Did you know that there is a fantastic way to effectively market your lumber business - to get your name in front of thousands of people every day - without spending a dime? Who wouldn’t love that opportunity? Who wouldn’t take advantage of it?
As it turns out, most lumber dealers don’t. Because it means posting on Facebook. And a lot of lumber dealers are old school. They don’t know where to start when it comes to social media. Or, once they’ve created a Facebook page for their business, they aren’t sure what exactly to post and how to keep it going.
Social media advertising is powerful and relevant. It works. Not only does it work, but it’s free, easy to do, and helps you connect to new and existing customers in an amazing way that mailers and billboards just can’t match. And since most dealers aren’t connected to their customers online, you’ll stand out from the crowd when you do.
Not sure where to start? We’ve compiled a list of 13 great Facebook post ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
#1. Post Often
So many businesses spend the time to set up a great Facebook page, only to post once or twice and then forget about it. How many posts should you aim for for maximum impact? Three posts per week is a good baseline number, and the ideal is around once per day - assuming, of course, that each post has quality and is worthwhile to your followers. This furniture shop/lumber dealer has a “Blog of the Day”, which is a great way to simultaneously add content to your site and have a quick and easy daily post on Facebook.
#2. Show Off
If you have (or can get) great pictures of a beautiful project that was completed using your materials, you’ve got a ready-made Facebook post. Pictures really do speak louder than words.
#3. Be Real
This might be our most important piece of advice - be genuine in what and how you post. Your business is unique, and your posts should reflect that!
#4. Get Involved in Your Community
Are you a member of any local organizations, participated in community events, or donated to a charitable cause? That’s great posting material and a fantastic way to connect with your customers in a meaningful way.
#5. Advertise Sales
If you have some great deals going on, or a seasonal sale that you’re trying to get the word out about, Facebook is a great way to advertise for free.
#6. Educate
The more value your posts have to your customers, the less likely they are to unsubscribe or ignore you. Share your knowledge with your followers with linked blog posts, quick tidbits of info, and news.
#7. Go Behind the Scenes
Everyone loves getting a peek at the inner workings of things. Take your followers down to your lumber yard or in the back room. Not only does this type of post create interest, it helps your customers to feel a connection with you and feel like they’re a part of your world.
#8. Celebrate Holidays
This is a no-brainer on any holiday. Simply grab a picture and post a quick “Happy Holiday” type post. It’s a great way to stay involved in your followers lives without being all-lumber all the time.
#9. Tell a Joke
This idea is in the same vein as #8 above in regards to letting your hair down. Take a break from business-related posts every once in a while to share a joke or meme. Bonus points if it actually has to do with lumber.
#10. Have a Contest
A great contest can be a really fun way to get more involvement in your posts and drive more traffic to your web page. It’s especially effective advertising if a stipulation of the contest is to share and like the post and your page, which gets your company name in front of more and more people.
#11. Show Your Values and Your Voice
Social media often connects us to people and businesses in a fleeting and superficial way, but you can combat that by showing your followers that you have good, down-to-earth values and a sincere way of connecting. Show your customers that there are real people behind your brand.
#12. Share a “How to”
Posting a “How to” article works on so many levels. First, you’re encouraging purchases of your products (to complete the project). Second, you’re building trust and name recognition without being salesy. And third, the options for these kinds are articles are endless, so you’ll never run out of new ways to use this idea!
#13. Be Available
Did you know that Facebook tells visitors to your page how quickly you respond to comments and questions? If you always stay up to date on the activity of your page, it builds an incredible amount of confidence in your ability to be there for your customers in every way.
There are so many more ways to post on Facebook, but we hope we’ve inspired you with these examples to jump on and put in a few minutes every day to grow your business and stand out from the crowd in a great new way.
