When it comes to Facebook marketing, for contractors it’s a great way for to attract leads quickly and at a relatively low cost.
If you’re not already leveraging Facebook video to capture new leads for your home improvement business, consider this…
A study by Cisco found that 82% of all internet traffic will likely be in video format by 2022.
Video tops the list of content formats because it’s so effective at:
- Engaging: about one-third of internet use is video
- Educating: 68% of consumers like learning about products from videos
- Converting: 64% of people purchase after they see a sponsored video
And when you mix the power of video with the exceptional reach of Facebook advertising, that’s when the magic happens.
In this post, you’ll learn exactly what type of videos to produce and how to use them as part of your Facebook marketing strategy to generate more home improvement leads.
By the end, all that will be left for you to do is hit record!
But first, there’s one important concept you need to understand…
Facebook Marketing for Contractors: Understanding the ‘KLT’ Factor
Know-like-trust (KLT) is fundamental to building and nurturing customer relationships.
If you can’t build trust and let your customers get to know you, you will find it difficult (if not impossible) to sell your services.
This is especially true when it comes to more expensive services with long sales cycles (ex: metal roofing, solar roofing, etc.) since people are likely to be doing more deliberating and research as they make a large investment.
Video ads build KLT by:
- Adding a class=”calloutLink” human face to your brand
- Encouraging transparency
- Offering social proof
- Communicating your mission and values clearly
- Creating unique opportunities to build relationships with local partners
Facebook marketing for contractors isn’t just about pushing out some social posts.
You need to be actively engaging customers in different ways at multiple touchpoints — and videos are perfect for this.
Now that you understand the importance of building KLT in all that you do, let’s take a look at how you can use video early on in your sales process.
Facebook Marketing for Contractors: Use Video Marketing at the Top of the Funnel
Consider the last time you met someone you liked enough to spend time, money or energy on them
What were they like?
What made you like them?
Why did they do to earn your trust?
The first set of videos you’ll need to produce are geared towards introducing potential customers to your brand, warming them up, and getting them “on your side.”
Here, you’ll be trying to attract homeowners that may need your services but don’t yet know about you, or maybe know very little. You will be:
- Teaching people about what you have on offer
- Generating interest
- Introducing people to your brand
- Building brand awareness
- Sparking conversations
Here’s a handy table to help plan your top of funnel videos:
| Purpose | Build KLT, attract homeowners that may need your services (now or in the future) |
| Format | Over 60 sec, filmed in landscape format |
| Audience | Men & Women, 30+ years old in your service area |
| Approach | Share your USP, educate, entertain, inform, engage in conversation |
Let’s look at the different videos you can leverage at the top of the funnel…
1. Use Facebook marketing to humanize your brand
When it comes to video topics for Facebook ads, this will be one of the key ways you will introduce your brand.
The key here is to show the “human” side of your business and be as transparent as possible.
Here, you can:
- Introduce yourself, product, services
- Share your “why”
- Show off your awesome team
and more.
“About Us” videos can work wonders for showing the face of your brand (think tone and style) and can be a great recruitment tool, too.
Check out this awesome example of brand humanization through video by West Shore Home.
Your video doesn’t need to be professionally produced like this one, but if you have some extra marketing budget lying around, it might just be worth it!
2. Facebook marketing will help you to establish your unique selling proposition (USP)
What makes you stand out from your competitors? You probably already have a few ideas in mind.
Video gives you the option to really show your customers this in a clear light. Here you can show off what you’re great at, and it doesn’t have to be a particular strategy or product, either.
You can highlight things like:
- Guarantees
- Financing options
- Innovative products
- Certifications
If anything stands out to you as a significant differentiator over your competition, then you need to shoot a video explaining it and run it as a Facebook ad to your local market…it’s that simple!
3. Share recent community work
This is the perfect place to do some cross-promoting and invite new clients to see what you are about besides just a product or service.
Whether you’re involved with Habitat for Humanity, featured at an upcoming sustainable housing conference, or developing some interesting local partnerships, contractors on Facebook should definitely take the opportunity to share how you’re making a difference in the community.
This is an excellent way to share your mission and values by showing people what you do, not what you sell.
Again, West Shore Home does a great job in this category:
These types of community-centric videos also garner attention from local papers & news outlets, which can really give your marketing efforts a boost!
4. Answer the age-old replacement vs. repair question
One of the best ways to take advantage of video marketing for contractors is to answer their burning question:
Is now the time to hire you for home improvements?
Discuss specific pain points to help customers make a decision as to whether or not they need someone now, or later.
For instance, roofers could discuss these pain points as signs that people need roof repair:
- Leaking
- Pooled water
- Clogged gutters
…and so on.
