Social Media Not Working? Maybe It’s Not What You Think.

Sometimes, you can do all the right things, and still not see results.

Or, so it seems.

As a business owner, this can be incredibly frustrating.

You could be blogging regularly, shooting reels for Instagram, creating podcasts, DOING EVERYTHING you can think of and still… crickets.

The comments, shares, and likes should be flooding in – right?

“What am I doing wrong?” you might ask.

There are several possible responses to that, but here’s one that not every business considers.

Sometimes, it’s not your fault.

You heard me!

Maybe… just maybe… you run the kind of business that doesn’t typically get a lot of followers and engagement.

For instance, take divorce lawyers.

Do we need them? Yes, absolutely. They wouldn’t be in business if we as a society didn’t need them.

Do we want to follow them on Instagram? If most of us are being honest – no, not really.

The average person wouldn’t be inclined to follow a divorce lawyer, engage, download their free e-book, subscribe to their e-newsletter, and stay up-to-date on their blog just on the off-chance that they might need a divorce lawyer one day.

Now, if the circumstances were different and they happened to need a divorce lawyer RIGHT NOW, that’s when they’ll go online and see what’s out there.

Real estate agents might have this issue as well. Unless someone is already in the market to buy or sell a home, they have little reason to follow a real estate agent.

Plumbers face this challenge as well. Most of the time, plumbers only get contacted when there is an emergency.

Now, don’t get me wrong – there are bound to be some divorce lawyers, real estate agents, and plumbers who are super creative with their online content and could be killing it on social media. It’s just harder for some types of businesses, but it doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

So, now comes the million-dollar question: should divorce lawyers, real estate agents, plumbers, and the like invest in a social media presence, given that it’s so hard for them to engage and grow a captive audience?

Put it this way. Let’s say someone woke up one morning and discovered that their basement was flooded. The first thing they do is go online looking to hire a reputable plumber. They quickly find 2 options.

Plumber Number One doesn’t have any social media content, and Plumber Number 2 has tons of helpful blog articles and social media posts that were designed to help a prospective new client who was hit with a plumbing emergency.

Which plumber would have a greater chance of being discovered?

Obviously, Plumber Number 2 with the strong content is going to rank higher in searches and have more visibility online.

Which plumber would have a better chance building trust and immediate rapport with a distraught potential client who was knee-deep in basement-water?

Again, the second plumber, the one who took the time to position themselves as an expert in their field and as someone who wants to help their audience, will have a better chance of getting a call or email from the potential client.

The second plumber has built trust through their content. Plumber Number Two has credibility from the get-go.

So, it would be a worthwhile practice to publish meaningful content so that when the need strikes, your business is top of mind and on the short list for getting contacted.

In other words, social media could very well work for the plumber, divorce lawyer, real estate agent, etc., just not in usual way, where they would gradually build an audience, engage, and build trust.

If you need help with your social media strategy, get in touch!

If you’re ready to take your business blog to the next level…