“I increased our site traffic by 579% in the first three months.” I confidently lean back in my chair as the CEO looks at me in stunned disbelief. “How? You must have used paid marketing methods. What were they?” This is when I know I have him fully captivated, and I prepare to pull out my favorite line, “It was all organic, and it was all done by yours truly.” Yet again, my statement is met with a stunned silence. Even in this moment of confusion, I can tell he is starting to think about how this kind of success could be achievable for him and his team as well. After all, that’s why I’m there. 

Three weeks before, I had been sent a message on LinkedIn asking if I knew anything about real estate management. I quickly responded that the topic was one I had little to no experience in but that if they were looking for a marketing specialist, my experience in their industry didn’t truly matter. Within seconds, I received an invite to meet with their CEO at their main office. 

A few months after our initial chat, I received an email thanking me for my marketing strategies and showing a clear increase in sales and social media engagement. In just two months, they had increased their sales by nearly 250% and their online engagement by over 350%. But, for those that have heard this story from me and many more like it over the years, the question remains: What do I do differently that sees such impressive results? The answer, however, is more simple than you’d think—I relate. 

Relating and Communicating

You see, the truth is I’m not using some secret ancient method for marketing and I’m not a marketing guru either. Actually, I’m just a 28-year-old that was conveniently born into the first generation of chronically online individuals with social media accounts in middle school and the world wide web at their fingertips—But that’s where my skill set is surprisingly derived. 

As the CEO of a multi-million dollar real estate venture—or drilling business—it’s easy to pay attention to the statistics and the sales but forget the most important element for success—people. After all, we’re not selling or working with walking-talking paychecks and piggy banks. We are actively communicating and making deals with human beings—many of which are now late Millennials and Gen Z.

So, how do we appeal to an ever-changing market, acquire that younger consumer base, and develop a marketing strategy that is as agile as the generation it’s meant for?

Well, since we’re now friends, I’ll let you in on the secret: Don’t take yourself too seriously and be real. That’s all it takes—seriously. However, as with most things in life, it’s easier said than done. After all, I could tell you all it takes to win the Tour De France is to ride your bike, but we all know there’s much more to it than that.

Fortunately, I’ve paired up with our sister company Engage to share some of the best strategies any company owner or manager can implement today to start seeing the results they want from the audience they need. For this, we’re going to head straight to the source of most business success nowadays and look at ten fail-proof strategies for modern marketing success on social media in the drilling industry. 

Top 10 Social Media Strategies to Expand Your Drilling Brand

1. Learn Everything There is to Know About Your Audience

To hit the jackpot, you need to know who's holding the cards. After all, how can you truly expect to find success on social media when you have no clue who you’re interacting with? To find your target audience may seem simple, and you may want just to start posting to fellow drillers or farmers right away. But the truth is that authenticity and ‘drilling deeper’ are key to prolonged success and finding your niche even within your broad market space. 

Therefore, instead of casting a wide net and hoping you catch the big fish, try starting with the right bait and knowing which parts of the lake to cast into. Create a solid buyer persona using the information you have from your past clients, your competitors’ audience bases, and your industry as a whole. For instance, you may determine that you happen to do a lot of business with mid-sized farms in rural communities, but your competitors are finding ways to connect with the larger farms and major companies in the area for long-term and consistent contracts. In situations like that, you need to know how to appeal to those bigger names, grab their attention, and offer incentives your competitors can’t compete with. A good start for this is to uncover the trends and interests of your dream audience base. Demographic and interest profiles are your treasure maps, leading you to what works (and what definitely doesn't). Think of them as your drilling expedition into your customers' minds.

2. Get Weird With it

While it may come as a surprise to those of you not already exploring the eccentric world of TikTok, brands like Denny’s, Scrub Daddy, Duolingo, and Wendy’s reign supreme. Now, is it because of their professionalism and massively curated brand campaigns? Not even close. Instead, these brands have chosen to embrace the humorous and oftentimes unprofessional side of the app, which has led to massive returns in their favor. 

