12 October Should You Use TikTok to Market Your Inspections? October 12, 2021 By sma Business Tips, Marketing, Social Media business growth, client satisfaction, digital marketing, inspection industry, networking, news 0 SHOULD YOU USE TIKTOK TO MARKET YOUR INSPECTIONS? October 12, 2021 | Business Tips, Marketing, Social Media | client satisfaction, inspection industry, business growth, networking, digital marketing, news By Stepha Vesper, NPI, Inc.'s Marketing Communications Specialist If you’re already active on social media or know someone who is, chances are that you’ve heard of the hit social media app TikTok. The video-sharing app boasts 689 million active users worldwide, and pulls in more than one billion video views a day. While it started out with a mainly younger audience, TikTok has attracted people from all different ages and industries. TikTok Fast Facts TikTok has been around for a little over five years, but it really started taking off in 2018. Users can upload videos ranging from a few seconds to three minutes about any topic they’d like. Whether you’re sharing your favorite recipe or your classic movie collection, eye-catching material can take off and reach thousands of other users. The main base of TikTok’s users are younger, mostly in the pre-teen to early twenties demographic. Average users can spend up to an hour on the app each day scrolling through content. In their Q4 in 2019, TikTok saw over 300 percent revenue growth as the billion-dollar company continues to expand. Real Estate and TikTok Because of TikTok’s rising popularity, many businesses are using it as another marketing tool. Even some home inspectors are joining in on the action. They’ve been showcasing various aspects of their jobs in unique or entertaining ways and raking in the views as a result. Real estate agents have also gotten behind the camera. They’ve been offering financial advice to current or soon-to-be homeowners and giving insight on how to find the right home. Social Media and You Social media is a necessity for any small business owner. It can be easy to neglect as you get busy, but setting aside time for it has been proven to help you spread brand awareness and book more inspections. Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and other outlets such as Twitter or Instagram let you connect with clients quickly and easily. Having a polished profile sets you apart from the competition and shows that you’re a professional business. While TikTok can provide another way for you to market, it might not be as easy to navigate as others. Challenges of TikTok With TikTok being so different from other platforms, using it effectively may seem overly complicated at first glance. One of the biggest intimidation factors is that it’s hard to nail down your desired audience. While people can choose to follow you to see more of your content, bringing in new followers depends on different aspects of the app. People can curate their “For You Page” based on similar videos they’ve liked, hashtags they follow, trending videos, or new content the algorithm puts in front of them. That means there’s a lot at play that’s out of your control. Unless your video finds the right starting point to gain views and likes, it could get stuck in the mud. Don’t Forget Your Social Media Ethics Let’s say you do manage to crack the code and gain some traction with a captivated audience. It’s important not to let that success get in the way of your customer service. Sometimes forgotten in favor of the laughs and the bewilderment of these viral videos are the standards home inspectors should follow. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes for a moment and think how you’d feel to see your hopeful future home being ridiculed on social media and your judgement questioned. The final report might end up turning you away anyway, but it’s never fun to be embarrassed online. There’s also the issue of leaking identifying information and bringing unwanted attention to the home and the owner. Not only can you upset a buyer, but your agents might get frustrated that you’re going for shock value over their partnership. Think Before You Post You don’t have to completely avoid TikTok, but make sure you’re using it the right way. Start by seeing if any of your agents are on the app so you don’t waste your time. Then when you go to post, don’t go overboard. A good thing to remember is that you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings; ultimately, your goal is still to educate viewers. You’ll avoid being controversial and keep your working relationships intact. Even if you don’t become a viral sensation, you’ll come across as a knowledgeable professional, and there’s nothing better than that! For more marketing tips, reach out to the NPI Marketing Team at marketing@npiweb.com! About the Author Stepha Vesper, Marketing Communications Specialist Stepha has more than five years’ experience in marketing, content creation, SEO and copywriting. Her favorite part of her job is assisting franchisees with their digital marketing strategies so they reach their goals that much faster. When she isn’t at work, Stepha is going on adventures with her husband, Zach, perusing used bookstores, reading or writing. Comments are closed.