Videos vs pictures, and how they impact your cleaning business...

Many of us are on social media. If you spend any time in online forums, there is always a handful of "forum celebrities." You keep seeing the same people posting threads, pictures, and videos. As you scroll through your feed, what catches your eye the most? Pictures and videos. If the picture doesn't appear relevant, we keep scrolling, but what about a video? Usually, the second glance goes to the text of the video to see what its about. If its too specific, but not relevant, we keep scrolling. But if the title is relevant to our interests, or if it draws further curiosity, we pause and start watching, especially if it's live becuase we get to interact with the person on the other side of the camera.

Now imagine you are in the shoes of potential customers. Maybe they already liked your Facebook page, or maybe you made an ad or boosted a post. The same holds true to them. You want them to interact with you, see you, and constantly be reminded of you, so when the time is right, they call YOU!

Another important reminder, Facebook does not show your posts to everyone who follows or likes your business page. It will show the most relevant content to the most relevant viewers. The way they measure relevancy is how often they interact with your page, what type of interaction that is, and what type of posts you are making, along with a whole slew of confusing details. But in short, Facebook sees videos and "Going Live" as extremely valuable and relevant content. More so than picture and way more so than plain text posts. But we still want a good mix of all three. Posting in ways that drives comments, likes, and shares is also very important, as it will keep you on their feeds more regularly. Also, please please please, when using a mobile device, use landscape orientation. This makes it much easier for viewers to watch on both mobile and desktop. It will also make future video edits easier if you want to use fragments of the footage in a marketing video later on.

This is where consistency comes in. Some people do it very well, and others, like myself, have some opportunity in this area. The more consistent we are with marketing, specifically following a marketing calendar, the better results we will get. If you fall short with consistency, maybe a few boosted posts to those who like your page can jump-start it back into organic action.

Here is a testimonial from Dan Udy, also known as "Hollywood" from A-1 Carpet Care & Disaster Services in St Marys, Georgia.

"I am addicted to going “Live” on FB ‘nerd groups’ and our FB business page! Going Live has allowed me to connect at an intimate level with potential clients and peers within our industry. People CRAVE intimate connection with others and FB Live provides an amazing opportunity for us to put ourselves ‘out-there,’ have fun, connect and LEARN from one another. My advice is feel the fear and go Live anyways. I’ve learned more in the last 12 months than the 10 years prior, learning more to earning more.”

Another variable that comes into play is the type of video. Live videos are great. Simple videos pre-made and then uploaded are also great. But throwing in a few videos made by professional videographers can really set you apart from your competition. Use them for your large boosted ads all over social media, on your website, on your phone to show clients, etc.  It takes time, money, and creativity to make a great video, but it will separate you from the pack when potential customers are researching who to hire to clean their home or workplace.

Here is a testimonial from Kevin Kluth, from Pinnacle Eco Clean in Rochester, NY.

"We really like to make videos for YouTube. What's worked well for us are videos that are more "niche" in nature, ones that would have a smaller yet targeted audience. In general, these could be videos about allergies or rug pads or pet odor, and the like. These videos will easily rank higher than a broad general term such as "carpet cleaning". I've had a number of people walk into our shop and say, "hey! You're the guy on the videos! I've watched EVERY ONE"... I guess some people don't have a life