Instead of trying to gain followers through the usual ad formats, these brands have fully embraced the trends, inside jokes, and sounds that are viral on TikTok and somehow increased their sales and engagement as a result. Now, before you scoff and say something like, “Yeah, but that’s just a bunch of kids liking that a big brand did something silly. That’s not increasing their ROI,” let me show you some statistics:

• 78% of small businesses achieved a positive ROI on TikTok. (Capterra)

• TikTok’s brand value is $59 billion. (Brand Finance)

• 35% of consumers buy what they see on the app. (TikTok)

• TikTok ads can reach 885 million people. (DataReportal)

• Almost 80% of small businesses got a positive ROI on TikTok. 

• Chipotle saw a 99% increase in digital sales through TikTok challenges.

• TikTok has the highest engagement rate out of all social networks. 

• 90% of branded hashtag ads bring a 2.5x ROI. 

• 45% of TikTok users are 30-39, 38% are 40-49, and 25% are 50-59.

Knowing this information, it’s clear to see why engaging with the weirdness that is TikTok won’t just engage a bunch of teenagers but rather garner the interest of varying ages in a modern way that could actually greatly benefit your brand in the long run. And, if you’re still wondering if there is an active community of drillers on the platform, many of our most recent interviews at The Driller have been with drillers from TikTok who have millions of followers that engage with them daily. 

All in all, these guys aren't afraid to let their freak flags fly, and neither should you. 

3. Be Agile, not Fragile

Rigidity in marketing is the kiss of death. I wish we could sugarcoat it further than that, but if you don’t change with the times, you’re sure to fail. There’s no denying that Alan Deutschman said it best, "Change or die." However, he’s far from the only business writer or leader that has issued these concerns. The companies that go with the flow are the ones that don’t get stuck in the mud, so you must always be willing to shift gears, pivot, and adapt like a pro. Your marketing strategy should be as nimble as Bruce Willis in Armageddon. 

When it comes to social media marketing, this means recognizing when old strategies are no longer successful and pivoting accordingly. For instance, when you see that you are no longer finding success promoting jobs on Facebook, it may be time to pivot to LinkedIn to post job listings where the new recruits are applying. 

Change is the only constant, so embrace it and keep your strategy fluid for greater success.

4. Stay Ahead of the Curve 

In marketing, foresight is everything. While adaptability plays a major role in the flow of your brand, being able to predict the changes and adapt before your competitors is how you expand your brand and stand apart from the rest. 

Keep your finger on the pulse of trends, sounds, memes, conversations, and news. Be the first to jump on the bandwagon. Your brand needs to be the trendsetter, not the follower. Be the one who knows what's hot before it even starts sizzling, and you’ll be sure to find social media success. 

For instance, in the case of Wendy’s, the brand knew it was time for a refresh. Instead of trying to change their marketing strategies to match the competition, the brand saw an opportunity in the making by choosing to let a younger person manage their Twitter. A myriad of hilarious tweets ensued, becoming a massive social media trend and making them the peak example of what brands should be doing on social media. 

This is a great example of a brand choosing to do something different and create trends rather than simply following every trend as they pop up. 

5. Dare to be Genuine and Communicate Earnestly

As John Gerzema puts it, “Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times.” When it comes to a humble and honest industry such as drilling, authenticity is quite literally your golden ticket. 

Nowadays, clients can smell fake from a mile away, and nothing turns them off faster. Be real, be genuine, and communicate earnestly. Think of your brand as a trusted friend, not a means to simply make money. When you speak from the heart, your audience listens. 

To do this, be transparent about your pricing, share some of your greatest wins and fails online, highlight your employees regularly, speak simply and genuinely to your audience on social media, and communicate with industry leaders regularly. All of these simple strategies will help you increase your following and create genuine relationships that lead to greater customer loyalty and retention. 

6. Leverage User-Generated Content

Who better to promote your brand than your customers? Encourage your clients to share their experiences, photos, and videos. It's like having a community of brand ambassadors do your marketing for you. Plus, user-generated content adds a layer of authenticity that money can't buy.

