Thread: SEO Tip: Using Facebook to Book Inspections & Drive Traffic To Your Site

Time for another SEO/Website Marketing Tip

How many of you are on Facebook? Who ISN'T? How many booked an inspection in the last month because of Facebook? You haven't! Why not?

Facebook has over 500 MILLION people. 250 million of them log in each day. There's only 300 million people in the US (and 33 million in Canada)!

Facebook is quickly becoming one of the best marketing tools you can have but many inspectors are completely ignoring it. Lets go over some of the advantages of Facebook and some of the ways to use it. If you don't want to, that's up to you, your competition thanks you. Everyone might not agree with all these techniques but you should definitely be able to pick up quite a few ideas.

It's FREEeeee (picture guy in green with the $$ all over him shouting)

When a person logs into Facebook they see recent comments by all of their 'Facebook Friends.' The goal here is to get as many clients, potential clients, friends of potential clients and Realtors to be friends with you on Facebook so they see the comments you make on your site.

Each time you post a comment and it is seen by someone, you're reminding them that you're around! You're reminding them that they know a home inspector. This means that if they need an insector, or a friend or family members does, they will remember who you are to refer you. By keeping in constant contact with past/potential clients you keep them from forgetting about you, your name, your website. That's what would normally happen a few months after they hired you. This fact alone will help drive traffic to your site and inspections to you.

Post photos of crazy things you see at inspections and make a few comments on them. Tell people what city you were inspecting in. People like seeing things that they can identify with as being very WRONG. This helps you build a connecting again that will stick out in their mind. This gives people, especially guys a chance to post on your site and further identify with you.

Post some pictures of friends & family and events. Your son hits a home run in baseball, daughter just got accepted to the Navy, dog does something funny, etc. Posting small events gives people, especially women a chance to comment on your post. Each time someone posts on your site you're furthering the connection with them. EVERYONE knows at least a few people who will buy a house over the next year. Past clients are future clients and more importantly, connections to others. You might want to leave out the binge drinking you did over the weekend.

Those of you who are currently on Facebook might have noticed a HUGE source of information that arrives every Sunday night via email... a list of all your Facebook friends who have birthday's it the upcoming week. There's quite a few things you can with this information. For most of your past clients you can send them a postcard. For the past clients that are investors and send you quite a bit of business, send them a Starbucks gift card a birthdary card. For the real estate agents send them a gift basket, chocolate or a card. The last one might be borderline in a few licensed states so make sure it's okay. At the very LEAST you can get on their Facebook page and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You'd be surpirsed at what this small gesture can do. How many other inspectors do you think will be doing this? If you haven't already, think about signing up with Send Out Cards. Brian has a link here: http://www.inspectionnews.net/home-i...tor/referrals/

Are you donating money to a Charity during Breast Cancer month? Post this on your Facebook. What do you think the response is from the Women who see this? Giving a discount to Active Military & Vets around Veterans & Memorial Day, post it.

If you're blogging on your website (which all of you should be doing), write a teaser on Facebook linking to your sites blog.

Post videos!! Facebook allows you to post videos up to 20 minutes long. These can be great ways to grab people's attention if done right.

Now, the next big secret for those of you who are still with me. Facebook not only allows you to post a 'Like' button on your website, but more importantly allows you to post a list of "common friends" between you and the site visitor. What do you think the reaction is when John Smith, first time home buyer logs onto your site and see's that his buddies, Larry, Moe & Curly are ALREADY friends with you? They're going to realize that you've probably done inspections for them. They're probably going to contact their friends and get a review of you. This connection will guarantee you jobs. Gone are the days where you just have agents referring you, you will have friends referring you without even knowing they're doing it!

There's a lot more that you can do with Facebook, but this should get you guys started. So if you don't have an account, go to Welcome to Facebook and get one. Once you do, make sure to go to Dominic Maricic | Facebook and be my Friend

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Been on /in face book for about two months.Schedule two inspection because of it
It works and it is free. Also my two boys are of buying age and so are their friends. They are on face book every day

Dominic, good info. Facebook is huge and I don't think it is going away anytime soon. I have one question however, what are your suggestions for getting additional fans/friends? Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

Originally Posted by Randy King

Dominic, good info. Facebook is huge and I don't think it is going away anytime soon. I have one question however, what are your suggestions for getting additional fans/friends? Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

Best idea for Facebook is to talk to Realtor and find out if they are on Facebook. They will have a following of multiple Realtor and or clients.

