Why Contractors Actually Need Social Media (And How to Not Suck at It)

“Adam, I just don’t have time for social media.”

I hear this at least twice a week from roofing and HVAC contractors. Usually followed by: “And even if I did, what the hell would I post about? Can’t I just have AI do it?”

Here’s what’s actually happening: Most contractors see social media as another time-sucking obligation that doesn’t generate leads. They watch other companies post perfectly polished videos and think, “I can’t compete with that.” So they either don’t post at all, or they hand it off to some social media manager who starts posting stock photos of roofs with generic captions like “Quality you can trust! ☀️🏠”

And yeah, that’s completely useless.

But here’s the truth most marketing agencies won’t tell you: social media isn’t about lead generation. It’s about showing who you are, testing your marketing messages for free, and making your Google Ads campaigns work 30% more efficiently.

TL;DR: Social media isn’t about posting pretty pictures or going viral. It’s about authentic content that shows your brand, tests messaging before you spend money on ads, and creates message consistency across all your marketing channels. Your first 100 videos will suck, but that’s exactly where you find your voice.

Let’s cut through the BS.

Most marketing agencies focus solely on ads because ads drive revenue fast. PPC management pays the bills. I get it - we run plenty of Google Ads campaigns ourselves.

But here’s what’s changing: AI is flooding the internet with generic content. ChatGPT can write blog posts, create social media captions, and generate email sequences. Which means authentic human content - the rough, real, unpolished stuff - is becoming your biggest differentiator.

According to Pew Research’s 2024 data, 68% of U.S. adults still use Facebook, and Instagram reaches 78% of people aged 18-49. Your potential customers are there. But more importantly, when they see your ads, then visit your website, then check out your social media… if the message and brand feels consistent everywhere, your ads work better.

That’s the real value. Social media isn’t competing with your ads - it’s making your ads more effective.

Here’s what usually happens:

Option 1: The contractor tries to DIY it, posts three times, runs out of ideas, and gives up.

Option 2: They hire a “social media manager” who posts stock photos with captions written by AI.

Option 3: They pay big money for “professional” video content that looks like every other contractor’s page - polished, generic, forgettable.

All three approaches miss the point.

The contractors who actually succeed on social media? They’re the ones shooting rough videos on their phones, showing real jobs, talking about real problems. They’re not trying to look like some corporate brand. They’re showing their personality, even if it’s edgy or different.

One of our roofing clients was terrified of saying the wrong thing on camera. He’d film a video, then delete it. Film another, delete it. He was so worried about being perfect that he couldn’t get anything out.

I told him: “Your first 100 videos are going to be terrible. That’s the point. Nobody’s watching your first 100 videos anyway. But by video 101, you’ll have found your voice, and suddenly it gets easy.”

He finally started posting. Rough videos from job sites. Him complaining about problems he sees other contractors cause. His actual opinions about materials and methods.

You know what happened? People loved it. Because it was real.

Here’s how we actually use social media with our contractor clients, and it has nothing to do with posting daily or hiring some social media guru.

When we run a Google Ads campaign or Local Service Ads for a client, we create matching social content with the same message.

Same offer. Same positioning. Same language.

This creates message consistency across every touchpoint. Someone sees your Facebook ad about same-day HVAC repair. Then they visit your website. Then they check out your social media feed. If the message resonates across all three channels, it doesn’t feel like advertising anymore - it feels like, “Yeah, this company really does focus on fast response.”

This approach actually hides your ads and makes them more efficient. Instead of one isolated ad impression, you’re creating multiple touchpoints reinforcing the same message. Your brand consistency compounds.

2. Shoot Rough, Authentic Videos (You Don’t Need a Film Crew)

Here’s something most agencies won’t tell you: rough videos outperform polished ones.

I’m not talking about videos so poorly shot you can’t see or hear anything. I’m talking about the rough edges that make content feel real. You on a job site. Your truck. Your team. Your actual work.

The beauty is in those rough edges.

One of our clients (not a contractor, but the principle applies) started showing her real building, real experiences, real interactions with customers. Not professionally lit. Not scripted. Just real.

People come to meet her specifically because they saw those videos and felt like they knew her already.

For contractors, the approach is simple:

Film 10-15 short videos in one afternoon (job site walkthroughs, quick tips, problem explanations)
Let your marketing agency edit and publish them
Or have the agency create the content strategy, and you shoot it

You don’t need fancy equipment. Your phone camera is fine. What matters is showing your real voice and real expertise.

This is where social media becomes genuinely valuable for marketing.

