Perfect Examples Of How Your Personal Brand On Social Media Is Ruining Your Construction Marketing.
This might shock you.
But…
What you do as an individual can affect your Construction Brand and Marketing.
Read that one again.
Your PERSONAL brand is as important to your business as your BUSINESS brand.
Your PERSONAL brand has a direct impact on your BUSINESS brand.
Whether you like it or not.
Example.
Take a local Electrical business.
Top notch workmanship.
Large team.
Lots of polite, helpful, electrical engineers who do a great job.
…But what happens if the owner of the business is publicly reported to be involved in organised burglary crime?
What do you think happens to the business brand?
(And that the innocent engineers had no involvement in this whatsoever).
Do you think by association people will start feeling uncomfortable having this business in their homes, even if in fact the theft was totally separate to the electrical business?
Of course they would!
Because by association we link personal brands to business ones.
That was quite a dramatic example but makes the point.
The most successful Trade and Construction businesses I know and have worked with for the last decade are those who are led with directors and team members that have exceptional personal brands.
So what is a personal brand?
Simply put.
*Personal branding is the effort to communicate and present your value to the world. A brand is an emotional connection.
Now we understand the link between what you do and say as an individual can affect your Trade and Construction business, we can look at how this works in your marketing.
As a business owner in the construction industry, you know that first impressions are everything.
In today's digital age, that first impression is often made on social media before you even have a chance to shake someone's hand.
That's why it's so important to make sure your personal brand on social media is up to par.
The way you present yourself online can have a big impact on your Trade and Construction business.
I’ve seen A LOT of HUGE mistakes other Trade and Construction individuals make that have had a negative effect on their business.
I don’t want you to make the same mistakes too.
Keep reading to learn more about how poor personal branding can ruin your construction marketing.
❌ 1. Filming whilst driving on Social Media Lives influences your Construction Marketing.
This one is so big I’ve given it it’s entire own section.
The NUMBER ONE mistake I have seen SO MANY Trade and Construction business owners make that affects their personal and business brand.
❌ DRIVING WHILST ON A SOCIAL MEDIA LIVE.
I get it.
You’re on your way to site.
Or an important meeting.
You know you need to get some content on your Trade and Construction social media page.
You’ve been pretty time poor of late.
It seems like a great idea to kill two birds with one stone.
And do a LIVE video from your vehicle whilst driving.
Looks good from inside the van/car too.
DO NOT DO THIS.
Ever.
Here’s why.
⚠️ It’s illegal to use your phone whilst driving.
⚠️ If you have an accident it’s gone out LIVE to everyone on social media.
⚠️ We do not have your full attention anyway as you will be concentrating on the road.
⚠️ People WILL judge you negatively for this.
I kid you not.
I used to be a member of a very large networking organisation of Trade and Construction pros.
Some of these members were known to do this often.
They had GREAT businesses and were really well liked.
However.
I was in various WhatsApp groups and saw how many other members were commenting on the ’stupidity’ of these Trade and Construction members and boycotting their business because of the sheer danger and irresponsibility of watching them drive and use their phones – for everyone to see.
Members decided that if these individuals were this irresponsible and ignorant to the lives of others on the road, then there was no way they were letting them into their homes and businesses to do skilled, dangerous construction works.
These Live Videos were not always on the business pages of these Trades.
They were on their personal social media pages too.
So you could say, well, if they weren’t on the business page, what does it matter?
Point is, the choices you make as an individual will affect how people see, think and feel about you as a construction business.
Want to nail social media Lives from your vehicle?
1️⃣ Arrive 5 minutes earlier to site.
2️⃣ Park up in a safe place.
3️⃣ Go Live.
We get your full attention and a much more focused, interesting, informative LIVE from you.
Which helps propel your Trade and Construction brand and marketing.
Make good choices.
And if you need some more ideas about how, when and where to GO LIVE, check this out…
Challenge: Go Live For 7 Days With These Ideas To Build Your Trade and Construction Marketing.
❌ 2. Negative comments you leave on Social Media posts affect your Construction brand and marketing.
Nobody likes a ‘Negative Neil.’
Sorry to any Neil’s reading… first name I could think of beginning with ‘N’.
Remember that time you got into a shouting match with a client on Twitter?
Or when you went on an expletive-filled rant about a job that didn't go as planned on Facebook?
We hate to break it to you, but those posts are still out there for the world to see.
And potential clients who come across them are not going to want to do business with someone who can't keep their cool under pressure.
The same goes for leaving negative comments on other people's posts.
If you're constantly putting down other businesses or insulting prospective clients, they're going to get the impression that you're not someone they want to work with.
Not to mention, it reflects poorly on your business.
After all, if you're not nice to others, why would anyone want to do business with you?
What you drop into the comments of OTHER people’s posts can and will be seen by people you may not expect.
We have ZERO control over what the likes of Facebook show to the people that follow us.
Which means that to make sure our personal brand remains squeaky clean, we have to remember that whatever we comment on somebody’s post COULD (and likely will) be seen be someone we know.
Maybe your football team have just lost a big game and there’s a post going crazy on a friend’s Facebook profile.
Worth remembering that you have no idea who your ‘friend’ is linked to online.
Or if their post is set to PUBLIC - of which everyone will be able to see.
What you choose to leave in the comments on social media can say a lot about you as an individual.
