Honesty Hour: How You’re Screwing Up Facebook Groups For Your Trade And Construction Marketing.
I’m going to give it to you straight.
As always.
There’s a really high chance that you are making some serious mistakes when it comes to using Facebook Groups as part of your T&C marketing.
And I don’t blame you.
It’s another Facebook page, right?
Somewhere for you to promote your business offers, right?
Where just by joining you can tick off the list of ‘things I’ve done for my Trade and Construction marketing,’ right?
And expect the enquiries to just come rolling in, right?
Wrong.
Facebook Groups are a TOTALLY different kettle of fish to what you think. 🐟
And day-in day-out, we see tonnes of branding mistakes going on by Trade and Construction companies in these Groups.
But before you pick up your tool-bag and go running off to the nearest drinking hole because ‘Facebook Groups don’t work,’ let me fill you in on a few benefits you may not have considered.
✅ Facebook Groups are free to join (*more on this later).
✅ You’re likely already spending time on the Facebook Platform already…
✅ Which means you already know how to use it to a decent standard.
✅ You likely have lots of people you know in some of the Groups you’d like to join which can be a huge support and benefit down the line.
I’ve watched Facebook Groups help take one of my Trade clients from a one-man band to an 18 strong team.
🎮 Done right and done well, the right Facebook Groups can be a GAME CHANGER for your Trade and construction marketing.
So let’s start by kicking all the mistakes you might be making in there to the curb…
1. Stop being ‘salesy’ with posts in Facebook Groups for your Trade and Construction marketing.
The biggest no-no for your Trade and Construction marketing.
❌ Do not join a Facebook Group solely to ‘rock up in there’ for a hard sell.
What do I mean by a hard sell?
Offers.
The ‘Here I am come and buy from me’ style posts.
This could be something along the lines of ‘20% off all carpentry works in the month or August’.
Or the likes.
A direct selling tactic.
This could come in the form of…
🖼 A designed graphic style post.
📸 A photographic post.
📹 Or a video for your Trade and Construction marketing.
The reason these posts are a straight up ‘no-no’ is because folk do no join Facebook Groups to be sold to.
They join to be part of a community.
Where they might get help or enjoyment in some way.
For example.
There is a brilliant Trades Facebook Group called Decorators Forum – which works alongside the Dulux Academy.
If you’re in the decorating Trade, join the group here.
There are THOUSANDS of decorators in there.
And the group is absolutely buzzing. 🐝
Nobody is in there ‘selling’ to anyone.
The decorators ask each other questions if they are unsure of a certain paint for a certain surface.
They ask each other business advice when up against a difficult quote or client.
They even post photos of jobs they’ve completed when they feel proud of what they have achieved.
It is a support Group.
Now.
You might well be thinking ‘Ok, this is a Trade Group, so of course if everyone does the same thing there isn’t going to be selling to each other. How does that compare to other Facebook Groups’.
In the same way
The principle.
Facebook Groups are about community and support.
You are a Trade and Construction business.
And are likely joining with that mindset.
But the likelihood of those Facebook Groups you want in on (because your Ideal Clients are there) are that the majority of the members aren’t necessarily other businesses.
They join to be a part of something.
For the community aspect.
To seek help on things that will better their lives in some way.
And even if there are other businesses in there, who actually likes being sold to - uninvited?
Nobody.
⚠️ Joining a Facebook Group for your Trade and Construction marketing where all you post about is your business with ‘salesy’ type posts - rather than contributing for the greater good in terms of community spirit – can damage your brand and reputation.
There can be tens, hundreds or even thousands of people in any given Facebook Group.
And though not everyone will see all of your posts (thanks to the Facebook robots 🤖) over time, more and more people are likely to see what you are contributing to the Group.
And if all they see is you trying to sell, what kind of taste does that leave in the mouth for folk who aren’t there to be sold to?
Salesy, spamming posts?
Don’t do it.
Onto the next mistake…
2. Don’t expect Trade and Construction work just because you’ve ‘joined’ a Facebook Group.
Here’s one of those gym analogies to make this easy to understand.
Sweat bands at the ready.
Stay with me.
So.
You join a gym.
Bagged your shiny new membership card.
Maybe you’ve bought yourself a fresh pair of Nike’s in the process.
And an Under Armour vest for good measure.
You’re all set.
Ready to trim down.
Lose a few pounds perhaps or start toning up…
But you never step foot in that gym.
Ever.
Then you wonder, how is you’re not trimming up now that you’re a fully-fledged gym member?
You might have your shiny membership card but if you’re not actually using the gym and making the effort you’re never going to get into those budgie smugglers for your summer holidays. ☀️
Easy to understand, right?
