When we think about social media influencers, plumbers may not be the first thing that comes to mind – but that doesn’t mean that you can’t leverage the power of social media to boost your online visibility and build brand awareness for your plumbing business.
Social media marketing for plumbers dovetails with your overall marketing strategy and complements your targeted advertising campaigns. Plumbers benefit from brand-building just as much as makeup or clothing influencers; the right plumber’s social media marketing approach can establish your business as a trustworthy authority in your area and keep your company at the top of potential customer’s minds when they need a plumber—and you know that at some point, everyone needs a plumber!
Plumber social media management can be tricky to master at first—that’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you get started. But once you get the ball rolling, you’ll see that the benefits greatly outweigh the time invested.
Jump Ahead to Each Section
- How Can Social Media Marketing Grow My Plumbing Business?
- Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Plumbers
- Best Social Media Channels for Plumbers
- How To Create a Social Media Strategy for Plumbing Companies
- Engaging Plumbing Social Media Post Ideas
- Social Media Management Tips & Best Practices for Plumbers
- Plumbing Software That Helps You Improve Your Online Reputation
How Can Social Media Marketing Grow My Plumbing Business?
The key to successfully leveraging social media platforms to establish this reputation for you and your team is understanding what each platform is best for, and then curating engaging, shareable content on each platform that contributes to your overall brand-building and marketing goals.
You may need to alter how you view your plumbing business. Think of it as more than “just a business.” It’s a brand with a brand personality and viewpoint. Your social media strategy should contribute to the brand personality you want to develop, one that’s trustworthy knowledgeable, but still grounded and authentic—probably just like you!
Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Plumbers
Having a well-defined social media marketing strategy can help reach your most important business goals. Whether it’s growing your revenue, growing your team, or expanding into new territory, having a presence on social channels should be paired with and complement your overall plumbing marketing strategy. Relying solely on one marketing channel will limit your plumbing company’s growth and therefore should be paired with search engine optimization, paid ads, or other forms of traditional marketing.
Your social media content reflects your brand voice and makes it easier to develop relationships with your followers, many of whom are members of your hometown. They may see you on the street, like your Facebook posts, and then call you when a pipe bursts or the commode floods the bathroom.
Increased Brand Visibility and Awareness
Simply put, social media increases a plumbing business’s online visibility. Most people have several social media accounts, and scrolling through their feeds is a common pastime. Stories, memes, and videos go viral through social media, and you can leverage this reach to increase your business’s visibility.
How do social media users perceive your brand? When you regularly share valuable content (either entertaining or educational), you build a reputation of knowledge and trust with your friends and followers. Your business is visible to people who need our services but may not have been aware of it before seeing it on social media.
Builds Relationships and Trust
Customers book home service providers, like plumbers, that they know and trust or believe they can trust. Your online presence on various social platforms should evoke trust and authority. You know your business, you have experience with even the craziest plumbing issues, and you have the tools and materials necessary to get the job done right the first time.
Building relationships also cultivates a sense of trust. Engaging with your social media followers, responding to comments, or liking their posts can help build relationships with both existing and potential customers. The more you engage with people on your brand’s socials, the stronger your relationships (and sense of trust) will become.
Generate More Leads
Social media isn’t just posting memes and messaging friends. Plumbers can actively use their socials to generate plumbing leads or encourage viewers to complete calls-to-action, like clicking on the link to your contact page or requesting a complimentary estimate. Or, you can encourage followers to DM you with questions.
Your social media can also be used to promote your brand’s website, especially if you have an active blog and regularly post informative or entertaining articles. Content marketing is an effective, cost-efficient way for plumbers to generate more qualified leads.
Cost-Effective Marketing Solutions
Making a social media account is free, and so is posting. So, the goodwill you generate through thoughtful, relevant posts can improve your marketing efforts for zero dollars. Use your social media to draw attention to seasonal promotions, for example, without the expense of running an ad online or sending our paper mailers.
Best of all, the share feature on social media platforms means that your followers do half of the promotional work for you: “Hey, look at this great deal from Mr. Plumber! I’ll send you the link!”
Even paid advertising on Facebook and other social media platforms is fairly approachable, cost-wise. Consider combining organic social media content (text and pics) and strategic sponsored posts or ads to get the most bang for your buck.
Gather Feedback & Effectively Measure Customer Sentiment
People engage on social media in ways they may otherwise not. For example, someone may have a poor experience with an electrician and vent on Facebook or post pictures of shoddy work on their Instagram, but they may not bother to contact the business directly or write a review of their experience.
Customers may feel more comfortable contacting you via social media than calling your office directly. Through social media, you have the opportunity to thank happy customers for raving about their experience or privately remedy an unsatisfied customer’s concerns via direct message.