Before we invest thousands in a new Google Ads campaign or rebuild a landing page, we test the messaging on social media first.

We add UTM parameters and phone tracking to social posts. Then we watch what happens.

Which posts get the most engagement? Which ones drive website visits? Which messaging leads to actual phone calls?

The winners get pushed to paid advertising or SEO content. The losers get abandoned before we waste money on them.

It’s preliminary market testing that costs almost nothing.

4. Bulk Schedule Everything (Stop Posting Daily)

Most contractors fail at social media because they think they need to post every single day, manually, forever.

That’s insane.

Use scheduling tools. Film 20 videos in a single afternoon. Write captions for all of them. Schedule them to post over the next two months.

Then forget about it until it’s time to film the next batch.

Video marketing for contractors doesn’t require daily attention - it requires one focused effort per month or quarter, then automation.

What to Actually Post (Without Overthinking It)

Contractors overthink social media content. They think they need to educate, entertain, and inspire every single post.

Wrong.

Here’s what actually works:

Job site videos - “Here’s what we found today. Most contractors would’ve done X. We’re doing Y instead. Here’s why.”

Before/after transformations - Not just photos. Show the process. Show the problems you solved.

Your actual opinions - “I see contractors do this all the time. It’s stupid. Here’s why.”

Team culture - Your crew. Your truck. Your Monday morning routine. The human side of your business.

Problem-solving - “Homeowner called with this issue. Here’s what was actually causing it.”

The common thread? It’s all real. It’s all you. It’s all showing your brand personality.

And critically - align these posts with your current marketing campaigns. If you’re running ads about emergency HVAC repair, post social content about emergency response. If your SEO strategy targets roof replacements, post content about roof replacement processes.

Everything reinforces everything else.

Mistake #1: Using AI to Generate All Your Content

I know it’s tempting. ChatGPT can write captions. It can generate post ideas. It can create entire content calendars.

And it’s all garbage.

Your audience can tell when content is AI-generated. It’s bland. It’s generic. It sounds like everyone else. Professional content writing requires a human voice, especially for building brand authority.

AI can help with editing or formatting. But the ideas, the opinions, the voice? That needs to be yours.

Mistake #2: Trying to Be Perfect

Remember: your first 100 videos will be bad. That’s fine. That’s normal. That’s how you learn.

Most contractors never get past video #3 because they’re waiting to be perfect. Meanwhile, the contractor who posted 100 rough videos found their voice and is now crushing it.

Stop waiting. Start posting.

Mistake #3: Treating Social Like Direct Lead Generation

Social media isn’t Google Ads. People aren’t on Facebook actively searching for a roofer.

Social media works indirectly:

Someone sees your content and remembers your name
Later, when they need a roofer, they search for you specifically
Or they see your ad and think “I’ve seen this company before”
Or they check your page after calling you from a Google search

It’s not about immediate conversions. It’s about brand presence and making your other marketing more efficient.

Mistake #4: Posting Without Any Strategy

Random posts about random topics don’t move the needle.

Your social content should align with your overall marketing strategy. If you’re running a campaign about roof inspections, post about roof inspections. If you’re targeting a specific neighborhood, post content relevant to that area.

Strategy doesn’t mean complicated. It means intentional.

Mistake #5: Trying to Do It All Yourself (Forever)

Here’s my honest advice: shoot the videos yourself. Film your jobs. Capture the real moments.

Then hand it off.

Hire a low-cost videographer to follow you around for a day and capture 50 clips. Or hire a basic editor to cut your phone videos and add captions. Or let your marketing agency handle publishing and scheduling.

The rough content needs to be authentic. The editing and consistency can be outsourced.

How to Actually Track If This Is Working

Social media without measurement is just hope.

Add tracking:

UTM parameters on every link you share
Dedicated phone numbers for social media
Track which posts drive website visits
Monitor which content gets saved and shared

We use this data to identify winning messages. Then we invest real money promoting those winners through paid advertising or optimizing for organic search.

Social media becomes your R&D department for marketing messages.

The Bottom Line

Social media for contractors isn’t about getting famous on TikTok or having thousands of followers.

It’s about three things:

Showing who you are - In a world flooded with AI content, authentic human presence matters more than ever
Making your ads work better - Message consistency across social, ads, and your website compounds your marketing effectiveness
Testing messaging for free - Find out what resonates before spending thousands on paid campaigns

Your first 100 videos will be terrible. Most people won’t watch them. That’s fine. By video 101, you’ll have found your voice, and suddenly social media becomes easy instead of painful.

Stop waiting to be perfect. