We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cristina Nikolov a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Cristina, thanks for joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
We do both! We manage our social media platforms directly like Facebook, Instagram, Google, Houzz, and YELP.
We also have a company we work with that handles our Google campaigns, Facebook ads, maintains our website, and drivng traffic to our website.
It’s a good balance to have this kind of partnership and set-up. They have professionals on their team that keep an eye on our budget and overall online performance by monitoring keywords, market changes, and campaigns. I handle all client interaction, social media postings, and organic content creation directly on our social accounts.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi, I am Cristina Nikolov. The Social Media & Marketing Coordinator for Richard’s Total Backyard Solutions. I was introduced to the Pool, Hot Tub & Wellness Industry by applying and now working for JR & Julie Richard for over 7 years now. I came into this industry knowing nothing about it- but asked all the right questions and Julie taught me very valuable principles to apply to my content and digital work over the years that help us stand out from other builders and businesses.
What we are most proud of is making noise in an industry that can be hard to do so. There are many franchises in our market and around the nation that have other factors that benefit their success, but we strive for success every day to be different, better, and unique in what we offer, what we build and the experience we can provide.
We continue to be a Top 50 Builder & Service Company in North America. We are an Aqua 100 company, not only making the TOP 10 Pool & Spa retailers in North America but making the Aqua 100 front cover which is a famous industry publication. We have been featured on HGTV and recently received 2022 Houzz awards and were listed as Hot Spring Spas Territory Dealer of the year award. The list goes on and on and our success is not stopping.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
For the past 7 years in my position, the best source for gaining new clients and followers is using social media. Our number one goal is to get referrals from existing clients, that will always be the best source of leads. However, the shift of “word of mouth” from a traditional method to a digital format via a Facebook group, online reviews or simply running a paid online ad on various platforms like Google for example has totally changed the way we advertise and grow our business. We have stepped away from traditional advertising like radio, TV, and newspaper and shifted completely to digital and social media marketing methods.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistent content is key. One of the owners, Julie Richard is all about creating consistent and relevant content posted on social media. We post every day on our social media accounts, rotating different content for all of the products and services we offer so we can stay top of mind. We create fun and short videos that keep our followers engaged throughout the year. We are constantly updating and improving our website with interactive tools that allow clients to explore and inform themselves as much about our company and products and what they can envision building with us. Engaging and consistent content keeps us relevant and continues to build our reputation within our market.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.richardstbs.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/richardstbs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/totalbackyardsolutions/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/richard-s-total-backyard-solutions/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/richardsbyardtx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX90MLvWdjJEfvsG4sQpaRQ
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/rtbsdesigners/__public
Image Credits
Taken by us