Day 13 of 20 · AI for Trades
Social Media for Trades
⏱ 5 min
📊 Beginner
Here is something most tradespeople get wrong about social media: you do not need to become an influencer. You do not need to dance on TikTok or post motivational quotes. You just need to show your work. That is it.
Every job you complete is a piece of marketing content. A before-and-after photo of a bathroom renovation. A time-lapse of a patio being laid. A quick clip of a new consumer unit wired up neatly. These posts build trust with local homeowners, keep you visible in your community, and generate work — often from people who were not even looking for a tradesperson until they saw your post.
AI takes the hard part — writing captions, planning content, figuring out what to say — off your plate entirely.
The Platforms That Matter for Trades
You do not need to be on every platform. Pick one or two and do them well.
Facebook is still king for local trades in the UK and Australia. Local community groups, neighbourhood pages, and your business page are where homeowners actively look for recommendations. When someone posts "can anyone recommend a good plumber in Croydon?" and your name keeps showing up, that is pure gold.
Instagram is perfect for visual trades — bathrooms, kitchens, landscaping, tiling, painting. Before-and-after grids look brilliant and are effortless to create. Homeowners browse Instagram for inspiration and often end up hiring the person whose work they keep seeing.
TikTok and Reels are growing fast, especially in the US and Australia. Short videos of satisfying work — a perfectly mitred skirting board, a freshly jet-washed driveway, a neat first fix — get massive organic reach. You do not need to talk on camera. Just point your phone at the work and let AI write the caption.
AI-Written Captions That Actually Work
The biggest barrier to posting on social media is not taking the photos — most tradespeople already do that. It is figuring out what to write. Staring at a photo of a kitchen you just fitted, trying to think of something clever to say, and giving up. Sound familiar?
AI solves this in seconds. Give it a brief description of the job and the platform you are posting on, and it will write a caption with the right tone, the right hashtags, and a call to action. For Facebook, that might be casual and conversational. For Instagram, a bit more polished with relevant hashtags. For TikTok, short and punchy.
The key is consistency. One post per week is infinitely better than a burst of five posts followed by three months of silence. AI can even help you plan a content calendar so you always know what to post and when.
I'm a landscaper in Sydney. I've got 3 photos from recent jobs: 1) a complete backyard transformation with new turf, garden beds, and a fire pit area, 2) a front yard with new paving and native plants, 3) a retaining wall build on a steep block. Can you write me a week of social media posts — 2 for Instagram, 2 for Facebook, and 1 for TikTok/Reels?
Here's your week of content:
**Monday — Instagram (Backyard photo):**
From tired lawn to outdoor living. 🔥 This Sutherland Shire backyard got the full treatment — new Sir Walter turf, curved garden beds with mixed plantings, and a fire pit area for those weekend evenings. Swipe for the before.
DM us for a free quote on your backyard project.
#sydneylandscaper #backyardmakeover #landscapingaustralia #beforeandafter #outdoorliving #firepit #sydneygardener #turfinstallation
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**Wednesday — Facebook (Front yard photo):**
Just wrapped up this front yard in the Inner West. New paving, drainage sorted properly, and native plantings that'll look better every year with barely any maintenance. The owners wanted something low-maintenance that still looks sharp from the street — job done! 💪
If your front yard needs some love, drop us a message or call for a free quote.
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**Thursday — Instagram (Retaining wall photo):**
Steep block? No worries. This sandstone retaining wall turned an unusable slope into a tiered garden with proper drainage behind every course. Solid build, clean finish.
Struggly with a sloped yard? We can help. Link in bio.
#retainingwall #sydneybuilder #landscapedesign #sandstone #slopedyard #sydneylandscaping #hardscape
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**Friday — Facebook (Backyard photo, different angle):**
Another backyard transformation in the books! This one went from patchy grass and no usable space to a proper outdoor room. The fire pit's already been christened apparently 😄
We're booking into March now — get in touch if you've got a project in mind.
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**Saturday — TikTok/Reels (Retaining wall — video or slideshow):**
Caption: steep block → usable garden. Full sandstone retaining wall build 🧱 #landscaping #retainingwall #sydney #transformation #tradielife
↻ Replay conversation
Turning Jobs Into Content — The Simple System
Here is a system you can start using today. It takes less than five minutes per job.
Step 1: Take a before photo. Do this the moment you arrive, before you touch anything. Even if it is just a quick snap on your phone.
Step 2: Take an after photo. Same angle if possible. Good lighting helps but is not essential. The transformation does the heavy lifting.
Step 3: Send both photos and a one-line description to AI. Something like "Kitchen rewire, 3-bed semi, new LED downlights and underfloor heating connections."
Step 4: AI writes your caption. Copy, paste, post. Done.
If you do this for every job, you will never run out of content. And every post is a real example of your work that builds trust with the people in your area who might need you next month, next year, or might recommend you to a friend tomorrow.
Knowledge Check
What type of social media content works best for tradespeople?
A
Stock photos of tools and building materials
C
Motivational quotes and memes
D
Before-and-after photos and videos of real completed jobs
Real photos and videos of your actual work build trust and showcase your skills. Before-and-after content is especially effective because it clearly demonstrates the transformation you deliver.
Knowledge Check
Which social media platform is generally best for local trades in the UK and Australia?
B
Facebook, especially local community groups
Facebook remains the strongest platform for local trades thanks to community groups and neighbourhood pages where homeowners actively seek recommendations.
Every completed job is marketing content waiting to happen. Before photo, after photo, AI caption, post. Five minutes.
Knowledge Check
How often should you aim to post on social media as a tradesperson?
A
At least once per week consistently
B
Five times a day to maximise reach
C
Only when you have nothing else to do
Consistency beats volume. One post per week, every week, builds a body of work over time that keeps you visible and demonstrates you are active and busy. A burst of posts followed by months of silence is far less effective.
🔧
Day 13 Complete
"You do not need to be a content creator. You just need to photograph your work and let AI write the words."
Tomorrow — Day 14
Your Lead Machine
Time to bring it all together. Learn how every lesson this week connects into a self-reinforcing system that wins you more work on autopilot.