5 Ways to Keep Your Contracting Business Out of Trouble on Social Media

Watching someone go off the script on social media can be a delight to observe. Going through it is another matter entirely. Knowing how to engage on social media for your contracting business is tricky, and there are a lot of possible problems. Here are five ways you can keep yourself from becoming the next viral nightmare.

Separate Business and Personal Accounts
One of the biggest problems that businesses have with social media is the inability to keep their personal and business accounts separate. Even if your business name is also your own name, you probably have a different approach to engagement on your business accounts than you do on your personal accounts. It’s important to make sure that you are distinguishing the two, especially if your engagement with social media can be controversial at times. If necessary, make sure that you only use your business accounts on certain devices. Create a different login for each one. That way, you’re less likely to post from your business by accident.

Be Selective When Assigning Posting Privileges
Every now and then, you’ll read a horror story about what happened when a social media manager for a small business went rogue in the off-hours. You definitely don’t want this to happen to you, because it’s your credibility and reputation on the line. As such, if you decide to hand off social media responsibilities to an employee, make the decision carefully. Even if you completely trust the employee to make good choices, you’ll still want to follow up with it on occasion. If something goes wrong, you’ll get an early warning that way.

Take Time to Reply
For many consumers, social media is a way to engage with businesses and provide feedback. You might encourage your clients to give you a review on sites like Facebook or Yelp. When you get good reviews, positive replies could be easy and quick to create. On the other hand, if you get negative reviews, you might feel pressed to provide your side of the story as quickly as possible. Instead, take time to think through your reply and how you want others to see it. It’s better to wait a day or two to craft a reasoned response than it is to reply off the cuff and wish that you had taken more time.

Ignore Trolling Comments
Of course, social media is full of bad-faith commenters. On the surface, they may look like former or potential customers, when in reality they are just random people jumping on the bandwagon. While it is a good idea to respond to the questions and concerns of real clients, you should be careful when choosing to engage with people who are trying to give you a difficult time. Some people see frustrating others as an entertaining pastime. It’s better to ignore them and let their posts sit empty than to fall into the trap and waste a lot of time trying to fix it.

When In Doubt, Log Out
The thing about social media is that you don’t need a big following to go viral, especially not when it’s something bad. So even if your social media is relatively new and you don’t have a lot of followers, it’s a good idea to take care of your overall engagement. If you’re not skilled in social media management, ask a friend or family member with experience to periodically check in on your social media accounts. They may be able to let you know when an account has gone off the rails, and they can give you valuable feedback about when to disengage and take a break.

Social media is a great way to engage with customers and find more opportunities for your contracting business. You just have to make sure not to get yourself in trouble. For more tips about becoming a licensed contractor, contact CSLS today!

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About CSLS

Contractors State License Service (CSLS) is the largest school in California devoted to the Construction professional. For over 23 years, CSLS has helped its students pass the exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California, licensing more students than any other school. From our main offices in Southern California, CSLS operates over 25 locations with full-service support and classrooms. We have grown to this extent by providing quality, professional services. In comparison, this provides 7 times the number of convenient locations than the second largest contractor school. Contractors State License Services is one of the only contractor schools in the state that is run by educators, not lawyers or people mostly interested in the bonding and insurance business. Contractors State License Services formerly operated under the oversight of the State of California's Bureau for Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education. As of January 1 2010, the new Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) came into existence replacing the BPPVE. CSLS now operates under the provisions of the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (CPPEA), Article 4 Section 94874(f). Our Mission is simple; We can help you pass your California Contractors License Exam. Celebrating our 25th year, CSLS has helped over 120,000 students pass the California contractor licensing exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California. Additionally, we offer complete home study and online contractor’s license programs to help you pass your California contractors license exam. CSLS offers licensing classes for all types of contractor licenses, including General Engineering Contractor, General Building Contractor, Specialty Contractor, Insulation and Acoustical Contractor, Framing and Rough Carpentry Contractor, Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry Contractor, Concrete Contractor, Drywall Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Elevator Contractor, Landscaping Contractor, Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor, and many others. For a complete list of contractor licenses, visit www.MakeMeAContractor.com and tuned for more informative posts.