As you teach them, you not only position yourself as an authority, you offer them something useful without a “hard sell” so that they can still make a choice about who, what, and when.
And if they’re not ready now, who do you think they’ll call when the time is right?
5. Showcase product expertise
Here, you can highlight special products & materials, share interesting research & statistics, and showcase why you use one supplier over another.
For example, here’s a simple and effective video on metal versus shingle roofing by Sheffield Metals:
Homeowners don’t always know the options available to them when it comes time to replace their roof, windows, etc., so by sharing your knowledge of the products in your industry, you automatically position yourself as a trusted authority.
To Recap…
Now you’ve got 5 different video ideas you can use at the top of the funnel to attract homeowners that don’t know you exist yet, and get on their radar so they call you first whenever they do need your help.
You’ll learn the specifics of recording these videos later on in the post, but first, you’ll need some more videos to help guide homeowners towards a purchase decision.
That’s where bottom of the funnel videos come in!
How to Use Contractor Video Marketing at the Bottom of the Funnel
Towards the middle/bottom of your sales funnel, people will be in the decision-making phase of making a purchase.
At this point, you want to help them understand for themselves that this purchase is worthwhile.
You are helping them:
- Evaluate
- Justify
- Reassure
- Quantify
- Budget
- Decide
- Plan
…for a fairly major purchase.
Basically you need to make them fully realize the “lifetime” value that this purchase will bring them.
So when it comes to video topics for facebook ads, remember to accentuate how your product or service will improve their lives, rather than just focusing on something monetary like a “preferred client discount.”
Here’s how you can use video to nurture homeowners that have begun to know, like, and trust your business (KLT!) towards a sale.
| MID-BOTTOM OF FUNNEL | ||
| Purpose | Nurture warm prospects by giving them the information they need to move forward with an estimate, consultation, etc. | |
| Format | Over 60 sec. filmed in landscape format | |
| Audience | People that have watched previous videos, engaged with your facebook page, visited your website, are on your email list, etc. | |
| Approach | More specialized topics, more in-depth, share social proof, engage, justify, convert! | |
Let’s look at the different videos you can create and use at the middle & bottom of the funnel…
Recommended Reading
6 Ways to Use Video to Increase Conversion Rates
1. Explain your process
Now’s the perfect time to elaborate on your process (how you solve a problem) and discuss any special products that help you do your job better.
What do you do to make sure the homeowner’s yard is kept intact while you rip off old shingles?
How do you make sure no nail is left behind?
Why do you do something one way, when most contractors do it another way?
Even if your process isn’t unique or revolutionary, share it with potential customers so they can see your level of professionalism and attention to detail.
It goes a long way!
2. Share case studies & customer testimonials
When it comes to video marketing for contractors, businesses almost always benefit if they take their customers behind the scenes.
So when you have some interest, it’s important to showcase a product in action, display a product assembly, discuss some in-depth studies, or move forward with some other fact-based, visual representations of results.
Customer testimonials are particularly genuine. Not only do they present an unbiased view, they typically are promising for bringing great returns.
It’s all about letting facts and existing customers do the selling for you, and it’s an extremely powerful way to get homeowners that are ‘on the fence’ so to speak to reach out to you.
Recommended Reading
The Ultimate Guide to Recording Video Testimonials That Grow Your Contracting Business
3. Dive deep into products
Demo videos are great for sharing a unique product or niche.
As mentioned, you can feature briefly some interesting products at the top of the funnel, but here you can go into more detail because these customers are having conversations where they want to make a decision.
Just look at this low-quality but totally effective demo video for AdvanTech Flooring — it’s 30 seconds, a single shot with a handheld camera, and it conveys the message perfectly!
Owens corning uses a more polished video to show off their SureNail Technology, but the idea is the same:
Again, if the materials or products you use help you stand out from the competition, let your prospects know by communicating it through a compelling video!
4. Before & after videos
Last but definitely not least, take footage before, during, and after a project. Drone videos are cool, but someone explaining the job, what was done, and how it looks in the end is way more impactful.
Whether you install energy-efficient windows, handle full kitchen remodels, or simply replace asphalt roofs, there’s a way for you to share that transformation through video in order to get new prospects excited.
It goes without saying, but the higher quality video you can produce here, the better!
Speaking of quality, let’s take a look at the 5 steps you need to follow in order to create great videos you can use in your Facebook advertising campaigns.
How to Create an Engaging Facebook Video in Just 5 Easy Steps
Now that you’ve read through some topic ideas, why not give it a shot?
(Trust us, it’s easy.)
