A lot of home service companies might be avoiding TikTok because they’re intimidated or feel like their business isn’t a good fit for the platform.
We get it. Both are very reasonable concerns. But neither of those needs to be true.
You might be surprised to learn just how many home service companies already use TikTok. Not as many that use Facebook, mind you – but they’re on TikTok, we promise.
It’s just a bit different from other social media platforms.
To help with the intimidation factor, Leadhub is here to provide some simple steps to get you producing content. Here are a few best practices for home service companies on TikTok.
Find Your Voice — Literally
One of the biggest questions you’ll need to answer is who is going to appear “on camera” in your home service company TikToks. Most videos you’ll see on TikTok from the trades involve a spokesperson to be the voice of that company’s channel. Who would do it for you?
The company owner is the most logical person to start with – but he or she may not necessarily be the right answer. You might have a training manager or long-time team member who can explain things more simply.
By the way, don’t let age restrict you here. There are countless TikTok accounts fronted by older characters, especially with home service companies, that have success.
That being said, you might have a younger technician who is more naturally gifted with selfie-style video. Just keep in mind, that technician might leave your company at some point – so you might consider 2-3 techs regularly starring in your videos if you go that route. That way, you have other options to keep things going if one leaves.
Stick With Your Niche
There’s going to be a temptation to post like other TikTok users — to dance, to be funny, to get pulled in a million different directions.
Resist these temptations.
Remember, TikTok is unlike other platforms when it comes to building an audience. The algorithm doesn’t discriminate against accounts with no following, so provide useful information in your niche – HVAC, plumbing, roofing, solar, electrician, etc. – and see what happens.
This doesn’t mean your content has to be boring. You just don’t have to follow the crowd!
Don’t Overthink It
TikTok is a different type of video product. It’s not YouTube or a video made for your website. It’s definitely not a TV commercial. It’s likely not going to look super professional (although I would encourage you to keep your phone as steady as possible and be consistent with any in-app edits).
On TikTok, the subject matter is what’s important.
To get started, think of your TikTok channel as an FAQ for customer questions that you don’t necessarily want to turn into service calls. For an AC company, you might show how to replace an air filter or how to program a thermostat. A plumber might show how to fix the toilet chain. An electrician might walk a homeowner through resetting a breaker. Again, it’s all about providing useful information.
Here's a perfect example of what we’re talking about from Twin Home Experts – a plumbing, mold removal and pest control company in the southwest. Here, they take 50 seconds to provide incredibly valuable information about water leaks.
Nail The “No-Brainer” Parts
Make sure you’re fitting in, for lack of a better term, with TikTok functionality. TikTok is a vertical platform, so all video needs to be filmed vertically. Include relevant hashtags in captions to help people find your content. Don’t get overly dependent on effects.
Most importantly, make sure your TikToks are putting your home service company in a positive light. Spell your captions correctly. Spell any on-screen text correctly. Have a personality while still being professional.
We promise a quick search of your industry’s hashtags will find a lot of cringeworthy, rude or offensive material. Make it clear to your team that this type of content isn’t acceptable on the company TikTok or their personal accounts.
Take Advantage Of User-Generated Content And User Engagement
TikTok has a couple of options for incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your own account: Stitches and Duets.
A stitch allows you to combine someone else’s video with your own. Using the duet feature means someone else’s video will play while you’re also on-screen – a split screen, in other words. Either option would allow you to react to a homeowner’s video or something that is trending and related to your home service company.
A search of the #hvac hashtag on TikTok found some potential UGC gold mines — like this TikTok of a homeowner who had a snake trapped in her AC unit.
This TikTok had more than 30,000 engagements on it, meaning a lot of eyeballs might be interested to hear how in the world an HVAC technician would respond to this situation.
Some home service companies have mastered this skill, like Inspector AJ. He’s a home inspector in Tennessee with 1.7 million followers, so he frequently gets tagged in TikToks involving home inspection fails. This duet of his recently got 1.5 million views.
Establish Consistency And Experiment!
TikTok can be a huge advantage to your social media presence, and it doesn’t take all that much to get started. The key is to create a professional, consistent presence and see where it goes.
Need help with your home service company social media marketing efforts? Leadhub is here for you. Contact us today to schedule a free marketing discovery call.