Same goes with Facebook Groups.
Though no budgie smugglers involved here.
Thankfully.
You join a group.
Great.
But you do absolutely nothing in there.
Don’t post.
Don’t interact.
Don’t even look at the Group for months.
Yet still expect your Direct Messages to be popping off with job enquiries?
Then have a bit of a moan that ‘Facebook Groups don’t work’ for your Trade and Construction marketing.
Of course they won’t.
If you’re not working on them, they won’t be working for you.
Joining a Facebook Group just means you have requested to become part of a community.
But you need to strive to be a pillar of it.
FYI - Some Facebook Groups you need to apply to join.
They may have a few questions for you before their admin team admits you.
It could be to check you live in a certain area.
Or that you agree not to spam the group with sales posts.
Some Facebook Groups you may even need to pay to be a member of as they are in fact a Directory business.
⚠️ Facebook have a rule that you cannot charge people to be a member of a Facebook Group by itself – and that it can be PART of a membership, like a website directory – but not just for the Group. Little tip to help you avoid getting stung.
We have a private Trade and Construction Facebook group you are very welcome to join, to see what we mean.
We ask a few questions to double check you are a Trade and Construction business before we let you in as we want to create a safe space for our Trades to voice their challenges and ask for help.
By keeping it Trades only we keep the content really focused.
Join it here if you fancy it.
Anyway.
Every Facebook Group can be set up slightly different and have their own rules and regulations that they set.
⚠️ WARNING: Be sure to adhere to the specific rules of any Facebook Group you join as your Trade and Construction business so that you don’t get blacklisted and thrown out – which could impact on your own brand and reputation.
Join a Facebook Group for the long term game.
You’re there to get to know people.
And for people to get to know you and your business.
This isn’t a quick win.
Or a hard sell.
It should be a PART of what you’re doing to build your Trade and Construction visibility, not totally dependent on it.
And if you look at it like that, you should hopefully get less frustrated that it’s not an instant money-making idea for you and that it’s about getting out of it what you put in.
Go in with this mindset and you’ll have such a better outcome overall.
3. Not engaging enough or at all in the Facebook Group with your Trade and Construction business.
Now we have it down that Facebook Groups are not a quick win for your Trade and Construction Marketing.
But extremely powerful if you play the long-term game.
Great stuff.
So what else is it that we see Trade and Construction businesses still doing wrong in Facebook Groups?
Not engaging enough.
Or at all.
And this comes in two forms.
1️⃣ One.
❌ You don’t actually post on the group at all.
Unlike some business pages, Facebook Groups allow their members to post in the Group for all to see.
💡 PRO TIP - On some Groups, your post might not appear until an admin has approved it, to stop people spamming the Group.
But don’t worry if this is the case.
Just might take a little while for it to appear.
We see time and time again; Trade and Construction businesses join a Facebook Group and NEVER post to the Group.
Why is this bad?
Because they remain totally invisible.
There is no point joining a potentially ‘valuable’ Facebook Group if nobody knows you exist, is there?
And yes.
We’ve mentioned to ditch the ‘salesy’ posts, of course.
But showing up and letting us know where you are today.
What job you are on.
What local businesses you might be working with that week.
What companies in the community you might like to thank for helping you in business (or personally).
Those kind of posts let us get to know you and you become part of the community.
And when you become part of the community what happens?
People begin to trust you.
And what happens when people begin to trust you?
YOU are at the forefront of their minds when they need your Trade and service.
But it starts with putting the graft in to BE a part of a community.
And…
2️⃣ Two.
❌ You don’t engage with other people’s posts.
Posting on a Facebook Group is great to help a community get to know you.
But if you are ONLY posting about yourself you can start to do a lot of damage for your Trade and Construction brand and reputation.
People don’t like that.
What makes the most impact and what we love to see Trade and Construction companies doing as part of their Facebook Group marketing is listening to what OTHERS are saying and engaging with OTHER people’s posts.
The quickest and easiest way to do this is by commenting.
For example.
Perhaps you join a Facebook Group that contains lots of your Ideal Clients – for your electrical business.
You jump in the Group today and see a post for someone asking for a gardener.
Perhaps you know a great local company that you’ve worked with.
How about jumping in the comments and tagging the name and business of the gardener you recommend?
You get nothing out of it directly.
But you’re helping the person solve their gardening issue.
As well as helping the gardener you know with a potential business opportunity,.
Totally selfless act where you have got involved with the community.
You’re now on both parties radar.
That is the kind of engagement I’m talking about.
Here’s another one.
A local company is celebrating 20 years in business and has posted a photo of the day their high street shop first opened.
