Insight

If your brand is not engaging with tradespeople on social media, you’re missing out on connecting with your audience in a way that showcases not only your products, but your brand’s personality. And doing this well can be game changing, delivering brand awareness and sales.

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have evolved into everyday tools for tradies, so you’re always just a scroll away from both your existing and potential customers. Brands that understand this shift – and show up offering must-watch content – have an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with their audience. And yes, virtual connections can be meaningful.

Nobody opens social media hoping to see endless adverts, of course, and tradespeople, like all of us, value practical insight over promotion. Short-form video content for tradies, the type that is favoured on TikTok, Insta and YouTube Shorts, works best when brands focus on three things:

●    Education
●    Entertainment
●    Engagement

Getting the content right

Making content educational might seem like a tall order when the video is only a minute or two long, but it can spark conversations and deeper dives for complex topics much more effectively than a 30-minute presentation. If brands focus on showing how products or tools perform in reality, with short videos that inform and encourage further learning, that really is the sweet spot. The educational content that really grabs attention can vary, ranging from installation tips, common on-site mistakes, health and safety reminders, time-saving techniques, or genuine reviews. 

When it comes to creating entertaining content, don’t be afraid to have a little fun sometimes, by jumping on trends and making people laugh. It might not be an obvious route for B2B brands to go, but don’t let that put you off – your audience are people, not robots with job titles, and people like to be entertained, whether they’re browsing social between jobs or winding down with a cuppa at the end of the day. Clearly you need to keep in mind what feels authentic and appropriate for both your brand and your audience – for InstallerSHOW that has meant getting our group MD dancing and using our mascot Judi Wrench to tap into trending topics, but you need to decide what is right for you.

Tradespeople can help

Engagement simply means encouraging conversations with your audience – you don’t want to be on broadcast mode all the time. Tradespeople respond strongly to other tradespeople. Featuring experienced tradies who have genuine credibility makes content far more effective. These individuals don’t need to be influencers (and probably won’t like to be called that!) – they just need to speak plainly and confidently about what works and why. 

Consistency matters more than production value. Frequent, useful content will outperform occasional high-budget campaigns. Brands that commit to showing up regularly – sharing tips, answering common questions, responding to comments – can build strong communities and long-term loyalty. And they’ll want to meet you in person at InstallerSHOW.