Social Media for Tradesmen: What Actually Works

TL;DR: Social media won’t replace SEO or Google reviews for generating leads, but it builds trust and keeps you visible. Focus on one or two platforms, post your work consistently, and don’t overthink it.

Most tradesmen either ignore social media completely or stress about not posting enough. The truth is somewhere in the middle – social media can help your business, but it’s not the lead generation machine some people claim.

This is what actually works.

Which platforms matter

Facebook – still the most effective

Facebook is where your customers are. Local community groups, neighbourhood pages, and Facebook Marketplace are goldmines for tradespeople. The platform skews older, which means homeowners – your actual customers.

What works on Facebook:

• Joining local community groups (don’t spam them – be helpful)
• Before and after photos of jobs
• Sharing tips that show your expertise
• Responding when someone posts “can anyone recommend a plumber?”
• Facebook Marketplace for advertising services

What doesn’t work:

• Posting generic motivational quotes
• Only posting when you want work
• Being salesy in community groups

Instagram – best for visual trades

If your work is visual, Instagram is your portfolio. Trades like landscapers, kitchen fitters, bathroom fitters, and painters and decorators benefit most.

What works on Instagram:

• Before and after carousel posts
• Reels showing time-lapses of work
• Stories showing your day-to-day
• Consistent posting (3-4 times per week)

What doesn’t work:

• Stock photos or low-quality images
• Posting once a month then forgetting about it
• Ignoring DMs (people will message you for quotes)

TikTok – growing fast for trades

TikTok has exploded for trade content. Short videos of work in progress, satisfying finishing touches, and “day in the life” content can get huge reach – even with zero followers.

What works on TikTok:

• Satisfying process videos (laying tiles, plastering a wall, fitting a kitchen)
• “What I charge for this job” content
• Responding to customer myths
• Raw, unpolished content (TikTok rewards authenticity)

What doesn’t work:

• Overly produced content
• Trying to go viral instead of being consistent
• Not including your location (you want local customers, not viewers in Australia)

LinkedIn – only for commercial work

If you do commercial or B2B work – fitting out offices, working with property developers, commercial electrical work – LinkedIn can connect you with decision-makers. For residential tradesmen, skip it.

What to post

You don’t need a content calendar or a social media strategy. You need to show your work consistently.

The 4 post types that work for tradesmen

1. Before and after photos The easiest content to create and the most effective. Take a photo before you start, take one when you’re done. Write a sentence about what you did. Done.

2. Work in progress Short videos or photos of work being done. People love watching tradespeople work – it’s why home renovation shows are so popular. A 15-second video of you plastering a wall or fitting a boiler gets more engagement than any graphic.

3. Tips and advice “How to bleed a radiator,” “signs your roof needs replacing,” “what to look for when hiring a builder.” This positions you as the expert and builds trust. When the person reading it needs your trade, they remember you.

4. Behind the scenes Your van, your tools, your tea break, your team. People hire people they feel they know. Showing the human side of your business builds connection.

How often to post

• Minimum: 2-3 times per week on your main platform
• Ideal: Daily, even if it’s just a quick photo on your story
• Too much: You’ll know – if it’s taking hours and stressing you out, scale back

Consistency beats frequency. Posting twice a week every week is better than posting daily for two weeks then disappearing for a month.

Turning followers into customers

Social media followers are nice, but they don’t pay the bills. Here’s how to convert attention into work:

Make it easy to contact you

Your phone number should be in your bio, your posts, and anywhere else it fits. Don’t make people hunt for it. Most customers want to call, not message.

Link to your website

Your social media should point to your website, which should be optimised to convert visitors into enquiries. If you don’t have a proper website yet, read our guide on whether you need one.

Share your Google review link

When you post a completed job, add “If you’d like to see what customers say about us, check our Google reviews” with a link. This serves double duty – it builds social proof and helps your Google Maps ranking.

Use location tags

Always tag your location in posts. When someone in your area searches for your trade on social media, location-tagged posts appear first.

Common mistakes

Trying to be everywhere

Pick one or two platforms and do them well. A roofer posting great content on Facebook twice a week will get more from it than one posting mediocre content across five platforms.

Only posting when you need work

If you only show up on social media when work is slow, people notice. Build the habit when you’re busy so the presence is there when you need it.

Being too salesy

“We’re the best plumber in Leeds, call now for a quote!” posts get ignored. Show your work, be helpful, engage with people. The sales happen naturally when people see you know what you’re doing.

Ignoring it completely

Some tradesmen dismiss social media entirely. That’s a mistake. Even if it only generates 2-3 jobs per year directly, it does something more valuable – it builds trust. When someone finds you on Google and then checks your Facebook or Instagram, seeing recent work and happy customers tips them toward picking up the phone.

Social media vs SEO

Social media and SEO serve different purposes:

The biggest difference is intent. Someone scrolling Facebook isn’t looking for a plumber right now. Someone searching “plumber near me” on Google is. That’s why SEO generates more direct leads.

But social media builds the trust that helps those Google leads convert. The two work best together.

Keep it simple

Social media won’t transform your business overnight, but ignoring it completely means missing opportunities. Pick one platform, post your work 2-3 times a week, and engage when people interact. That’s it.

Want help building a complete online presence – not just social? Book a free call and we’ll show you where to focus first.