You can open a dialogue with your customer base, friends, and followers to broaden your network. Use your posts as a jumping-off point or respond to questions people might ask plumbers on threads or discussions. Actively responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is another way to use social media to gather feedback about your services, input on ways you could improve, or ideas for additional products or services you could offer.
Best Social Media Channels for Plumbers
Social media marketing for plumbers is most effective when tailored to each major social media platform. Despite the umbrella term, social media platforms are not the same – users don’t consume media in the same way, and the primary demographic for each platform differs slightly. You’ll see more older Gen X and Boomers on Facebook, for example, and your younger customers, like older Gen Z and Millennials, on TikTok.
A robust plumbing social media campaign embraces the differences between each platform—each one is best suited for a different type of media post. Ideally, what you post on one platform should complement the rest, cross-promoting one another and directly driving traffic to your plumbing company website so potential customers can review your services, read your blog, and book an appointment.
The right software for plumbing companies, like Housecall Pro, can do just that—guide website visitors who discovered you on social media to appointment scheduling and payment options.
More than 70% of U.S. adults use Facebook. Facebook users are the demographic most likely to be homeowners; some may also have investment properties or vacation houses, meaning they require plumbing services for multiple homes.
It’s probably the best platform to re-share content from your other socials.
Facebook Ads allow you to create targeted campaigns based on user demographics, location, and other factors, so your ads reach the people most likely to need plumbing services. The local aspect is key – most people look in their immediate area for a plumber.
You can also take advantage of Facebook groups, which are interest-based, local community chat groups. Join neighborhood groups, participate in discussions, and get to know potential customers organically. Build trust and a sense of authority, and watch the leads flow in.
Instagram, while owned by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has a younger primary user demographic, although it’s still a valuable social media platform for your plumbing business.
Instagram is ideal for visual posts, like short “how-to” videos on your Instagram Reels or before-and-after Insta stories. Don’t forget to use hashtags for your posts so people searching for informational topics, like DIY tips or entertainment, like #DIYfail, see your posts. You can also use local tags, which get your posts in front of viewers in your area.
If you work as a subcontractor for interior designers or home builders, consider collaborative posts. Interior designers, home builders, and home flippers often contract with plumbers to complete their projects. Cross-promotions and joint content creation help you reach a new, broader audience, thereby boosting lead generation.
LinkedIn is your “grown-up” social media platform. It’s mostly used for business connections, which gives you a great opportunity to connect with other home service professionals. This, in turn, can lead to referral relationships. Many people who need plumbers also need electricians, masons, or handymen—and vice versa. Your network can also include property managers, home builders, and commercial building owners.
LinkedIn is best for B2B (business-to-business) connections. Participate in relevant discussions, post longer-form blogs or thought leadership pieces (don’t worry if you’re not a writer; there are many talented writers you can hire who can help put your thoughts into words), and share insight with others in the construction and home service industries.
LinkedIn has industry-specific groups. Join those affiliated with your business. It also has a fairly good job-seeker function, so when you need to grow your business, you may find talent through LinkedIn.
YouTube
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok let you post small clips, but for longer, more detailed videos, a YouTube channel is the way to go. In fact, plumbing how-to videos are some of the most popular results when someone enters a plumbing question into a search engine (try it yourself!).
YouTube videos can be embedded in your other social media posts, including your website or newsletters you send out. And, they’re easy to share across your other socials, so you can use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to cross-promote your new YouTube videos.
Use YouTube for visual demonstrations of certain tools or techniques, such as the view from a filament camera snaking through plumbing pipes or how you replace a garbage disposal. You can show potential customers how you work before they even book an appointment!
Educational content is vital to establishing your brand and business as a trusted authority. Your troubleshooting guides, videos of what not to do, or helpful tips for solving plumbing issues can help you gain new customers.
TikTok
TikTok is best for short, viral content. Its user demographic also skews younger, so you may capture first-time homeowners or people moving into their own place for the first time. You can use it to feature snippets of your YouTube videos, guiding viewers toward your channel for longer content.
Twitter (X)
96% of Twitter (now X) users use the platform at least monthly. The engagement rate is high, and that’s not the only reason it’s a good choice for social media marketing. It’s perfect for quick, real-time updates like promotions and discounts, and for promoting longer content on your website’s blog, your YouTube videos, or posts on LinkedIn.
How To Create a Social Media Strategy for Plumbing Companies
Without a clear strategy and focused goals, social media marketing for plumbers can flounder. Before you start generating creative plumbing social media ideas, you need to outline your ideal results from social media and how you’ll determine whether each post is successful.