1. Learn the basics
Before you fire up your camera and hit record, it may be wise to review these useful resources so that you’re not wasting precious time creating videos that won’t help grow your business:
2. Establish your objective & funnel stage
Then, determine the overall purpose of your video which you can formulate into a more specific call to action (CTA) when the time comes.
Think of two things:
- which part of the funnel the video is for (top or mid/bottom)
- what action you’d like people to take which will bring them closer to your business, and closer to becoming a customer (eg: a free consultation, a webinar, an event).
Keep in mind that the call to action on your video should match the funnel stage you’re creating it for.
For example, if your video showcases work you’ve done for a local charity (top of the funnel), it makes little sense for your CTA to be ‘Get an Estimate’ or ‘See If You Qualify for Financing’.
Those types of CTAs would be a better fit for mid/bottom-funnel videos. A better fit for a community-centric video would be to direct people to a blog post that discusses your community work in more detail.
3. Decide how you’ll stop the scroll
What you do in the first few seconds of your video doesn’t need to be complex.
In fact, sometimes keeping it simple is the most effective.
But just remember that the first five seconds is really where you are going to catch the most attention.
According to an analysis by Think With Google, ads that quickly show more than two scenes during the first few seconds were strongly associated with high ad recall.
(source: Think with Google)
Other suggestions to stop the scroll include using:
- Hand motions (eg; a wave)
- Text overlay
- Interesting angles
- Eye-catching or unusual images (juxtapose before and after)
- Break up an actual picture
- Break up the visuals so that it’s something popping “out” of the newsfeed that is a bit unexpected (eg: clever animation)
- Close up and personal — yes even if it looks like a selfie — the more authentic the better — when people see your face this will build trust!
It doesn’t matter which you choose, just choose one and make sure to include it within the first few seconds of your video.
4. Use the EDIE formula
Now that you’ve decided how you’ll ‘stop the scroll’, you need to determine what comes next. In other words, the bulk of your video content.
Depending on what part of the funnel you are in, what your purpose is and even what kind of results you are looking for, you will want to consider incorporating the EDIE formula into any video you make.
The EDIE formula stands for:
- educate
- demonstrate
- inform
- entertain
Everything you need to know about using EDIE formula to create captivating videos can be found here:
The 3-Step Formula for Successful Video Ads
5. Add a call to action
The most important part of Facebook marketing for contractors is telling your audience what to do next.
You’ve probably seen popups on youtube asking you to subscribe to the channel. That’s a call to action (CTA). It can be simple and non-invasive and included a couple of times.
Think With Google reports that a clear CTA is linked with better metrics across the board with videos.
Your Facebook ads — and any other videos — need at least one clear and intriguing call to action. And when it comes to promoting your videos with paid advertising budget, CTAs are particularly crucial!
Facebook Marketing for Contractors: The Do’s and Don’ts
Here’s a handy list of dos and don’ts to bear in mind as you get going on some videos.
Do’s:
- Include some key elements in the first three to five seconds
- Keep visuals interesting and on-brand
- Be clear about a tangible benefit to the viewer
- Follow the EDIE formula as described here.
- Include faces
- Pay attention to pacing in the first few seconds especially
- Hire professionals to create product videos if you can afford it
- Build a media library with a variety of evergreen video types and topics
- Cross-market and collaborate with other companies in your local market
- Back up all claims with proof
- Have a keyword or “hook” as your immediate opening statement
- Use Reddit, Quora, your FAQs, customer testimonials, google queries (etc) to help you find pain points to discuss as video topics
Don’ts:
- Don’t start your video with a boring logo
- Don’t use an automated “robot” voiceover
- Don’t set videos to auto-play with sound (when used on your website)
- Don’t skip the subtitles
- Don’t offer customers a shallow or one-sided view of your services or product
Recommended Reading
Contractor Marketing on a Budget: How to Get More Leads Without Breaking The Bank
Keep Things Simple and People-Oriented
Facebook marketing for contractors is pretty simple.
You really don’t have to do anything fancy to create effective, engaging videos that generate leads.
It’s good to invest in one or two high-quality videos for ads and to have in your content bank, but it’s not always necessary.
Some of our best Facebook video ads for customers are shot on a basic iPhone with nothing more than the owner on camera educating viewers about certain topics.
Remember, a video gives you the chance to show customers what your whole business is about, not just create a typical TV-like “ad.”
The Future of Facebook Marketing is Video
When it comes to Facebook marketing for contractors, video might just be the most direct and effective things you can do to build trust.
Direct your contractor marketing strategy towards real-time, immersive experiences that engage, convince and convert, and there’s no better way to do that than through video.
Odds are you’ve got everything you need to start filming right in your pocket…
So what are you waiting for?
Pick up a camera and start ‘wowing’ your customers to the point where you’re the only logical solution to their problem!
