Social Media Tips for Trades Businesses
7 Social Media Tips Every Trades Business Should Be Using
If you run a trades business, the chances are your phone has been your most reliable source of new work for years. A recommendation here, a returning customer there, a van with your number on the side. It has worked, and for a lot of tradespeople it still does.
But more and more customers are starting their search for a builder, roofer, electrician or plumber online before they ever pick up the phone. If your business is not showing up on social media when they look, you are quietly losing work to competitors who are.
The good news is that social media does not need to be complicated, expensive or time consuming to be effective for a trades business. Here are seven practical tips to help you get more out of it.
Post Before and After Photos of Every Job
This is the single most effective thing a trades business can do on social media, and it is also the easiest. Customers want proof that you can deliver, and nothing demonstrates that better than a clear before and after photo.
Take a quick picture before you start a job and another once it is finished. You do not need a professional camera, a phone is more than enough. Over time, this builds a visual portfolio that shows exactly what you are capable of, which is often far more persuasive than any amount of written copy.
Show the Process, Not Just the Result
While before and after photos are powerful, short videos or photos showing the work in progress add an extra layer of trust. Customers who are unfamiliar with trade work often worry about the unknown, whether that is mess, disruption or simply not knowing what is happening on site.
A quick clip of you laying a roof, fitting a kitchen or digging foundations reassures potential customers that you know what you are doing and gives them a much clearer sense of what to expect if they hire you.
Be Consistent, Even If It Is Just Once a Week
One of the most common mistakes trades businesses make on social media is posting in bursts. A flurry of content for a fortnight followed by silence for two months. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do for your visibility.
Social media platforms reward consistency. Accounts that post regularly, even if it is only once a week, tend to be shown to more people than accounts that post often but inconsistently. If time is tight, set aside fifteen minutes every Friday to post the best photos from that week. Consistency matters more than volume.
Ask Happy Customers for a Quick Review
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals a trades business can have, both for customers browsing social media and for anyone checking your business on Google. A short message after a completed job asking for a review takes a customer thirty seconds, but the impact on future bookings can be significant.
Once you have a strong collection of reviews, do not just leave them sitting on Google. Screenshot the best ones and share them on social media. A glowing review paired with a photo of the finished work is one of the most persuasive things you can post.
Use Local Hashtags and Location Tags
If you work primarily in one area, make sure your posts reflect that. Tagging your location and using local hashtags, such as the name of your town or city, helps your content reach people nearby who are actively searching for tradespeople in their area.
This is particularly important on Instagram and Facebook, where location-based discovery plays a real role in who sees your content. A post tagged with your local area is far more likely to reach a potential customer down the road than one with no location information at all.
Do Not Underestimate Facebook
Instagram tends to get a lot of attention, but for trades businesses, Facebook is often where the real value lies. Homeowners researching tradespeople frequently turn to local Facebook groups to ask for recommendations, and having an active, well-reviewed Facebook page makes it far easier for people to find and trust you when your name comes up.
Make sure your Facebook page is fully filled out, with your services, contact details and service area clearly listed, and keep it updated alongside your other social channels.
Consider Paid Advertising for Faster Results
Organic posting builds your presence over time, but if you want to generate leads more quickly, a modest paid advertising budget on Facebook or Instagram can make a significant difference. Paid social allows you to put your work directly in front of homeowners in your target area who are likely to need your services, rather than relying solely on people who already follow you.
Even a small monthly budget, combined with strong content, can generate a consistent flow of new enquiries, particularly during quieter periods when work would otherwise slow down.
Getting Started
The trades businesses that win the most work online are rarely the ones with the flashiest content. They are the ones who post consistently, show real work and make it easy for potential customers to trust them before they have even picked up the phone.
If managing social media alongside running a busy trades business feels like one task too many, that is exactly where we come in. At Market Deck, we help trades businesses across Leeds and West Yorkshire manage their social media, build their online reputation and generate a steady stream of new enquiries, without taking up any of your time on the tools.
Get in touch with us today to find out how we could help your business get more from social media.
Call:
07399 866 659 Email:
info@marketdeck.co.uk
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