When it comes to using social media increase your visibility and personal brand as a home inspector, you should be aware that there are many more avenues to choose from besides Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Case in point: Instagram.

Instagram has recently become a major networking site, not only for teens who are obsessed with posting their latest selfies, but for serious businessmen and entrepreneurs who are harnessing the power of social media to enhance their own activities.

Why Should I Join Instagram?

If you’re a home inspector looking for a quick and inexpensive way to increase your presence online, you might be shocked or even amused to learn that Instagram is an excellent platform to do it.

In fact, you can build your brand into a powerhouse with thousands of followers in a very short period of time. With so much potential for growth, it’s no wonder that entrepreneurs are using social media to further their careers.

And think about the platform’s demographic: Instagram skews younger than Facebook and LinkedIn, which means it might be the perfect place to reach 20- and 30-somethings who are navigating the daunting process of buying their first home. Bingo!

Use It To Advertise Your Knowledge And Availability

For example, you might use Instagram as a place to post pictures of common house maintenance issues that you encounter on the job. Come up with a few tips on how to deal with these issues and post them in your photo’s caption.

Also, include your business email or company phone number so those who see the post call can you immediately to book their inspection.

To get your photos seen and discovered, it’s all about using the right hashtags. So, on this type of post, you might use hashtags like #realestate, #construction, #homebuyers, etc.

Use Instagram To Post Short Explanatory Videos Related To Your Work

You can also use Instagram as a venue to post up a series of short explanatory videos that show various aspects of your work, such as the parts of a house that encounter the most common maintenance issues.

For example, you could do a series on common bathroom issues, like leaky pipes, cracked tile, and mold growth. You could make this a weekly series on Instagram and attract a great many followers in a short period of time.

Again, use hashtags that your target audience would be likely to search, like #DIY, #homerepair #remodeling, etc.

Showcase Homes You’ve Inspected

You can use your Instagram account to showcase all of the homes that you have inspected in the past. Posting up a host of carefully chosen images of the houses you have been to, along with a few pertinent comments on each, will give viewers a better impression of the length and breadth of your career.

The more experienced you can prove yourself to be, the more confidence a potential client will have in selecting you as the person they contract to inspect their home.

Advertise Your Official Website

Finally, you can use your account on Instagram to drive traffic back to your actual website.

Your bio should have a clear description of your business, with a link to your home page (or better yet—a landing page designed specifically for visitors who came from Instagram).

By posting regularly and making use of basic SEO techniques, such as including the appropriate keywords and hashtags in each post, you can easily build up an audience of thousands of people–and for no economic outlay whatsoever.