💡 Ask yourself… if my ideal client read what I am about to write, would this damage my personal (and therefore business) brand and reputation?
❌ 3. What you post about clients/jobs in Construction Facebook Groups affects your Construction Marketing.
We get it.
Sometimes things don't go as planned on a job site and it's frustrating.
But venting about it in public (or private) Facebook groups is not the way to handle it.
Not only will other members of the group see your complaints, but so will potential clients who are searching for someone to do their construction work.
And trust us, they will not be impressed.
I see it a lot in private Trades groups.
Where Trade and Construction businesses think it’s safe to vent.
Well here’s a valuable lesson.
If you are not the admin and in control of who is in a Facebook Group you have ZERO idea.
I run a branding agency for Trade and Construction businesses.
But I have been allowed into many Trade only Facebook Groups as a way of helping out.
I am a client of some of these Trades… of whom actually don’t know I’m even in there.
If they started venting about me a client, unbeknown to them, I am going to see it.
Better to be safe than sorry and be careful what you post.
Even if the Group is Trade Only, you don’t know if another Trade knows that client and takes screenshots and sends to them.
You’re walking a dangerous path.
If something has happened with a client that you feel you need help with, try offline first.
And if you do take it to a private Group as you have no other option, be careful what you share and how you say it.
Professional, always.
Again – if my ideal client was to see/read this, what would they think about my personal (and business) brand.
❌ 4. Keep political and religious views off Social Media.
This one should be self-explanatory, but we'll say it anyway.
Keep your political and religious views off social media if you want to maintain a good personal brand.
These days, people are passionate about their beliefs, and they may not want to do business with someone who doesn't share them.
Don’t get into political debates online.
As mentioned previously – these posts and comments that you may forget about, stay up for an eternity for other people to see.
❌ 5. Over -posting about non-relatable topics on your Construction Social Media profiles.
It's great that you like travelling and spending time with your family, but does that really have anything to do with your construction business?
Probably not.
We know that you love Blackburn Rovers.
You share every post they put on their Facebook on your Construction business page.
Are we really interested?
Probably not.
Over-posting about non-business-related topics will just make potential clients wonder what exactly it is that you do and whether you're any good at it.
We’re all for sharing a little bit about you personally within your construction business so that we get to know the people behind the business, but in moderation and not for you to treat your Trade and Construction business page as you do your Personal Profiles.
Focus on posting content that is relevant to your industry and helpful to yoru clients.
For example, if you're a roofer, post tips on how homeowners can prevent damage during severe weather or how they can tell when it's time for a new roof.
Not the latest debates on the transfer window. ⚽️
❌ 6. The Social Media Groups you join and the people you follow will affect your personal and construction brand.
The social media Groups you join and the people you follow can be a great indication to us about your personal brand.
These details can pop up to us when we visit your personal profile – even if we aren’t connected or ‘friends’ just yet.
Example.
If I saw a local decorator was in a Facebook Group called ‘How To Grow Your Decorating Business,’ I’d think, yep – someone who takes their business seriously.
They may well be the decorator for me.
Versus another decorator who I see is in a Group called ‘Annoying Decorating Clients.’
Do you think I might make a judgement based on that?
Likely.
As it would appear the second decorator is in a Facebook Group whereby Decorators are mocking their clients.
I don’t want to be one of them.
Same goes for non-business related social media groups.
Joining any kind of offensive or inappropriate Groups may well be highlighted to other users you are connected to.
So even if it’s for curiosity – don’t take the risk.
Reputations can be ruined purely by association.
⭐️ PRO TIP: Go through all the Group you are a member of and the people you follow and have a little ‘spring clean’ – remove yourself or others if they don’t align with your personal and construction brand. 🧽
❌ 7. Being inconsistent across platforms affects your personal and construction marketing.
So, you take all the advice I’ve given.
And you NAIL your Facebook personal (and business) brand.
But then you go over to Twitter and do the exact opposite.
Negative comments, political posts, follow people with ‘tarnished/inappropriate’ personal brands.
Disaster.
Your personal brand will follow you everywhere.
Don’t think just because all of the people you interact with use just one platform.
All it takes is for one person online to come across the wrong thing you’ve posted elsewhere and within SECONDS an inappropriate Twitter post can be screenshot and posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Email and every other means of digital communication.
You may use LinkedIn for business and Twitter purely for Sport banter, but if you are recognisable as YOU on Twitter, then you run the risk of damaging your personal (and business) brand if your posts are ‘off brand’.
⚠️ Use ALL this advice across ALL platforms at ALL times to make sure your personal brand does not ruin your construction business brand and marketing.
Conclusion.
Given the customer pain points around trust, personal branding is important for any business owner but especially for those in the construction industry.
Keep these points in mind next time you log onto social media, and you'll be well on your way to personal (and business) brand success.
⬇️ Perfect Examples Of How Your Personal Brand On Social Media Is Ruining Your Construction Marketing Rundown:
❌ Your actions and words on Social Media Lives.
❌ Negative comments you leave on Social Media posts.
❌ What you post about clients/jobs in Construction Facebook.
❌ Keep political and religious views off Social Media.
❌ Over-posting about non-relatable topics on your Construction Social Media profiles.
❌ The Groups you join and the people you follow.
❌ Being inconsistent across platforms.
🛠 Need a little more help nailing your Trades and Construction Brand and Marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things XXX.
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.