How big a role does social media play in your marketing and growth strategies for your business? What is your objective when you share content to your social media channels?

In the past several years, as social media has become more important to businesses, we pretty routinely post articles on our publication websites about creating online content — a blog on your website, YouTube videos, Instagram posts — and how to use that content to reach customers.

You, our readers, serve a specific niche that is often misunderstood and underappreciated by customers. So I would assume that one of the biggest reasons for sharing on social media is to educate your current and potential customers about your services.

There are many other reasons to create and share content on social channels and your own website: brand recognition and visibility; to introduce customers to new services you’re adding; to announce special discounts or company news; and to connect with others in the industry. I know several contractors who made legitimate friendships via Instagram — sharing tips and why they like their favorite equipment, discussing jobs and giving encouragement. We’ve featured a contractor who was hired for hydroexcavation jobs after posting a comment about his equipment’s capabilities. Felix Delgadillo, the owner of Drain Guys Chicago who was featured in the April 2022 issue of Cleaner, even found an employee via Instagram. He routinely posts photos of his work, and an interested young man messaged him about it, and he ended up with a hardworking, promising assistant.

Not everyone will find the next generation of employees on Instagram or Facebook. But putting out more information about the kind of work you do and why you enjoy it raises the profile of the industry, and that in itself is a good reason to participate on social channels.

Whether you’ve been doing it for years or are just starting to add social media content to your marketing, take a moment to think about your true objective. Think about the demographics and whom you’re trying to reach. Are you using the right platforms for your area? Facebook users are trending older these days, while TikTok is the opposite. Think about where you should focus the most time and energy in order to reach your intended audience. If you mostly want to connect with others in the industry, Instagram is probably the way to go. If you’re currently focused on customer education, YouTube is a good place to start.

I’d like to learn more about your strategy on social media — what kind of posts you create, where you post most often, the kind of responses and success you’ve seen, what channel has been most worth your time, etc. Use the feedback form at cleaner.com/suggestions, or email me at editor@cleaner.com.

If there’s a certain topic you’d like to see us cover, let us know.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.