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Social Media for Contractors: What Actually Works (And What's a Waste of Time)

Your electrician friend got 100k views on his panel upgrade video. He must be drowning in leads, right? Here's what the data actually says about social media for local contractors.

January 21, 202610 min read

"You need to be on TikTok. You need to post Reels. Social media is where the customers are."

You've probably heard this from someone in your trade. Maybe you've seen other contractors posting videos of their work, racking up thousands of views. It's tempting to think: if I just start posting content, the leads will come.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: for most local contractors, social media is a time sink that feels productive but doesn't actually bring in jobs. There's one exception—and we'll get to it—but first, let's talk about why the viral video fantasy rarely works out.

The Viral Trap

TikTok and Instagram Reels show content based on interest, not location. That's great if you're selling t-shirts to anyone on the internet. It's terrible if you need customers in a 30-mile radius.

The Math on 100k Views

Your video of a panel upgrade goes viral. Amazing! Let's break down who's watching:

  • ~48,000 viewers in Florida, Texas, London, and everywhere else you don't work
  • ~1,000 other electricians watching to critique your technique
  • ~950 teenagers who found it oddly satisfying
  • ~50 people in your actual service area—maybe

Of those 50 local viewers, how many need electrical work right now? How many will remember your company name when they do?

The Algorithm Doesn't Care About Your Service Area

TikTok's algorithm is optimized to keep people scrolling—not to connect local businesses with local customers. A video that performs well gets shown to similar audiences everywhere. That's the opposite of what you need.

Yes, you can run paid geo-targeted ads on these platforms. But at that point, you're paying for reach—and there are much better places to spend that money.

Where Your Customers Actually Are

When someone needs an electrician, they don't open TikTok. They open Google. The data is clear on this:

2X

Consumers use Google more than twice as often as any other platform for local business info

Source: BrightLocal Consumer Survey

5X

Word-of-mouth drives 5X more sales than paid advertising

Source: Sprout Social

50%+

Referrals close at 50%+ vs 10-20% for paid leads

Source: Extole Referral Marketing Study

Here's what actually drives leads for local contractors, in order of effectiveness:

ChannelROI / ConversionEffort Required
Reviews + Referrals50%+ close rate5 min per job (asking)
Google Business Profile3.87-4.83% conversion1 hour/month
Google AdsHigh intent, $90 CPLBudget + management
Facebook AdsLower intent, $22 CPLBudget + management
Social Media (organic)Visibility only3-4 hours/week minimum

Social media's real function for contractors is validation—customers find you on Google, then check your Facebook page to make sure you're legit. That's useful, but it's not where the leads come from.

The Platform Breakdown

Not all social media is equal. Here's the honest assessment:

Nextdoor

Worth your time

The only social platform where being local is the whole point. 67% of users are homeowners—your actual customer base. When neighbors ask "anyone know a good electrician?" you want to be there.

Effort: 10-15 min/week searching for relevant threads and responding helpfully.

Local Facebook Groups

Worth light effort

"Shoreline Community" or "Edmonds Moms" groups work similarly to Nextdoor. People ask for contractor recommendations constantly. Same strategy: lurk, search, help.

Effort: 10 min/week if you're already on Facebook.

—

Facebook Business Page

Maintain, don't obsess

Customers will check that you have a page with reviews and basic info. Beyond that, organic reach is dead—Facebook wants you to pay for visibility. Keep it updated, but don't expect it to generate leads.

Effort: Post once a month to show signs of life. That's enough.

TikTok / Instagram Reels

Skip it

Unless you want to become a content creator—which is a separate full-time job—these platforms won't bring local customers. The audience is wrong (Gen Z dominates TikTok), the reach is global, and the algorithm doesn't care about your service area.

Effort: 5-10 hours/week to do it properly. That time is better spent elsewhere.

YouTube

Conditional

Long-form educational content can build trust and authority. But it's a massive time investment to do well—filming, editing, optimizing. The contractors succeeding here have usually hired staff or pivoted to content creation as their primary business.

Effort: 10+ hours/week for a real channel. Ask yourself: is this the best use of my time?

LinkedIn

Skip (unless commercial)

If you're targeting property managers, commercial clients, or B2B work—maybe. For residential contractors? Your customers aren't there.

The One Exception: Being a Neighbor

Nextdoor and local Facebook groups work—but not in the way most contractors use social media. The strategy isn't posting. It's helping.

The 10-Minute Weekly Strategy

  1. 1Join Nextdoor and 2-3 local Facebook groups for your service area
  2. 2Once a week, search for "electrician" (or your trade)
  3. 3When you find someone asking for recommendations or help, respond helpfully—not salesy

The Bad Reply

"Call Greenworks Electric at 555-0199! We do panel upgrades, EV chargers, and all electrical work. Licensed and insured. Free estimates!"

Reads like spam. Gets ignored or deleted.

The Good Reply

"Hey neighbor—I'm an electrician here in Shoreline. That flickering is usually a loose neutral in the meter base. Not necessarily dangerous, but worth checking. Happy to swing by and take a look if you want peace of mind. - Coleson"

Helpful, human, local. Builds trust.

Be a Neighbor, Not an Influencer

The goal isn't to build a following. It's to be the contractor people think of when they have a problem. That happens through helpful interactions in your community, not through viral dance videos.

What the "Successful" Contractors Are Really Selling

You've seen them: electricians with 500k followers, plumbers with viral TikToks, HVAC guys with millions of views. They seem to be crushing it. But look closer at what they're actually selling.

How Contractor Influencers Actually Make Money

  • 1.Courses and Digital Products — "How to Start Your Electrical Business" for $497
  • 2.Tool Sponsorships — Milwaukee or DeWalt pays them to feature products
  • 3.Affiliate Links — Commission on tools/gear their followers buy
  • 4.Speaking and Consulting — Trade shows, industry events

Notice what's not on the list? Local electrical jobs. Their audience is other contractors, not homeowners.

As these contractors build larger followings, their content shifts from "local electrician" to "content creator who happens to be an electrician." That's a completely different business model—and a completely different career.

The Hidden Trade-Off

Building a content creator business takes 20-30+ hours per week on top of your actual work. Most contractor influencers eventually choose: scale the content business and hire out the trade work, or stop creating content. You can't do both well for long.

The Bottom Line

Social media for contractors comes down to two activities:

Broadcasting

TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube

Creating content for strangers on the internet. Builds "clout," not revenue—unless you pivot to selling to other contractors.

Networking

Nextdoor, Local Facebook Groups

Being helpful to neighbors. Builds reputation where it matters—in your actual community.

Our recommendation: Don't try to be an influencer. Be a neighbor.

Priority Order for Marketing Your Contracting Business

  1. 1Reviews — Ask every happy customer. This is your #1 growth lever.
  2. 2Google Business Profile — Keep it optimized. This is where customers find you.
  3. 3Referral Systems — Make it easy for happy customers to send you more.
  4. 4Nextdoor / Local Groups — 10 min/week being helpful in your community.
  5. 5...big gap...
  6. 6Everything else (TikTok, Reels, YouTube...)

If you're spending hours editing videos when you could be asking for reviews or optimizing your GBP listing, you're working on the wrong things. Focus on what actually brings in customers.

Focus on What Actually Works

We help contractors build websites that convert visitors into customers—not vanity metrics. Let's talk about your online presence strategy.

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