Many tradesmen successfully handle their own social media, especially if they enjoy snapping photos on site or sharing day-to-day updates. Doing it yourself keeps you closely connected to your audience and lets your personality shine through. The downside is it can eat into your time, particularly if you’re trying to post consistently, respond to every comment, and monitor analytics.

Hiring a professional can free you up to focus on your trade jobs and ensure your marketing efforts are strategic. A social media manager or agency can handle content creation, scheduling, and ad targeting with a polished approach. Of course, that comes with a cost, and you’ll need to find someone who genuinely understands your industry and how to speak to your local market. For many tradesmen, the choice is a balance of budget, time constraints, and marketing goals. If your schedule is packed and you want a more refined strategy, hiring help might be well worth it.

Social media marketing isn’t an instant fix—think of it more like a steady build. You might see some engagement (likes, comments, follows) almost immediately if you already have some followers. But to see tangible business results like new customer leads or phone calls, you’ll likely need a few weeks to a few months. During this period, you’re building awareness, establishing credibility, and fine-tuning what kind of content resonates best.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a robust social media presence. If you’re posting consistently, engaging with followers, and maybe running a few targeted ads, you’ll start to notice a gradual uptick in inquiries. For trades, word often spreads through community groups and recommendations on social platforms, which can take time to snowball. Keep an eye on metrics such as link clicks, direct messages, or calls traced back to social media. Over time, these numbers should steadily increase, confirming your efforts are paying off.

Growing followers is about consistency and relevance. First, make sure you’re posting regularly—once or twice a week, at least—so your page doesn’t look dormant. People like knowing you’re active and open for business. Second, create engaging content. Share project photos, quick how-to tips, or interesting trade facts that speak to your audience’s needs. If you’re a roofer, for example, talk about spotting early leak signs or choosing the right materials for the local climate.

Don’t forget to leverage your existing network. Invite satisfied customers to follow you and encourage them to share your page. Collaborating with local businesses or commenting on community pages can also get your name out there. If you have a bit of budget, running a small ad campaign can help grow your follower base in your target area. Finally, be patient and authentic—real followers come with time when they see value in what you post, rather than random or spammy tactics.

Boosting a post is a quick way to put money behind a piece of content that’s already on your social feed. Let’s say you shared before-and-after photos of a bathroom remodel. If it’s getting good engagement, you can boost it so more people—beyond just your followers—will see it. Boosting is simple and great for getting more likes, comments, and basic visibility, but it offers limited targeting options.

Running a proper social media ad (through platforms like Facebook Ads Manager or Instagram’s Ads platform) is more advanced. You can specify detailed audience criteria—like location, age, interests, or even specific trade-related behaviours. You can also choose different campaign objectives, such as driving website clicks, collecting leads, or encouraging people to call you. Ads generally provide more robust reporting, so you can track cost per click or cost per lead precisely. If you’re serious about lead generation or brand awareness, a targeted ad campaign is usually more strategic than simply boosting a post.