Social Media for Tradespeople: What to Post (and What's a Waste of Time)

By the Oski Marketing team · Updated 5 October 2026 · 6 min read

Tradespeople should post real work: before and after photos, short clips of a job being finished, the van arriving, and the occasional tip that answers a question customers ask. Skip motivational quotes, stock images and daily posting targets. Use your Google Business Profile plus one social platform, and give it 30 minutes a week.

Why should a tradesperson bother with social media at all?

Social media mostly works as proof, not as a lead machine. A homeowner who finds you on Google, Checkatrade or through a neighbour will often look you up before they ring. What they want to see is simple: are you still trading, do you do this kind of job, and does your work look tidy? A profile with recent, real job photos answers all three in a few seconds.

That changes what you post. You are not trying to go viral. You are trying to make the person who is already halfway to calling you feel safe picking up the phone. That is also why a neglected account hurts: a last post from 2023 makes people wonder whether you have stopped trading.

What should tradespeople post?

Post the work, the people and the answers. Here are post types that suit plumbers, electricians, roofers, locksmiths and builders, with an example of each from a fictional heating engineer in Croydon:

The tip posts are underrated. Questions like "why is my boiler pressure dropping?" or "is a tripping RCD dangerous?" are exactly what customers search for, and a clear answer from a local trade builds trust before the call.

If you share a customer review or testimonial in a post, get their permission first and keep the wording accurate. The ASA's guidance on testimonials and endorsements expects you to hold evidence that a testimonial is genuine and not to use one without permission.

What is a waste of time?

Some popular advice simply does not suit a one or two-van business. Drop these:

• Motivational quotes and memes. They say nothing about your work and nobody books a plumber because of one.
• Stock photos. Customers can tell, and it undermines the point of showing proof.
• Posting every day. You will burn out within a month. Two or three good posts a week is plenty.
• Chasing every platform. Four half-dead accounts look worse than one active one.
• Hashtag walls. A couple of local, relevant tags is enough. Thirty generic ones look like spam.
• Buying followers. Fake followers do not ring you, and they make your real engagement look worse.

Which platforms are worth it for trades?

Your Google Business Profile comes first, then one social platform. Google lets you add posts to your Business Profile (updates, offers and events), and those show on Search and Maps where people are ready to book. It is the most overlooked "social" channel for trades. For a full tidy-up see our Google Business Profile checklist.

After that, pick one:

1. Facebook if your customers are homeowners in local community groups and you get a lot of word-of-mouth. Recommendations in local groups often link back to your page.
2. Instagram if your work is visual (bathrooms, kitchens, landscaping, decorating) or you want to try short videos. See our guide to Instagram Reels for local businesses.
3. TikTok or YouTube Shorts only if you enjoy filming and talking to camera. Some trades do well here with explainer clips, but it takes regular effort.

LinkedIn is worth a profile if you chase commercial work from facilities managers or letting agents, less so for domestic jobs.

How do you take job photos that look good on a phone?

Good job photos come from habits, not equipment. A few rules that make a big difference:

• Shoot before you start. Most trades forget the "before". Make it the first thing you do on site.
• Same angle for before and after. Stand in the same spot so the change is obvious.
• Wipe the lens and turn on the lights. Google's own photo guidance asks for photos that are in focus, well lit and not heavily filtered.
• Hold the phone upright for video, since Reels, Stories and Shorts are vertical formats.
• Remove anything identifying. Door numbers, car registrations, family photos, letters on the side.
• Ask the customer. "Mind if we take a couple of photos of the finished job for our page? Nothing that shows your address." Most say yes.

For video, the first second matters. Start on the most interesting moment (the flame lighting, the water running, the new board lit up), not on you walking into the room. Instagram says it is less likely to recommend reels that are low resolution, watermarked or mostly text, so film fresh on your phone instead of reposting clips from other apps.

What does a 30-minute weekly routine look like?

Here is a routine that fits in a Sunday evening or a Monday morning, built for a one-van business:

1. Five minutes: pick the photos. Scroll last week's camera roll and favourite the three best job photos or clips.
2. Ten minutes: write and schedule two posts. One before and after, one tip or detail shot. Use Meta Business Suite or your platform's own scheduler.
3. Five minutes: post one update on your Google Business Profile. Reuse the best photo with a line on the job and the area.
4. Five minutes: reply to every comment and message. A quick, friendly answer matters more than the post itself.
5. Five minutes: ask for one review. Send last week's happiest customer your Google review link. Our guide on getting more Google reviews has wording you can copy.

During the week, the only job is taking photos on site. That is the habit that makes everything else easy.

What to do this week

• Take a "before" photo on every job this week, and an "after" from the same spot.
• Post one before and after on your Google Business Profile with the town name in the text.
• Choose one social platform to keep active and stop worrying about the rest.
• Write three tip posts answering questions customers asked you this month, and schedule them.
• Check the last post date on every account you own. Archive or update anything that looks abandoned.

If you would rather hand the routine to someone, social media management is one of the services we offer at Oski Marketing, built around your real job photos rather than stock content. You can get in touch here.