I don’t profess to be a social media expert. I do specialize in creating, executing and measuring home builder online campaigns to achieve 10% website conversion and 100 leads per month in 90 days or less. Home builder social media is one tool that I use to achieve that.
There’s a big difference between specializing in social media and specializing in sales funnel management. One measures success in engagement, the other measures success in sales.
First, Last, & Foremost: Feed the Funnel
There are five nearly irrefutable stages of the buying process today: visit website, opt-in, visit the sales office, write a contract, close and refer.
And yet, a lot of us are still measuring success in social media by the number of followers, fans, likes, comments, and engagement we receive. Is this really serving us? I have seen a builder with less than 100 followers on Twitter drive a sale with a tweet, and I have also seen builders with more than 1,000 Facebook fans sit for months on standing inventory.
Finding success in home builder social media starts with identifying the areas of your funnel that are underperforming, and then understanding which social media channels are most effective for each stage of the funnel.
Connecting Social Media and the Sales Funnel
Here is a sample from my own experience with this blog:
The people who engage with me in social media (defined as Facebook, Twitter, and blog comments) are typically not the people who contact me about website design and marketing services. I work hard for this audience to provide quality content, because their graciousness and generosity astounds me all of the time. Many of them may never call me for marketing services, and that’s ok. They are brand advocates, people who talk back to me and tell me when I am doing it right and when I am off track. Their front line perspective from markets around the country makes my work better. That’s the part I can’t squeeze on my Excel spreadsheet. If I could, the numbers would not justify the time. But it’s one of the most important investments I make in my business.
Conversely, almost 100% of the people who contact me about marketing services never engage on Facebook, Twitter, or in blog comments. They do, however, subscribe to my blog in the days or weeks before they contact me to schedule an initial consultation. This is highly measurable with specific conversion rates and ROI. (Ever notice how big our subscribe box is?)
Are my goals, messages, strategies, and metrics of success different for my Facebook page than my blog based on these different outcomes? You bet. Each tool serves a different purpose in my sales funnel.
I see similar patterns emerge for our home builder clients.
A Smarter Social Media Strategy
If we want social media to work for us in ways that we can measure, every social strategy should include a funnel-driven approach.
Questions to consider when planning a social strategy include:
- How is social media driving traffic to my website?
- How am I using social media to build my lead list?
- How am I using social media to convert existing leads to sales office visits?
- How am I using social media to drive be-backs, both online and in person?
- How is social media lowering my cancellation rate?
- How is social media helping me generate referrals?
When we shift our focus from a friends/fans/followers approach to a funnel driven approach, we do a better job of connecting status updates with sales contracts and create a more meaningful experience for our buyers in the process.
Looking for a Funnel Driven Approach for Your Online Marketing?
Contact us today to find out more about our marketing services and how we help builders drive 100 leads per month in 90 days or less.
