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Social Media and Natural Disasters: Tips for B2C Companies

Posting on social media is not about promoting your business. It’s about connecting and building relationships with individuals. When developing a social media strategy for your company, it’s important to consider everything your current and future customers may face in the upcoming year. 

This includes the tragedies of natural disasters. 

Social Media and Natural Disasters

Wildfires, flash floods, hurricanes, and more damage homes and properties and the lives that so many people once knew. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, over 25 million US lives were affected by natural disasters in 2017 alone. 

Landscaping, construction, and roofing companies can use social media platforms to reach people victimized by natural disasters, but when and how should they take action?

Social Media and Natural Disasters: When to Post

Homeowners terrified of the next major storm won’t necessarily be searching for repair and restoration services before it hits—they’ll likely be developing an evacuation plan or raiding their local grocery stores for the average French toast supplies (eggs, bread, milk, etc.). However, that doesn’t mean companies shouldn’t be posting to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even LinkedIn before the storm arrives.

The messages you share over company social media accounts should differ based on what stage your service area is in. Individuals are more likely to accept offers from companies that care about their current customers than those that just focus on themselves. That means your content should be relatable and informative while remaining relevant to your industry.

Use your company’s values when deciding what content to share or promote. How can you post for your audience without sending them a sales pitch?

Social Media and Natural Disasters: What to Post

Sharing weather updates from reliable meteorological sources on your social media channels throughout the duration of the disaster demonstrates that you care about your customers’ well-being. 

But what else should a B2C company post throughout the lifecycle of a natural disaster? 

What to Post Before Disaster Strikes

During this stage, your current and potential customers are looking for ways to prepare their homes and families for what lies ahead. Now is the time to share tips that will help them do just that. This content can take the form of infographics, bulleted lists, or even one-point tweets or Facebook posts.

To increase leads while helping others, consider creating downloadable content (white papers, infographics, etc.) that requires users to enter their email to access. Here are a few hot topics to consider:

  • How to Create and Execute a Safe Home Evacuation Plan
  • Home Evacuation Checklist
  • How to Prepare Your Home for a Tropical Storm
  • How to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season
  • What to Include in Your Winter Storm Survival Kit

A few social media ads promoting your downloadable content can reach a more qualified audience if targeted correctly, allowing you to gather contact info for sharing promotions after the disaster. Boostpoint’s easy-to-use software guides companies through the ad creation process and provides a place to monitor ad performance and analyze results.

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If you choose to post about your services before disaster hits, it’s wise to avoid sounding like a sales pitch. A+ Roofing Company of Florida provided its audience with a bit of comic relief before Hurricane Dorian was slated to hit the coast, appealing to the standard family-oriented homeowner. 

What to Post During the Disaster

As people are abandoning their homes, their minds are likely far from repairing the damage being done. They are more concerned about how they will be able to support their loved ones or grieving over their losses because of this life-changing catastrophe.

Now is the time to share support/relief hotlines and uplifting stories. Let followers know they’re not alone—consider posting updates about what your company is also going through with a heartfelt message on how you plan to help the community after the storm.

What to Post After the Disaster

People are still shaken up after the devastation of a natural disaster. Their homes may have suffered severe damage, causing families to lose many of their belongings or forcing them to spend thousands of dollars in repairs. 

Sharing more downloadable assets during this time will help gather leads while providing valuable content to those in need. Some topic ideas include:

  • Questions to Ask When Choosing a Contractor for Repairs After a Natural Disaster
  • How to Choose the Right Contractor to Repair Your Roof After a Natural Disaster
  • How to Repair Your Home on a Budget Following a Natural Disaster
  • Repairing Your Home After a Natural Disaster: Where to Start and How to Finish
  • How to Remove the Smell of Smoke from Your Home After a Wildfire

Build credibility and confidence with your customer base by sharing photos of your cleanup crew in action. Remind your followers that you use tools that increase debris cleanup efficiency, like the Equipter RB4000, a self-propelled portable dump container that helps to get jobs done faster. 

Find the Closest Equipter 4000 to Me

Assure Customer Satisfaction

Social media and natural disasters can be a challenging mix. Use language in your social media marketing that demonstrates you sympathize with your followers without pushing your services on them. They need to feel confident they’re hiring a professional contractor who cares about their property and wallets as if they were his own. 

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For more information on improving customer satisfaction while increasing company productivity, keep an eye on the Equipter blog and connect with us on Facebook.