TL;DR: Facebook is the most effective social media platform for most UK tradespeople — around 62% of trades businesses use it to generate enquiries and community referrals. Instagram works well for visual trades like builders, landscapers and kitchen fitters. TikTok is growing but needs consistent video effort to pay off. Nextdoor is the most underrated free platform for getting local jobs quickly.
Most trades businesses should start with Facebook, add Instagram once that’s working, and only consider TikTok if you’re comfortable on camera. Trying to be everywhere at once is the fastest way to get poor results everywhere.
That’s the honest answer. But the fuller picture matters — because the right platform depends on your trade, your customers, and how much time you can realistically spend on it.
Why Most Trades Businesses Get Social Media Wrong
The most common mistake is treating social media like a notice board. Posting “we do boiler servicing” with a stock photo on a Tuesday, then going quiet for three weeks.
That doesn’t work. Not on Facebook, not on Instagram, not anywhere.
What does work is showing people the actual work. A photo of a bathroom refit before and after. A short clip of an electrical board being replaced. A post asking “spotted this at a job today — anyone know what caused it?” That kind of content builds trust, gets shared, and turns followers into enquiries.
The second mistake is chasing the wrong platform. A retired plumber with 40-year-old domestic customers in rural Lincolnshire doesn’t need TikTok. A 30-year-old landscaper doing garden transformations in South London probably does.
Start with where your customers actually are.
Facebook: Still the Best Platform for Trades Leads in the UK
Facebook has around 44 million active UK users. The strongest age group is 25–54 — which lines up almost exactly with who’s most likely to book a tradesperson.
For most trades businesses, Facebook delivers leads in three ways:
- Local Facebook Groups — “Hemel Hempstead Recommendations”, “Sheffield Mums and Businesses”, “Romford Neighbourhood”. Post in these regularly (useful, not spammy), and you’ll get calls.
- Facebook Business Page — A professional page with reviews, photos and contact details acts as a lightweight website for customers who find you via word of mouth.
- Facebook Ads — Even a small spend of £10–£20 per day on a properly targeted ad can deliver 5–15 leads a week for local trades in competitive areas.
A Birmingham electrician running a modest £300/month Facebook ad campaign targeting homeowners within 10 miles reported an average of 18 enquiries per month — at roughly £16.50 per lead. That’s not exceptional, but it’s consistent and trackable.
The practical tip: join five to ten local Facebook groups in your area and spend 15 minutes a day being genuinely helpful. Answer questions. Post job photos. Recommend other trades when you can’t help. That builds a reputation fast, for free.
One thing to note: Facebook’s organic reach (posts reaching your followers without paying) has dropped significantly. If you want guaranteed eyeballs, budget at least £5–£10 per day in ads. See our guide to whether Google Ads are worth it for context on how paid platforms compare.
Does Instagram Work for Plumbers, Builders and Electricians?
Instagram is used by around 32 million people in the UK. The audience skews younger and more visual than Facebook — which makes it a natural fit for trades where the finished product looks impressive.
Builders, landscapers, kitchen fitters, bathroom specialists and roofers all do well on Instagram because the before-and-after content practically creates itself. A tidy loft conversion, a freshly laid patio, a new fitted kitchen — these images get saves, shares and direct messages.
For plumbers and electricians, it’s harder. A neat pipe run or a clean consumer unit installation doesn’t have the same visual impact. That doesn’t mean Instagram is useless — it just means you need a different approach.
What works for less visual trades:
- Short videos explaining common problems and when to call a professional
- “Day in the life” content that shows the human side of the business
- Before-and-after of a messy job turned tidy
- Customer testimonials in Stories
The key rule on Instagram: consistency beats quality. Three decent photos per week will outperform one perfect post per month. Use location tags, especially for UK cities and towns — it helps local customers find you.
For trades aiming at commercial clients — facilities managers, property developers, landlords — Instagram is less relevant. LinkedIn does a better job there.
TikTok for Trades: Is It Worth the Effort in 2026?
TikTok has roughly 20 million active UK users, and while it’s growing fast, only around 15% of trades businesses are using it regularly.
The upside is real. TikTok’s algorithm gives new accounts a chance to reach thousands of people without any existing following. A 60-second video of a plumber diagnosing a boiler fault — done well — can get 30,000 views overnight. That doesn’t always translate to direct jobs, but it builds brand awareness fast.
The question is whether the effort is worth it. Creating good TikTok content takes time. You need to be comfortable on camera (or willing to get there), and you need to post consistently — ideally three to five times a week — to get traction.
If you’re a sole trader who’s already busy, TikTok probably isn’t the place to start. If you’ve got a team, time to film, and a trade that lends itself to video (demolition, landscaping, plastering transformations), it could be worth testing for three months.
What performs well on TikTok for trades:
- Satisfying transformations filmed start to finish
- Educational content — “why does my boiler keep losing pressure?”
- Reaction videos to DIY disasters
- Transparent pricing — “here’s what a full rewire actually costs”
Nextdoor: The Platform Most UK Tradespeople Ignore
Nextdoor is a hyperlocal social network where people talk to their immediate neighbourhood — recommendations, community news, local alerts.
In the UK, it’s available across most towns and cities, and the homeowner ratio is high. When someone on Nextdoor asks “does anyone know a good electrician near me?”, every recommendation lands in front of people within half a mile.
The big advantage: it’s free. A basic Nextdoor Business page costs nothing, and verified local recommendations from your existing customers show up directly to neighbours.
Local Deals on Nextdoor start from £1 and let you target your services to specific postcodes. A roofer in Leeds running a Nextdoor promotion for £50/month across three postcodes reported steady enquiries during the quieter spring months, with a cost-per-lead well under £10.
The downside: Nextdoor is harder to manage and monitor than Facebook or Instagram. It works best when your existing customers actively recommend you there.
The action: claim your Nextdoor Business page, ask a handful of happy customers to leave recommendations, and check in once a week.
How to Build a Social Media Routine That Doesn’t Eat Your Time
The biggest reason trades businesses fall off social media is that it becomes another job they don’t have time for.
Here’s a simple weekly routine that takes around 30–45 minutes:
- Monday morning: Take two or three photos of jobs you’re starting or have recently finished. Caption them briefly — what the problem was, what you did, where in the UK you’re based.
- Wednesday: Post in two or three local Facebook groups. Answer a question if you see one. Share a useful tip.
- Friday: Post a before-and-after or a summary of the week’s work on your Facebook page and Instagram.
- Once a month: Ask two or three satisfied customers for a Google review, a Facebook review, and a Nextdoor recommendation.
That’s it. You don’t need a social media strategy document or a content calendar. You need photos of real work and 30 minutes a week.
Tools that help:
- Meta Business Suite — Schedule Facebook and Instagram posts for free
- Canva — Create simple graphics and overlays for free
- Google Photos — Automatically backs up job photos so you don’t lose them
For more on building consistent leads across all your marketing channels, read our complete guide to getting more leads for UK trades businesses. And if local SEO is something you haven’t tackled yet, it works hand-in-hand with social media — see our local SEO guide for trades businesses.
Need Help Growing Your Trades Business?
We Are SMC works exclusively with trades and construction businesses across the UK. We handle your Google Ads, SEO, social media and content so you can focus on the work. Get a free 30-minute strategy call at wearesmc.co.uk/get-started — no hard sell, just honest advice.
