Social media marketing is great for remodelers — it’s simple and inexpensive. It may be too simple, though. It’s so easy to merely post a picture from your phone of something happening on a job, in the office, or at an event and think you’re done.

A common mistake small businesses and brands trying to reach consumers make on social media is keeping the focus all about you. You’ve got to give your audience something relevant and helpful, or they’ll scroll right past your posts, unlike you, or hide your posts. Give them something they want and can use.

There’s a ratio you can use to make your social media content do that, get noticed and become a lead nurturer with consumers. It’s a formula that breaks down the content you share on social media into three buckets for you most effective strategy to reach your audience

Get the 4-1-1

When you sit down to schedule your social media content mix (you are planning them, right?), following the 4-1-1 rule allows you to set a pace that will keep your audience engaged. For every six posts:

• Four should be curated content from an external source, relevant to your audience.
• One should be original content that you produce.
• One should be more sales-oriented with clear calls to action.

Curation vs. Creation

The curated pieces are the part of the ratio many businesses shy away from — asking why they’d want to send someone to another website if they click through? It’s about burnishing your brand. Posting an interesting link about kitchen design trends, for example, from Houzz, Dwell, or Country Living gives your audience something relevant to their interests — if they’re following you, they’re concerned about their home. They’ll appreciate that you’re providing a service, even if it’s not remodeling their home, at least not right now. It shows that your company keeps up with news and trends important to them. Community news or events are also relevant to homeowners.

The original content you produce for social media posting should be findable on your website — a blog post or new project you’ve added to your portfolio or gallery.

The more sales-oriented piece can be around an event, a new project, a completed project, a new hire, or whatever is happening on a job or in the office.

Experiment with this ratio to find what works best for your company. Track your engagements, your click-throughs, and which channels are getting — and giving you — traffic that turns into leads.