20 best social media post ideas home builders and general contractors

The first thing contractors and businesses in the home service industry need to understand about social media is this:

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Lead generation marketing like pay-per-click (ie.. Google Ads) and/or pay-per-lead – (ie.. Home Advisor, etc…) are strategies that work great for customers who are further down the sales funnel. They are ready to buy. When they go to Google and search for your service, that’s a sure sign that they are already interested in or have a need for the services you offer. At Silverback Web we’ve had great results with this kind of digital marketing.

But, if PPC marketing is a sprint, Social media marketing is a marathon. On social, your potential customers may not even be in a sales funnel yet. When you engage on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you are not there to sell but to inform and develop relationships.

You really should look at it like a marathon. You are there not to sell but to communicate with people who will need your services in the future. You want to build awareness so that people can know who you are, begin to like you, and finally choose to trust you to remodel or service their precious home.

Most contractors are using facebook wrong!

When contractors use facebook to relentlessly promote their business with fake coupons, and “friendly” reminders to change their air filter etc… they are really just bombarding an uninterested audience with advertising.

If all you’re doing is promoting, promoting, promoting — and then promoting a little more, you are using social media wrong. This does not create affection, or likes and trust. Instead, it mostly annoys people.

So, How Should Contractors USe Facebook?

If we think about Facebook as a marathon that includes, Know, Like, and Trust, then contractors should use Facebook to make people like them.

Ask yourself this question:

What can you do on Facebook to make people like your company?

“On Facebook, the definition of great content is not the content that makes the most sales, but the content that people most want to share with others.” Gary V

The answer, more than likely, will include giving away something of real value.

Now, I’m not talking about 15% off your next service. I mean REAL value. That might be a video teaching them how to program their thermostat, or an infographic teaching them the easiest 10 ways to lower energy bills in the summer.

Give. Give. Give.

When you give them information, instruction, and real value, people WILL like you.

There is an ancient proverb that says:

“Everyone is a friend to a person who gives gifts.”

So think outside the box. Stop promoting. And give.

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Below I’ll show you how to be more of a giver with these 20 non-promotional social media post ideas for contractors.

1- Show Progress

The finished project is great but giving a sneak peek into the steps it takes to get there is really engaging. Run a daily photo or a time-lapse.

2- Behind The Scenes

Give folks a glimpse into your office, or as you’re loading up for the day, or at a happy hour, or when you are washing your trucks. People like to see the real stuff.

3- Industry Insights

Share what’s new and what’s trending in your industry. If you’re an HVAC company talk about the newest trends in air quality or energy efficiency. If your a roofer share about Tesla’s new solar panel shingles…

4- Get a Mascot

Why not create a mascot and share photos of your mascot in different environments. We did. It’s a huge Silverback Gorilla… and it works :).

5- Infographics

An infographic is a visual picture of Statistics, Trends, and key information about a particular subject. You can create beautiful infographics about shingles, or lawn fertilizer, or Hardie board siding… you get the picture :).

6- Shout Outs

Be a giver and show your subcontractors or vendor some thanks or share a testimonial. Not only does this make you look totally awesome, they will share it to their audiences.

7- Values

Remind your audience, and yourself, of your company values: “Trust”, “Integrity”, “Done Right, The First Time”…

8- History

Share a photo of your first office, or what the owner looked like a teen. Old pictures have a significantly higher engagement and share rate than other types of posts.

9- Women

Increase female engagement by sharing photos and bios of the women who work for your company. Contractors tend to be men, but most of your social audience are women.

10- Hashtag a Campaign

Create a campaign around an idea or trend and share a photo every day using a compelling hashtag. Example: snap pictures of lunch boxes or yeti coolers every day at noon tagged – #contractorlunch, or #contractoryeti.

11- Tips and how to videos

Video is king. Shoot video on the field explaining how you do something or why you do it a particular, or better, way.

12- Be Real

Post a picture of your dog or family. Post a picture of a mistake. Customers like to hire real authentic contractors. It’s called social proof.

13- Video Testimonial

Ask a customer to share a quick 30-second testimonial. Simply shoot them on your phone, right there on the field, and post it to facebook. No need for editing or post-production. Of course, save that video, we can make a compilation video at the end of the year!

14- Support A Cause

Giving back is important to people and they like supporting business who care and give back. It’s ok to be proud of your cause and to share your passion on social media.

15- Be Patriotic

Post photos of the American flag on your job site or patriotic bumper stickers on your truck. As a contractor, you surely already know how huge patriotism is on social media.

16- Image Gallery

Share photos of a completed project. Having multiple photos in a gallery does increase engagement.

17- Ask Questions

Listen to your audience. Ask them a question about their best experience with a contractor. Take a poll about what faucet you should use in a remodel, etc…

18- Fun Tidbits

For instance, Famous celebrities who were once carpenters or contractors. Share a photo of Harrison Ford and say, “Did you know Harrison Ford was once a carpenter? Or “Arnold Schwarzenegger started as a European Bricklayer.” Also, Nick Offerman of Parks and Recreation is a carpenter (See the Offerman Woodshop).

19- Quotes

Motivational or funny quotes get tons of engagement. Add relevant quotes to your own branded images.

20-GIF’s

There are tons of funny GIF’s that relate to contractors. These are easy shares and typically get a laugh. If you can make someone smile you have accomplished something.

There’s 20 to get you started

There are 20 FREE ideas for your next Facebook marketing campaign. Brainstorm 3-5 of each of these post types and you’ll have 100 posts at the ready.

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