If you do incredible work, people need to be able to find you.

We can all agree that marketing and getting your perfect customer's eyes and attention has become incredibly difficult and even COSTLY. The cost of advertising and wasted dollars on failed strategies can certainly affect your bottom line and ultimately your growth.
Today, I hope to share what has worked well for me.
I want to shatter some perceptions you may have about creating content for your service-based company. 

Open Your Mind

Let’s face it. The world has changed. Arguably faster than some of us are comfortable with. I think of my grandfather, Tractor Brown. I talk about my grandpa quite a bit in my personal blog on LinkedIn. You can check that out here: Klark with a K.  (This has recently evolved to a new place: Klark Personal Blog )

The audience of this blog is spread across multiple generations, but I will tell you that many from my era (Gen Xers RULE) and before are often oblivious to the world of social media, online content, and how it can be leveraged to make your brand stand out. 

We have two options: Jump in head first and be relevant or….become dinosaurs and be beaten by less qualified contractors that know how to use what is out there.
Before you tell me “Klark, I have a few Social Media channels”,  I want to challenge you. While that is a great start, it’s simply not enough.
Social Media channels (Facebook or IG) are echo chambers without traffic and engagement. There are algorithms at work on all these platforms that flex the imagination.
In the next few minutes, I want you to let go of what we think we know, and let’s explore how the notion that what you built as a brand may be exactly what the market is looking for. It just doesn’t know you exist.

My Formula

Believe it or not, I am a pretty intense introvert. This means that while I have an outgoing personality, I truly don’t like being in front of people, and especially the camera.

But many years ago, I was part of a small collective of people who took a stand about the state of our industry and started The Restoration Rebels on Facebook. That endeavor was NOT intended as self-promotion and advertising. But a by-product was, it did that. When you give first, you receive everything you ever need.

That group catapulted into a quick rise in popularity and energy. That energy had its bad along with the good, trust me.
That entire experience has led me step by step to find better ways to use advertising in a tasteful way….especially social media.
A balance of 80/20% has become my comfortable sweet spot.
80% Education
20% Promotion

Broken down: Spend 80% of my energy and posts/ interactions sharing lessons, anecdotes, examples, contractions, and experiences I have had with an audience. I do this in groups I have created (community), in other adjacent groups, and then in my own channels. 
My personal approach is honest, self depreciating and transparent internal exposures of myself.
I share my wins, my losses, my pains and share stories of my incredible friends and colleagues. I feel I am nothing special, but capable of far more than I imagine. I also love to inspire others in my education.
Then sprinkle in 20% of our coaching, courses, services, live classes, and other things that help people that I have connected with to solve issues they have. That's my WHY. Solve problems.
Another way to look at it is part of my time is research. Start and have conversations on what is holding people back, then use my innate talents to create solutions. This not only supports my family but inspires me to create more and reach higher.

What you can do

Facebook is free. Start a page. Start a group. Tell people you are doing cool shit and helping solve problems we all have.
Start building. It takes time. But as people find the group, they will tell others.
If you are in Des Moine, Iowa…..maybe its a group called Des Moine Home Solutions Group. It will be branded as your company, but it will be a signal that you are inviting anyone, customers or not.
Then make a commitment to be present. 

Post articles, share stories, pictures of your team, your friends dog, a local hero or anything.
Do what you do naturally. Thats what people want.
Your goal is develop a label or persona. Be know as THAT PERSON that is so passionate about what they do and how it helps…..that they give away freely to the community to actually help.
Lessons about how to help prevent mold, common causes of fires and things to do before leaving for a trip.
Don’t just make an ad and post it. Tell a story. Let them know you took the time.
Then engage. Ask questions. Tell people to ask you anything.
Ask of people have ever had a fire or flood and what the experience was.
How would they tell you what they think would help a homeowner.
Before you know it…you are at top of mind of a growing audience and considered to be THE SME (Subject Matter Expert). Thats  Trust !

Here are the channels that work for me. You certainly don’t have to use any or all of them.

• Facebook
  
• A group for the entire industry (think your community) called Restoration Nation
• My business page (pages and groups are different)
• YouTube
• We put out lessons and videos driving people to ask “What else”
• Our podcast is also posted here (Disaster Podcaster )
• LinkedIn (great for connecting to professionals and commercial clients)
• Podcast channels (there are restoration owners that have incredibly popular podcasts)
• Instagram (we use this the least)

Trust is built

I mentioned trust. That is a MAGIC word. With authentic trust, every hour of training and all your processes and experiences begin to look more valuable.
If you come across as curious, caring, and truly concerned with people not being mistreated or cheated, the right people will put all this together.
“Here we have a group that works hard to help strangers, and they actually have a great reputation and lots of online reviews”. They hope they never need you but when they (or someone they care for) do, no one makes sense to call. 

Tools to consider

Here are a few simple tools that are simple, inexpensive, and easy to use. You may actually already have some of them. 

• Camera. Video is king
• You have a smartphone that rivals any modern high cost camera. 
• You could get a better setup
• Microphone. If you are doing video or podcast, invest money into a good microphone. There are great options on Amazon for less than or close to $100. 
• Images and Graphics
• Canva.com. An incredible tool for creating social media images and icons. Its simple as well as being free for most features. 
• Include others. You don’t have to do all of this. Talk to your team and let them participate. 
• They may love it
• They are likely more natural with it
• Your audience will love to know more about those that actually do the work. 

Conclusion

Here is where I tell you it is easy. Actually being a relevant and visible brand is not hard.
What is hard (that you will overcome):

• Taking the first steps. Just start with one channel and idea. It will lead to more
• Making time. You have time if you are focused and stop doing the other things that will not yield the same results. 
• Have FUN. Giving ourselves permission to actually have a little fun with work is not super popular. I write blogs and articles alot about the lies we tell ourselves. I am not a guru. I just know the answers we need are not hard to find and the formula isn’t a mystery. The story we live in is what shrouds it. 

Overall, you need to get your incredible company into the eye-line of people before they find the bad ones that happen to have a better marketing mind.
That's not an excuse anymore. Not in 2023.
Lastly, these are things we do (among all other aspects of helping you develop and build the company that gives you everything you want). Need more processes, time, and a trusted adviser? That's what we do. Ask our clients and students. Stop burning yourself out and working too hard to find answers others have.
I hope this blog inspires you to look differently at being a content company. I look forward to seeing your
stuff !
PS. People don’t want to see pictures of room demo’s, your dehumidifiers, or stock photos of a mold spore. They want to see what the results of happy people are. The people who work hard doing the work think (and why) and of info that is relevant to THEM. 

REMEMBER - 80/20