You may or may not know them personally but are aware of their business.
Why not comment your well wishes (from your business page – more on that below)?
Again.
Selfless act.
But integrating your business as part pf the community.
In the least obvious way possible it shows us the kind of people that are behind your business - whether it’s you personally interacting or if you have a team member doing it for you.
People like ‘good’ people.
People want to associate their business with ‘good people’.
People what to hire ‘good people’.
Engaging correctly in Facebook Groups is an INCREDIBLE way to showcase the ‘kind of people’ you are as a Trade and Construction business without it even being about you.
Without being salesy, you begin building relationships.
And relationships are the starting point of future sales.
4. Not interacting as your Trade and Construction business page to get more business visibility.
This one is a bit of a clever tip.
But this won’t work for all Facebook Groups.
When you join a Group, you often have the option to join as your personal Facebook profile (i.e., Joe Bloggs) or as your Company Page (i.e. Joe Bloggs Plumbers).
Now.
SOME Facebook Groups will not allow you to join as a business profile.
And that is totally fine.
It means when you interact in these Groups you will be doing so as you – the individual.
But you can of course still be the presence representing your business.
However.
Some Facebook Groups allow you to join AS your Business Profile.
This has some great benefits.
🏆 It means when you post to the Group your business name appears on the feed – VISIBILITY WIN.
🏆 Your Profile Image ALSO appears next to your business name (which should have your logo in) – BRAND AWARENESS WIN.
🏆 When commenting on other people’s post, your name and Profile Image will appear in the comments notifying the person who posted the comment AS WELL as all the other people who may have commented, direct to their phones or computers – VISIBILITY AND BRAND AWARENSS WIN.
🏆 By posting/commenting as your Business Profile also posts as link so that people can click on this and go straight to your Facebook Business Page – POTENTIAL AUDIENCE BUILDING WIN!
Where possible, from a brand awareness point of view, always try to join the ‘valuable’ Facebook Groups as your business page.
You could always join as your personal account too if you like.
But just remember to make sure you interact on the page logged in as your BUSINESS so you get to reap all those sweet rewards listed.
👌🏽
5. Joining too many Facebook Groups as your Trade and Construction business that you lose focus.
Social Media is overwhelming at the best of times.
And if you’re in 500 different Facebook Groups as part of your Trade and Construction brand and marketing, keeping up with what’s going on in them alone is impossible.
Never mind engaging and showing up the right way on all of them.
You need to find a better way to manage things.
The best advice I can give you?
Streamline the amount of Facebook Groups you are using (and a part of) for your Trade and Construction marketing.
Here's some tips for sorting out your Trade and Construction Facebook Group Marketing.
✅ Go through all the Facebook groups you are a part of and leave any that don’t serve your Trade and Construction business needs.
✅ Take a look at the ones you remain a part of and look at the level of engagement in there. Are people posting and commenting regularly where you feel you and your business could add value.
✅ From this point forward join only Facebook Groups that will DIRECTLY serve you for your business needs and where your Ideal Clients hang out – i.e. If you are a residential carpenter that lives in Enfield, North London, then joining a Facebook Group of local residents, predominantly parents looking to better their homes and the areas they live in in Enfield may very well be a great group for you to join.
✅ If you can limit these ‘valuable’ Facebook Groups down to 3 or 4, then make an effort to go onto each group once a day and be active and engage – whether that is providing a valuable post or commenting on other people’s (for all the reasons listed previously).
It is SO much more beneficial for you to
👊🏽 Join fewer Facebook Groups…
👊🏽 Join the RIGHT Facebook Groups for YOUR Trade and Construction business…
👊🏽 And show up more often and in the best possible way there.
One of those ‘quality over quantity’ gigs.
⬇️ Honesty Hour: How You’re Screwing Up Facebook Groups For Your Trade And Construction Marketing Rundown:
❌ Stop being ‘salesy’ with posts in Facebook Groups for your marketing.
❌ Don’t expect work just because you’ve ‘joined’ a Facebook Group.
❌ Not engaging in the Facebook Group with your Trade and Construction business.
❌ Not interacting as your Trade and Construction business page for visibility.
❌ Joining too many Facebook Groups as your Trade and Construction business that you lose focus.
🛠 Need a little more help nailing your Trades and Construction Facebook Group Marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things Facebook.
Got 3 minutes?
Take our Trades Quiz to discover how you score with all things ‘Off The Tools’.
We have heaps of tips, tricks, and hacks for your Trade and Construction business in our cheat sheets, videos and ideas waiting for you on the other side… i.e., your results page.
So, you can improve your score. And NAIL your Trade and Construction business.
Nice.