Presented at the 2012 Wisconsin Builders Conference, this presentation is a primer on using social media, with focus on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterst, to support and build business through social networking. Useful tips and information to get social media newcomers started off on the right foot as well as more advanced, industry-specific examples on leveraging the media to benefit those already using or considering social media in the building industry in Wisconsin.

1. social media
for the
building industry
Jeanette Pham
Michelle D’Attilio

2. Benefits of Membership

3. What is social media?
• Basically, it’s a way to describe the zillions of
conversations and sharing that happens online
every hour of every day.
www.getsosh.com

4. But is Wisconsin really using social media?
Yes!
• 83% of Wisconsinites are Internet users*
(national average 79%)
= 4,740,766 Internet users in Wisconsin
• 59% of internet users use social media nationally**
• 49% of Wisconsinites are participating in social media
* As reported by Internet World Stats, 2011
** Pew Research Center’s Social Networking Sites & Our Lives, 2011
www.getsosh.com

5. That means…
• Your clients are using social media.
• Your prospective clients are using social
media.
• Your competition is using social media,
or will soon.
www.getsosh.com

6. www.getsosh.com

7. • The most used social networking service
• 845 million active users
• 35+ demographic is now > 30% of user base
www.getsosh.com

8. Wisconsin use
• 2,659,080 Wisconsin Facebook users
• 47.02% population penetration
13-24 34%
25-34 23%
male 44% 35-44 16%
female 56% 45-54 14%
55-64 9%
65-0 5% 39%
SocialBakers report, February 2012
www.getsosh.com

9. Tips
• Personal platform; set up a Business Page
• 25 Likers required to claim your username
http://www.facebook.com/username
• Make full use of the sidebar for your page image
• Make sure your avatar is cropped so it presents well
• Facebook has restrictions on running contests
• Target marketing
www.getsosh.com

10. Targeted advertising
www.getsosh.com

11. Targeted advertising
• Easy
• Target Market
• Check your potential audience
• Set a daily budget
www.getsosh.com

12. Events
Builders
• Let people in your community
know about upcoming events
www.getsosh.com

13. Events
Public: Admin:
Invite Guests
www.getsosh.com

14. Ideas for builders
• Augment your open houses
• Post Photo Albums of each room, describing the features &
amenities and PROMOTE at the open house that all the
information is available online at facebook.com/yourcompany
so they can review, share, ask questions later
• Target market to local users when you’re planning an event
• Run a regularly-scheduled “Q & A” on your Wall that you
PROMOTE on your cards, in your showroom, on vehicles, etc.
E.g., Take questions & be available for live answers 9-10A every Saturday
• Encourage clients to share their experiences
www.getsosh.com

15. www.getsosh.com

16. • A free social networking and micro-blogging service
offering
real-time communications
• Use Twitter to write and read public messages of up to
140 characters (can also include links, pictures, video)
• Widely used for business networking
• You decide whose messages you want to receive
Quick stats
• 200 million+ accounts, 100 million+ active users
• 230 million tweets per day
• 53% of users recommend companies and/or products in
their tweets
www.getsosh.com

17. Wisconsin stats
• 616,300 Wisconsin Twitter users
• 10.79 % population penetration
Calculated based on 2011 national averages, applied to Wisconsin population
18-29 40%
male 56% 30-49 30%
female 44% 50-64 17%
65+ 13%
47%
Based on Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 2011
www.getsosh.com

18. Interface & Branding
www.getsosh.com

19. Management Tools
www.getsosh.com

20. Building your community
• Find the users who are most directly relevant
to your business
potential customers, competition, partners
• @Reply to forge connections
• Check lists, follows & @replies of those you
follow and follow those people
• Local searches for people tweeting in the area
regardless of what they're tweeting about
www.getsosh.com

21. Building your community
www.getsosh.com

22. Building your community
Search: remodel OR redesign OR builder AND home near:"green bay, wi" within:100mi
• Save up to 25 searches to get the latest results for that query
without retyping
• Search on competition: Who they are talking to, who is talking
about them www.getsosh.com

23. Reaching media
Search: Wausau radio
• Connect with
local media
• Offer opinions
on the home
building
outlook, design
trends, etc.
• Become a go-to
expert they call
on
www.getsosh.com

24. Ideas for builders
• Promote open houses & home shows, tweet live from the
events with the #eventhashtag
• Support your events with small-scale contests
• To help spread the word – Ask people to Retweet your
event details for a chance to win
• To create event buzz - PROMOTE at the event that
attendees tweeting your Twitter name with the
#eventhashtag are eligible to win
• Share articles on new products, designs, methods that you use
with brief commentary
• Search for people asking questions on remodeling
www.getsosh.com

25. www.getsosh.com

26. Virtual pinboard
• Visually organize and share things users discover
on the web via pins*.
• Browse or follow pinboards created by other
people who share similar interests to find
inspiration.
*A pin is an image added to Pinterest from a website or uploaded
Quick stats
• 13 million users in 10 months
• Just set the record this month for fastest site to hit 10 million
monthly visitors www.getsosh.com

27. US Usage
0-24 11%
25-34 25%
male 17%
35-44 28%
female 83%
45-54 26%
55-64 10%
64%
US users, Source: Google Traffic statistics
www.getsosh.com

28. Builders take note…
• Estimated 83% of Pinterest users are women (US)
“Women are the sole or primary decision makers
in 91% of new home purchases and
home remodeling decisions!”
As reported at the International Builders Show
www.getsosh.com

29. Know your audience…
Give some focus to the primary “lenses” through
which women evaluate the livability of a home.
• Entertaining areas—will the home’s design accommodate
and enhance socializing?
• De-stressing areas—does the home present areas to relax
and rejuvenate?
• Storage areas (too often an afterthought) require adequate
square footage, organization amenities such as closet
systems, and should be located convenient to where they
are needed.
www.getsosh.com

30. • Homeowners are using Pinterest to collect & discover home ideas
• “A picture is worth a thousand words”
www.getsosh.com

31. Ideas for builders
• Encourage clients to collect their ideas to guide consultation
www.getsosh.com

32. Ideas for builders
• Pin items you discover online that reflect popular building
trends, great design, etc. that you could offer clients
www.getsosh.com

33. Ideas for builders
• Create boards by project, by room, by manufacturer
• Highlight amenities
• Direct prospects & clients to your boards for inspiration
www.getsosh.com

34. @j_sosh www.facebook.com/
@m_sosh Thanks! soshmedia
sōsh
306 N. Milwaukee Street, Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414 220 4340
www.getsosh.com
social media > strategy | management | promotions