With new social media platforms popping up all the time, it’s easy for business owners to get overwhelmed. Where should you invest your time and resources into marketing your business? Do you really need to have a presence on every single platform out there?

The good news is that no, you don’t need to spend time and money on every platform. In fact, when it comes to marketing to your potential customers, there’s really only one platform we encourage local service businesses to invest in: Facebook.

Why Facebook? It has 1.9 billion daily active users. And while your kids might be obsessed with TikTok or Snapchat, 91% of the wealth in America is held by people 55 and older. Those people are still on Facebook. So for now, if you have to choose only one social media platform to funnel your time and money into, we recommend Facebook. 

Of course, simply knowing you need to be on Facebook to reach potential clients where they’re at doesn’t help you figure out what to post, does it? Not to worry though, because we have eight post ideas to help you engage potential customers, market your business, and build trust and brand awareness.  

#1 Behind the scenes

One of the best uses of Facebook (and all social media for that matter) is to make your business seem more personable. When a potential client is researching a septic service provider to hire, they want to know they’re hiring the right company for the job. 

By showing behind the scenes glimpses into who you are, how you run your company, and what it’s like to work with you, you make that decision a lot easier. After all, people do business with people they like. So post videos and photos that show your potential clients what you’re all about. Be personable. Be helpful. Be human.

#2 FAQs

Knowledge is power, and one of the easiest ways to build trust with potential clients is to empower them by sharing your knowledge. Be helpful. Show them you’re an authority they can trust to solve their problems and do the job right. 

You can easily do this while simultaneously providing value to clients by answering FAQs on your Facebook page. Whether you choose to shoot a quick video answering the top two questions you get about septic care or you do a Facebook Live to answer FAQs and questions on the spot, it’s a great way to build trust and show potential clients you have the answers and solutions they’re looking for.

Not sure what questions to cover? Ask your office staff and service techs what questions they most often get. And don’t forget to cover seasonal questions in the appropriate season. For example, winter is when everyone has questions about preventing frozen pipes, so cover those questions when they’re most interesting and relevant to your audience. 

#3 Team introductions

People do business with people they like. So introduce yourself. Introduce your team. Intro videos make your company more personable, and let potential clients know who they can expect to show up at their property should they choose to work with you. Likewise, intro videos allow you to showcase the skills, training, experience and qualifications of your team — again, building trust and confidence with potential clients. 

#4 Explanatory videos

Most people don’t know exactly how onsite systems work or how they're installed and maintained. Fill them in. Do explanatory videos that cover the services you offer, why they’re important, and how they can make life easier and less frustrating for clients. Let them know what can go wrong with the systems you work on, what maintenance is needed, and what to do if problems arise. 

You may want to post quick videos with tips for homeowners. Or, if there’s minor seasonal maintenance they can do on their own between service appointments, walk them through it. Being helpful is a great way to build trust.

Bonus tip: Instagram Reels get a lot of engagement, and you can easily share them to your business’s Facebook page. That means twice the action and engagement from each single piece of content you create. 

#5 Blog posts

If you write informative blog posts on your website, help your clients and potential clients by sharing them to your Facebook page. Blog posts are a great way to answer FAQs and cover seasonal concerns and problems with the systems you service. But if you don’t share them on your social media pages, those blog posts you invest time and money into might never be seen by potential clients. Put them to work for you on Facebook.

As a bonus, consider doing a quick intro video for each blog post you share on Facebook. Video is engaging and it grabs the attention in a way that all-text posts don’t. Use that knowledge to your advantage and get some eyes on those blog posts.  

For example, you may tease the blog post in the video and give the short answer to the question or topic you’re covering. Then, let clients know they can click the link to the blog post for more tips or a more in-depth answer to their question. 

Bonus tip: Start your video with a question or something else interesting to open the curiosity loop and grab the attention of your potential customers. 

#6 Giveaways and specials

Everybody loves a good giveaway or special deal, and Facebook is a great place for this type of content. Have a seasonal special coming up? Are you giving a free inspection to one lucky customer? Share all the details on your Facebook page and watch the engagement levels skyrocket. 

Note: You don’t want your entire Facebook page to feel like a sales pitch or like Publisher’s Clearing House. Space out giveaways and specials, and make sure you’re filling in the gaps with interesting, engaging content. 

#7 Community news

Do you do a toy drive every Christmas? Are you collecting canned goods for a local food bank? Let your customers and potential customers know what you’re up to and how you’re making a difference in your community right there on your Facebook page. Better yet, invite them to help and make it easy for them to get involved. 

Sharing what you’re doing to improve your community:

• builds trust with potential clients
• makes your company more likeable
• confirms to clients that they can feel good about their decision to work with you
• shows you’re invested in leaving your community better than you found it

Not only that, but by inviting your clients and potential clients to participate, you can spread the joy of giving back. 

#8 Open job positions

We’ve yet to meet a local service business that isn’t on the lookout for great employees. If you’re all set, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. If not, consider using Facebook to help spread the word that you’re hiring. 

Posting open job positions on your Facebook page will give potential clients a glimpse into what you look for in an employee and what your requirements are. And the more they know about what you expect of your employees, the more they’ll know about what they can expect if they hire you. 

Additionally, Facebook is one large network, and the more eyes you get on your job openings, the better your chances are of finding the right candidates to fill those openings.

Bonus tip: When it comes to hiring, it’s a good idea to also use those social media platforms where younger people spend a lot of time (like TikTok). If you can make something interesting and engaging, you can get a lot of eyes on your business and attract the next generation to join your team.  

We hope these ideas spark your creativity and make planning your social media content calendar a little bit easier and a little bit more fun this year. Good luck out there.

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About the authors
Carter Harkins and Taylor Hill are the authors of Blue Collar Proud: 10 Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and the owners of Spark Marketer, a "no bull" digital marketing company that’s been getting sh*t done for home service businesses across the nation for a decade. They’re trusted thought leaders in the industries they serve, which is why you’ll find them regularly speaking at service industry trade shows and conferences and writing for trade magazines. Tired of empty promises and ready for focused digital marketing and balls-to-the-wall dedication that gets your business seen? Visit www.sparkmarketer.com.