Define Your Goals
Do you want to drive traffic to your website, launch a new product, brand partnership, or service, or increase your leads and conversions? Define your goals in a way that can be quantified.
For example, you want to increase viewership for your YouTube tutorials. Your goals may be increasing subscribers by 10%, and the number of views on each video by 50%. Measurable goals are the best goals.
Know Your Target Audience
Who needs a plumber? The easy answer is “anyone with pipes,” but you may need to drill down a little more for your target audience. Your target audience is someone who books the plumbing job: homeowners, property managers, some renters, or commercial building owners in your area.
Facebook, for example, has a local ads program allowing you to filter by demographic and other characteristics, like location (within 25 miles, for example), and homeownership.
Optimize Your Most Relevant Social Profiles
Optimizing your social media profiles makes your branding more cohesive. Brand consistency makes you more recognizable online and in real life – your brand logo on your vans, any physical advertising, and your profile pictures should be the same, so customers start automatically recognizing you.
Here’s some tips for optimizing your social media profile, no matter which platform you’re using:
- Choose a clear, easy-to-read-and-say, brand name
- Use high-quality photos for your profiles and a clear, well-designed logo
- Create a captivating, snappy bio
- Optimize your bio, brand, and contact information for SEO
- Include all relevant social media handles and links
- Make sure your contact information is current and readily visible
Crisp, clear, professional social media profiles help you stand out as a trusted authority and present your brand as professional—your brand and social media profiles should make someone comfortable letting you into their home.
Develop a Well Defined Content Strategy
How are you going to achieve your goals? Your strategy may include weekly video posts, a daily tweet offering a seasonal promotion, and three posts per week on Facebook, for example. If you’re unsure about content creation and the strategy to help you turn followers into qualified leads, you’re not alone. You may benefit from working with a professional content creator, someone who understands how to quantify the success of each social media post and determine what’s working and what isn’t.
These professionals can also help curate content for you, like writing a script for your “Troubleshooting Tips” YouTube videos or a long blog to post on LinkedIn and your website. They may also help you manage your followers and respond to messages when you’re busy with customers.
Engaging Plumbing Social Media Post Ideas
Now that you’re more familiar with using the most popular social media platforms and have outlined your goals, let’s start with some of Housecall Pro’s best plumbing social media post ideas!
Social media posts for plumbers fall into three general categories:
- Educational
- Entertainment
- Promotional
Your posts may contain elements of each—educational posts are more engaging when there’s a little bit of fun—but focusing on a single theme for each post makes it more cohesive and focused. Doing this also helps you balance the content on your socials, meaning that they don’t skew so heavily on promotional posts that people scroll past or are too entertainment-focused without a clear call-to-action to boost conversion rates.
A solid mix of the following types of posts should give you a well-rounded social media presence and help build your brand and reputation.
1. Behind-the-Scenes Videos
These work best on TikTok and Instagram—a quick peek at what your plumbers do each day or a single hot tip to improve the viewer’s life. If you’re feeling brave or if it fits your brand personality, post a few “ew, that’s gross!” photos or videos. Everyone likes a good gross-out occasionally, and you’d be surprised how quickly those get shared.
Or, you may show a longer video following you for a day, diagnosing pipe problems, fixing them, or installing new bathroom fixtures. Timelapse footage of you completing a job and a narrative of what you’re doing and how can be easily filmed on your phone. “Day-in-the-Life” videos are quite popular on YouTube, and many people are curious about what a plumber does.
2. Post How-To/DIY Tutorials
Educational videos are invaluable for growing your reputation as a trustworthy home service provider. They work best on TikTok and YouTube, and you can use your other socials to drive traffic to your YouTube channel and TikTok account.
Many home service business owners shy away from posting “how-to” videos, thinking it will encourage potential customers to try to fix the problem themselves instead of calling a trained professional, but this is rarely the case. If you post simple DIY fixes, like how to winterize your exterior drains or the best way to get hair out of the shower (i.e., not using harsh drain cleaning chemicals), then you establish yourself as a trusted authority, and someone people feel comfortable turning to when they run into a larger problem they can’t fix.
In addition, your how-to videos may start ranking organically when someone searches for “how to get the hair out of the drain” or “the best way to winterize my sprinklers,” which can drive traffic to your website, leading to conversions and new customers.
3. Plumbing Product Recommendations
Product recommendations, including the best plumbing tools for simple home repairs, should be honest (you’ve actually tried the product) and detailed. They work well on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram and, done well, could lead to brand partnerships.
Use these judiciously, though, as there’s a risk that people could perceive your posts as too sales-y, tarnishing your authenticity.
