Tip 1: Claim your Facebook page, your Google Place page, and your LinkedIn Page
This should be the first step for every outdoor power equipment business owner. Even if this is the only step you follow, it could have a big effect on your business. Consumers often visit these websites to learn more about businesses.
FACEBOOK - Navigate to this link https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/ and fill in some information about your company. Believe it or not, the process to create a Facebook page for your business will take less than 15 minutes!
GOOGLE - Go to www.google.com/mybusiness and enter in your company information, such as which products you sell and where you do business. Don’t forget to verify your business, so that Google knows it’s really you.
LINKEDIN – The prevailing thinking is that LinkedIn is a great tool for B2B businesses. As an OPE dealer, if you interface with large landscaping companies as well as state organizations and municipalities, your presence on this social media platform is even more critical. To start, go to www.linkedin.com and sign up for an account. Once you are logged into the site, you can search for your company’s name in the search field on top of the page. Find your company and then claim the page for yourself. Enter your company information and voila – you now have a LinkedIn company page!
Tip 2: The name of the game is content
Content is key. Publish content that will be meaningful to your customers. Open house coming up? Perfect! How about a social media discount if you bring your mower in for service in the next 30 days?
Tip 3: Showcase your uniqueness and personality
What makes your outdoor power equipment dealership different? Do you cater to the commercial user or the residential user? Or both? Do you offer demo / loaner units? Do you have a rich history in your dealership, including multiple generations of ownership? All of these things make you uniquely you, and they make good reading for your customers too.
Tip 4: Grow your reach
Promote your social media presence on your website and with in-store displays. Invite your customers to follow and like your social media pages to get product updates and special promotions. Connect with your business partners as well, such as manufacturers and suppliers, and be sure to include hashtags (#lawncare, #outdoorpowerequipment, #smallbusiness) in your posts to make your dealership easier to find.
Tip 5: Develop a sustainable execution plan
Ongoing participation in social media is critical to building your following. Create a plan for who will manage your social media pages, perhaps a college intern or family member, and how often you will publish content. A few times a week is ideal.
Following these simple steps will allow customers to gain an understanding of your business and how you are suited to meet their needs. Developing connections with your customers online will translate into additional retail traffic. Read about other ways to attract customers to your dealership.
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