Is Social Media Becoming Top Tool For Trades
Though traditionally a “hands on” sector, Screwfix is predicting a “social revolution” within the
trade as almost half (48%) of tradesmen reveal they are winning new business through
social media channels.
Tradesmen are increasingly turning to social media sites to reach more customers and
increase their brand awareness. Eight out of 10 tradesmen use social media as a free way to
reach more customers and two fifths (43%) believe having a page on a social media site
makes their business look more established.
With a quarter of tradesmen now using sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to
promote their business, the channel is set to become even more popular. Sixty-three per
cent of tradesmen say their social media use is more than last year and a third (33%) believe
they will use it more next year.
This upward trend supports a recent study from the internet Advertising Bureau UK* which
found that nearly 80% of consumers would be more inclined to buy because of a brand’s
presence on social media. And for small firms, knowing how to capitalise on this is crucial,
as John Mewett, marketing director at Screwfix, explains:
“Technology is empowering consumers. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter
are today‟s equivalent of the telephone directory – members of the public are now more likely
than ever to go online to find and research local tradesmen in their area.
“As tradesmen increase the amount of business tasks and transactions they undertake
online, social media should be seriously considered as a cost-effective way to market
themselves to more and more customers.”