Other than that I hate face book. The mass majority of folks are on there with there me, me, me, me ,me and some more me, me, me, me. I rock I am doing this, I am doing that, I am so wonderful, I , I, I, I, and some more I's. The most self indulgent, I must make myself look so great thing I have ever seen in my life.

It is worse than any of the Keeping up with whom ever reality shows out there.

What have people become? I am a star for the moment!

No matter how you feel it can not be ignored and must be watched for future potential.
Anyone on this thread has a computer and knows not to dismiss this.

Originally Posted by Bob Elliott

No matter how you feel it can not be ignored and must be watched for future potential.
Anyone on this thread has a computer and knows not to dismiss this.

Bob, get together with Dom M and start a Facebook for old farts. How about Fartbook? I want to be in a book where the rich blue-haired grannys can find me for home inspections....

Originally Posted by John Kogel

Bob, get together with Dom M and start a Facebook for old farts. How about Fartbook? I want to be in a book where the rich blue-haired grannys can find me.

I have no doubt there is a Cougar club on there somewhere.

Originally Posted by Bob Elliott

I have no doubt there is a Cougar club on there somewhere.

Now you're scaring me. That's the beef I have with Facebook. We need a business directory version that isn't going to scare people away.
How about Inspection News?

I was actually told to get a business account with facebook by one of my realtors a few weeks ago. I guess it helped her out selling houses. just now trying to figure out how to set it all up and make it work for me. To get started, she actualy told me to get some request off her friends list.

Once you have 100 friends (easy using email contacts)your able to grab a custom url.
Mine is Bob Elliott | Facebook

Originally Posted by Bob Elliott

Once you have 100 friends (easy using email contacts)your able to grab a custom url.
Mine is Bob Elliott | Facebook

I'm not sure if you're referring to a personal profile (what FB calls "public"), or a business page. For a business page, one only needs 25 "Likes" to obtain a custom URL.

Get both a personal page and a Business page.

My personal is : https://www.facebook.com/B4UClose

Business Page is: https://www.facebook.com/B4UCloseInspections

Appreciate all "Likes".

And Bob, just for you: Cougar Club - Houston




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I've had a FB account going on a couple years, both personal and business. I've taken several inspection orders through FB. I've also taken orders via text on my phone. Technology isn't going away and if you want to stay in business you need to embrace it.

Heck, I've even done some Facebook ads in the past. Very cheap and directed right to the target market.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

Heck, I've even done some Facebook ads in the past. Very cheap and directed right to the target market.

Hey, Ken, I'm glad you mentioned FB ads. I've been thinking about doing that, but wondered about how well it can be targeted for buyers of home inspections. How did it go for you? Any thoughts or tips?

Originally Posted by Randy Hooser

Hey, Ken, I'm glad you mentioned FB ads. I've been thinking about doing that, but wondered about how well it can be targeted for buyers of home inspections. How did it go for you? Any thoughts or tips?

You can target age, zip code, sex and quite a few other factors. So pick 25-55, male and your local areas.

Originally Posted by Erby Crofutt

Get both a personal page and a Business page.

My personal is : https://www.facebook.com/B4UClose

Business Page is: https://www.facebook.com/B4UCloseInspections

Appreciate all "Likes".

And Bob, just for you: Cougar Club - Houston




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....I like.

Great tips Dom, I'll have to put more effort into my account.

Originally Posted by Dominic Maricic

You can target age, zip code, sex and quite a few other factors. So pick 25-55, male and your local areas.

Why would you target males Dom?
Almost half my clients are female.

Originally Posted by Randy Hooser

Hey, Ken, I'm glad you mentioned FB ads. I've been thinking about doing that, but wondered about how well it can be targeted for buyers of home inspections. How did it go for you? Any thoughts or tips?

Besides what Dom said you can also target peoples' "likes". So you can target people who "like": first time homebuyer, buying houses, looking for a new house, etc.

How did it go for me? I've done it over the winter the past few years and at first would generate one inspection for every $25 spent. As time went on more and more inspection companies started doing the same. Since the ad prices are controlled by the highest bidder it got to the point where I had to spend about $150 for every inspection.

To put it in other words, when I started, the cost per click were only a couple cents. As more inspectors started using FB ads in my area the cost per click was at about $2.00 when I stopped doing it.