When working on projects, take photos of your team on the job, ask for reviews, and don’t hesitate to communicate with your past clients regularly for continued positive reviews and referrals. 

7. Create Engaging and Interactive Content

There’s just something about interactive content that a static image or a few sentences can’t compete with. People love to interact with brands online. In fact, interactive content can generate 52.6% more engagement than static content. On average, people spend 13 minutes consuming interactive content, compared to 8.5 minutes for static content. This increase can even be seen through our marketing at The Driller. When ending our articles with questions, adding polls, and making interactive videos, we see an increase in engagement and views without fail. 

As such, your brand should take advantage of this concept and create quizzes, polls, and interactive videos that get your audience involved. The more they engage, the more they'll remember your brand. Think of it as a virtual handshake that leaves a lasting impression.

8. Harness the Power of Data and Analytics

Numbers don't lie. However, it can be daunting to look at the data and analytics surrounding your social media presence and then use them to your benefit. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a numbers whizz to leverage these data points for greater social media success. 

With the right data analyses, you'll know exactly where you are, where you're going, and how to get there efficiently, like having a GPS for your brand! However, instead of relying on the less than helpful data points that the social media platforms themselves provide, here is a list of different social media analytics platforms you can begin to use not just to schedule out your content but also to track its success and make intelligent decisions on your adapted strategies regularly:

• Loomly

• HootSuite

• Semrush

• Sprout Social

• SocialPilot

• Buffer

• Later

• Brandwatch

With each platform, you can easily schedule your social media content, track its progress, and go with the flow for greater success over time. 

Analyze, adjust, and advance.

9. Experiment and Innovate

Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Try new things, experiment, and innovate. Whether it's a quirky ad campaign or a novel product feature, innovation keeps your brand fresh and exciting. This is also where authenticity and humbleness can also play a major role. Oftentimes, as I’m searching for drillers to feature on our site, I will scroll through LinkedIn and, without fail, the companies that highlight their team, fun outings they have, their families, and even their funny fails on the job site are the ones that stand out to me. I trust them. They have experimented with a new approach that many brands try to steer away from, but it is, in fact, that human touch that gains my attention more than anything else.

In the drilling industry, being a pioneer pays off.

10. Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

While sustainability is often something that older brands don’t focus their social media posts on, the truth is that younger generations care about more than just the products or services brands offer—they care about the planet. This is true for both consumers and potential young recruits. In fact, studies show that Americans aged 18 to 29 are more likely than those in all older age groups to say it is “extremely important” that businesses operate in an environmentally sustainable way (77%) and that they reduce their carbon footprint and/or emissions (73%). Young adults are also more likely than older Americans to say it is extremely important for businesses to focus on long-term social benefits, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and create opportunities for low socioeconomic groups. 

So, what does that mean for drilling business owners? Simple. You don’t have to become a bunch of vegans holding hands and singing Kumbaya, folks. Instead, you simply have to share how your efforts help your local community, how your team is diverse and forward-thinking, and how your brand cares about the world it was made to serve. 

Showcase your commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility. Whether it's environmental drilling practices or community initiatives, let your audience know you care. It's good for the planet and great for business.

So, there you have it—the blueprint for conquering the social media landscape and connecting with the modern driller and consumer. Remember, the key is to be authentic, stay agile, and never shy away from getting a little weird. To dive deeper into these strategies and so much more, join us at Jubilee for our session, "Drilling Down on Social Media with Youthful Innovation." I, along with Ben LeDonni from Engage, will be sharing our fail-proof strategies for social media success and customer/employee acquisition and retention. It’s a presentation you definitely don’t want to miss. 

Lastly, don’t forget to explore The Driller's new column, "Groundbreaking Business Tools," where we cover everything from social media marketing to SEO, link building, newsletter marketing strategies, and everything in between. Let’s keep drilling deeper until we tap that inexhaustible well of success together!