Chats, like #ConstChat, are much different than just using Twitter. We recommend those new to Twitter get comfortable with it first, before trying to participate in a Twitter Chat. Bridget has some great resources on Twitter etiquette.
- You meet people through Twitter much easier than you would LinkedIn or Facebook, and from there relationships form. That’s when the magic happens.
- From a business perspective, one of the biggest benefits to Twitter is to have conversations with other contractors from outside of your local area. This can be valuable when you are trying to understand how to navigate government regulations or learn what the market is doing in other parts of the country.
- We see more consumers turning to social media networks to find contractors. As Bridget says, “Who uses the Yellow Pages anymore?” A consumer can get a better understanding of your personality by scrolling down your Twitter feed which helps build the know, like and trust factor.
- One thing to keep in mind is that the people who are active on Twitter may be different than those on Facebook or LinkedIn. When you use Twitter, you are talking to a different audience and expanding your reach.
- Twitter is a completely different way of networking than you’d find on other social networks.
- Twitter is a watercooler without geography. This is how we, as people, bond. We make and participate in small talk. When you keep this in mind, Twitter becomes much easier to comprehend and use.
- What is unique about Twitter is that it is “in the moment.” For example, a plumber could do a local search on “broken water heater” or “leaking pipes” and find those people in his area that are talking about this topic. From there, he could introduce himself and offer advice and/or a solution.
- Contractors can hire social media managers, like Carol Stephen, or consultants, like me, to feel more comfortable with how social media works.
- Twitter is a great way to connect with peers the industry when you have a business questions. This what happens every week on #ConstChat. Questions are asked on a particular topic and then all of us share our answers. From that, we all gain new insight and take away new ideas, solutions to problems and information that we can use to better our businesses. Twitter is a Think Tank!
- Twitter can also be a great way to keep in touch with people you meet at national events, such as the Remodelers Show, JLC Live or the International Builders Show.
Here are the links to see or hear the interview:
See for yourself that Twitter really is all that! Make it a point to check out Construction Chat on Twitter. It is held every Thursday at 12p ET / 9a PT under the hashtag #ConstChat.
I think we gave Mark and Theresa many ways of how Twitter grows businesses and makes remodelers money. What do you think?