With the state of entrepreneurship on the rise and access to consumers via technology, it’s presented an opportunity to many individuals to start handyman services and market them online using social media. For those with the talent to provide in-home services like furniture assembly, yard work, junk removal, etc., it’s a great business model for an individual wanting to work for themselves.

While many handyman service providers are excellent at the tasks themselves, the marketing and advertising needed to build a book of business and a customer base remain a struggle. The majority of handyman businesses are a one-person operation, meaning that in addition to performing the tasks hired for, the same person must also handle their marketing and advertising.

Attracting customers, booking jobs, performing the handyman services, and then handling the books – it’s a lot for one person to handle. But, even as a solopreneur, a handyman must have a marketing campaign just like a larger business, with a budget, goals, and a way to track and measure the results.

It doesn’t matter if you are a one-person operation and only interested in servicing your local area, or if you have a large business with a fleet of handymen serving a large metro area – social media is a great way to market handyman services. Let’s explore a few ways to leverage social media marketing for handyman service businesses.

Be Active in All Local Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups have grown in popularity recently, as it allows for focused discussions to occur on the platform rather than on another forum or website. Facebook users love the convenience factor – they can search for, join, and participate in groups created around any topic or subject manner imaginable.

Community-focused Facebook Groups are very popular, and there has been a large increase in the number of groups started by neighborhoods, local organizations, businesses, and activities. These groups can become very close, as the digital age has made it acceptable to have online ‘friends and connections.

Being active in groups creates a very strong bond and the community members will tend to favor those who are regular participants in the discussions. Through meaningful and purpose-driven communication you are able to make a name for yourself, which then drives attention to your business.

By simply being active and providing helpful information or sparking meaningful discussions the next time someone needs a handyman you will be the first option that comes to mind. You don’t want to come off as spammy, but if you have been active in a Facebook Group for a few months there is nothing wrong with dropping a “Hey, by the way, if anyone needs a handyman here is my website” post.

Be authentic and genuine. If you are already active on Facebook pop into the groups you are a member of and reply to a few posts a couple of times per week. This makes you a familiar ‘face’ in the local groups you are a member of.

Run Paid Facebook Ads

Many people are under the wrong assumption that Facebook Ads require thousands of dollars in ad spend in order to drive meaningful results. For a local handyman service, you can allocate a very small budget – $50 a week or less to begin – and run ads in a very small area.

This is great branding and an affordable way to attract business. Even if this effort only yields a couple of jobs per week it helps you build your customer database, which can then be marketed to moving forward, as well as tapping into for referrals, which we will touch on later.

By targeting based on location and staying hyper-local and limiting ads to being seen no more than two times by the same user, you can make your budget last fairly long. Experiment with different bidding strategies as well, from cost-per-click to impressions and see what delivers you the most value in terms of website traffic, reach, and engagement.

With such a small market and the ability to take on a limited number of handyman jobs each week it allows you to experience a great return without an outrageous marketing budget.

Create How-to Content on TikTok and Instagram

Another great branding play is using TikTok and Instagram to post how-to videos. This is something you can film while on the job using your mobile phone and immediately upload. Again, it’s great branding and can help you attract local business without spending money.

The key is to post interesting and creative content while using location tags in your area as well as location-based hashtags. Don’t be too concerned with your overall views – targeted views are more important.

If 10,000 people view a TikTok video you post but none of them are in your area all of that exposure looks great, but it doesn’t contribute to your business growth or revenue numbers. One hundred views from people within your community are far more valuable for your business, as they have the potential to need your services at some point.

Let your personality shine and encourage engagement. Reply to comments and encourage people to follow you. TikTok is an incredible platform for this type of content and you can easily repurpose the same video on Instagram as a Reels post.

Create a Referral Program to Create Social Media Promoters

One of the best ways to leverage social media to attract handyman service customers doesn’t require you to post on social media and it doesn’t cost you any upfront money. By creating a referral program you can have an army of promoters that refer your business to friends and contacts when they need services that you provide.

You can make it very simple – offer a $25 Amazon gift card or a gift certificate to a local restaurant as a reward for a referral. You can also expand your referral program beyond your existing customer and approach local businesses.

For example, local realtors can be a great source of business as many of their clients – both buyers and sellers – often need odd jobs completed before selling a home or after moving into a new home. Network within your community with other local business owners and see how you can help each other. Not all handyman service marketing needs to have a hard upfront cost, and this is a perfect example of how creativity can help you experience steady growth.

Final Thoughts

While running a handyman business is something that is typically done by a solopreneur, it’s still possible to be active on social media enough to draw attention to your business and drive awareness in your community while not taking a lot of your time.

It’s all about balance and creating a process for everything. A solid plan that you can commit to rather than trying to post and be active on the fly is the best approach. Just like with all aspects of business, structure and a system will help you stay on track.

Consistency is so important when it comes to social media, and there is a lot of competition for the same consumer attention, so you have to remain steady, even when it feels like the return isn’t substantial enough. Many local small businesses experience that boos of awareness and exposure when they least expect it.

If you have any questions about the handyman social media marketing tips outlined above or would like to learn more about the social media marketing and online marketing services we provide for handyman service providers, please contact us today. Our team will be happy to help explain the process and answer any questions you may have.

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