How Asking Questions on Twitter can Benefit your Home Inspection Business

How Can Social Media Benefit My Business?

Social media is usually viewed as the online hangout of choice for millennials who want to stay in touch with their friends, or older adults who want to stay connected to their extended family.

The Internet makes it easy to reach a wide audience in a short amount of time, making it rife with advertisements and promoted content.

And yet, many businesses have yet to invest in social media, seeing it as expensive or a waste of time.

Why spend valuable time posting on Twitter when they could be investing in television and print ads that theoretically reach a much wider audience?

In fact, social media is a valuable marketing tool for even the smallest businesses.

For some, their first question might be “Who would follow a home inspection business on Twitter?”

But if you browse the corporate accounts on Twitter, you’ll find that virtually every business and product has some amount of followers, from a few hundred to several thousand, or even a few million for large businesses like McDonald’s.

Whatever you’re selling, there’s someone on the Internet who will be interested. And the whole process is virtually free.

How Can I Use Twitter to Engage with my Customers?

When they first start marketing on Twitter, many businesses don’t tweet much except for the occasional advertisement and update.

That’s a good way to keep your customers up-to-date, but they won’t form much of a connection with your business.

To build a loyal customer base, you need to create engaging, eye-catching content that holds their attention and keeps them coming back for more.

Good content makes your services seem instantly relevant to your customers, and makes them feel like you’re truly interested in their lives and well-being.

They’ll feel like more than “just another customer.” They’ll feel valued and appreciated by your business.

If you want to form this kind of connection with your clients, asking questions on Twitter is a great way to engage your followers.

When your followers answer a question, they’re not just passively reading an advertisement for home inspectors. They’re actively engaging in your business, which makes them more likely to remember your services in the future.

Because they’re interacting with your business directly, they feel a more personal connection than they would otherwise.

Answering a question leaves them feeling good, because everyone loves talking about themselves. And before long, they’ll start associating these good feelings with your business.

What Kind of Questions Can I Ask to Engage My Audience?

To begin, your questions should be accessible to just about everyone. You don’t want to ask narrow, field-specific questions that only fellow home inspectors would be able to answer.

Remember, you’re reaching out to potential customers–not other workers in your field. However, your questions should still be related to your field in some way.

If you repeatedly ask questions that are irrelevant to your work, like “What’s your favorite color?”, people will quickly forget what your business is about!

A good question pertains to your field without being too narrow, like “What do you expect from a good home inspection?” or “Are you thinking about selling your home in the next 90 days?” Anyone can answer these questions, even if they have no experience in your field, but the topic keeps them thinking about your business and services.

Additionally, as you write your questions, make sure that they’re inviting discussion, not simply asking for a definition.

Examples of bad questions would be “What is home inspection?” or “What are the different types of home inspection?” Your clients might have the answer, but they’ll simply be regurgitating information without really knowing why they’re doing it.

And it might give the impression that you’re turning to them for questions about home inspection, not the other way around. If your tweet sounds more like a test question than a discussion question, it might be best to scrap it.

As you write your questions, keep in mind that Twitter has a 140-character limit. Keep your questions short and direct so that your followers can type quick responses. Avoid asking for long answers or detailed stories.

If you think that responding to your question might take three tweets or more, consider saving that discussion point for a blog or Facebook post instead. Twitter is made for short bursts of communication, not long responses.

Is There Anything I Should Avoid While Writing Twitter Questions?

As a general rule, try to avoid anything that might cause controversy. Avoid questions about politics, religion, etc. unless they’re directly related to your business.

On a similar note, avoid swear words, sexual references, drug mentions, etc. A little humor is fine, but keep it clean and professional.

Don’t post anything that implies that you have a negative view of your customers. Additionally, don’t post attacks on competing home inspectors or other businesses within the area.

While you want to build a personal connection with your clients, keep it at a professional level. Don’t ask personal questions or ask people to share private experiences.

If someone starts tweeting you often, don’t make friends with them and start casually tweeting or direct messaging (DMing) them through your company’s Twitter.

Don’t offer to help people with their personal problems–if someone approaches you, direct them to a professional instead.

Be friendly and courteous, but always maintain a level of professionalism. Remember that this is your business’s Twitter, not a personal account.

How Can I Get Started?

Getting started on Twitter is instantly. When you sign up for the website, their tutorial will walk you through the entire process.

Once you’ve signed up, you can customize your account with your company’s branding and start tweeting immediately.

You’ll be able to reach out to potential customers in no time–and with crisp, engaging content, they’ll be more likely to remember you next time they need a home inspection.