4. Share User-Generated Content
Sharing others’ content builds your social network and can be done on any social media platform. If you see a LinkedIn article you like, for example, you can share it on your own LinkedIn network and post it to your other socials.
Or, maybe there’s a post in your local Facebook group you think people outside the group would like. Sharing posts from others helps you reach people outside your own friends and followers.
5. Local Community Involvement
Do you volunteer, or does your plumbing business sponsor a local charity, school, or T-ball team? Remind your customers that you’re part of the community, their friends and neighbors. Social media is a great way to raise awareness for causes you believe in and feature your team actively engaged in your community, contributing to brand trustworthiness.
6. Plumbing Myth-Busting
This type of post can be a lot of fun and works well on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. If you gather enough myth-buster snippets, you can repurpose them into a longer-form blog post to post on LinkedIn and your website blog.
Topics like this could turn into a weekly post—one that you can promote on Twitter, for example, steering followers to your TikTok to see the full myth “busted”. When you regularly post entertaining snippets, say “Myth-Busting Tuesdays,” you can develop a regular following, and ideally, these followers will share your posts, increasing your visibility.
7. Interactive Polls/Quizzes
Does toilet paper go over or under the roll? Invite your followers to weigh in. Sharing polls and quizzes boost engagement on social media and often sparks spirited discussions among your followers.
Invite followers to “Ask Me Anything” (AMA), where they can get to know you or get answers to hotly contested plumbing discussions they’re having with family.
AMAs and opinion polls work great on Twitter (X) but can also be fun on Facebook or even on your LinkedIn profile. And, you could publish the results of your online polls and your AMA as blogs on your website!
8. Before-and-After Project Photos
B&A bathroom photos are some of the most popular types of before-and-after posts on social media. Everyone loves a gorgeous, light, airy bathroom; watching a bathroom going from an atrocious, avocado-tiled, dated 70’s nightmare to something bright and luxurious is eminently satisfying.
These posts work well if you partner with a home flipper or interior designer. The can also be used to show off your own best remodeling jobs. Before-and-Afters are ideal for Instagram (especially if you have professional photos shot) and TikTok.
You can also start building a B&A gallery to feature on your website, with links to it on your socials.
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Social Media Management Tips & Best Practices for Plumbers
Let’s make social media marketing work for your plumbing business. Here is how to make the most of your social media campaigns.
Choose the Right Social Channels
Launching your brand on social media is best done in small steps, building up your following before increasing your presence on other social media platforms. You’ll be able to get used to the flow and posting style of your first platform and get a better feel for what your community responds to. Doing too much at once risks having a muddled brand message or inconsistent posting, which may do your business more harm than good.
Facebook may be the best place to start, as it’s not as fast-paced as Twitter or TikTok. The user base skews older, too, so you have a better chance of engaging with homeowners who need your services. And, the response time to posts isn’t as urgent, so you have more time to consider reply.
Be Responsive and Interactive
You don’t have to reply to every single comment right away, but you do need to engage with people who are viewing and commenting on your posts; that’s the point of social media marketing. Focus on the customers you have each day by setting aside a small block of time in the morning and afternoon/evening to respond to your social media.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Have fun, but always remember to be courteous and professional.
Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice and Visual Style Across Platforms
Brand recognition increases leads – customers may see your logo on your company vans or trucks, then again on social media and your website. A cohesive brand voice, image, and personality give life to your plumbing business and help set you apart from your competition.
Encourage Reviews and User-Generated Content
Current, positive reviews from actual customers go a long way toward establishing your business as one new customer can trust. If you’re unsure how to get reviews, Housecall Pro has several helpful hints, including training your plumbers to ask for reviews at the end of service. You can also ask customers to leave a review when you follow up with them after the service using our automated marketing software or when you remind them it’s time for plumbing preventative maintenance.
Managing your reviews can be tricky, but we have help for that. Our review management software helps you gather reviews from all across the web, reply to them as needed, and then share them on your website and social media pages.
Analyze Metrics To Understand What Content Resonates Best
Google Analytics helps measure the success of blog posts on your website and quantifies user engagement. It reports when users leave the site and how long they stay there, which can help you better optimize your website’s content for search engines.
Each social media network also has analytics tools with metrics to help you measure post engagement, and ad performance to uncover trends over time.
Plumbing Software That Helps You Improve Your Online Reputation
Are you still asking yourself, “How can social media grow my plumbing business?” We can help you. Housecall Pro is a comprehensive home service business software program customizable for plumbers. Social media marketing is just one part of the success puzzle. With Housecall Pro, you get a complete solution that includes efficient scheduling, seamless online booking and real-time job tracking. Sign up for a 2-week free trial and watch your plumbing business thrive.
