Wondering if Facebook can work for your business? If so, this article is for you…
Meet Gary and Joy from Ovaboard.
Ovaboard is a temporary flooring solution for construction sites, new builds and renovation projects.
Anyway, when Gary and Joy first started marketing Ovaboard earlier this year, they knew right away who they wanted to sell to – Builders.
But… they weren’t convinced that a Facebook business page dedicated to the Ovaboard product would attract a builder following.
So with our help, they decided to start a Facebook page for builders that would cover NZ health and safety issues, some building tips and tricks, and a fair bit of tradie humour – with just the odd plug for Ovaboard thrown in.
In short, they decided to create a community on Facebook…
Introducing: Pearls of Wisdom for Kiwi Builders, the community business page
We launched Pearls of Wisdom for Kiwi Builders for Joy & Gary in March 2015, and the Facebook page has grown quickly and steadily. The page has around 2000 followers – almost certainly more than a page exclusively about temporary flooring would have achieved on it’s own.
The page gets a lot of engagement from builders, with followers regularly tagging friends into posts, or sharing them to their own page.
It’s kind of brilliant (if we do say so ourselves).
But why does it work so well?
It works well for 2 simple reasons:
1. It’s about audience:
Ovaboard wanted to access tradies from all over New Zealand, because builders are the people who are going to use the product – but here’s the important point: instead of trying to get builders to ‘like’ the product itself, Pearls of Wisdom for Kiwi Builders invites them into a community where everyone has at least one thing in common.
2. It’s not always selling:
Gary and Joy see the value in building a good brand – which means they don’t want to be pushing product at the expense of building a following (let’s be honest, who likes being sold to on Facebook?)
Instead, Pearls of Wisdom for Kiwi Builders goes for the subtle sell: engaging its audience with posts that inform, inspire and entertain. (Then chucking in the odd Overboard mention to remind them who’s behind it all, along with the merits of the product).
What do Ovaboard post about?
Head on over to the Pearls of Wisdom Facebook page, or check out the examples below:
As you can see, Facebook is about earning the attention of your target audience before trying to ram product down their throat.
A special thanks to Gary and Joy for letting us share the Ovaboard Facebook story.
What type of community could you build around your brand?
Contact us if you need a hand.
ps – it’s great to work with clients like Ovaboard who have a clear strategy for building their brand. A special thanks to MSM sales specialists for introducing us to Ovaboard – and for developing the health and safety community angle.
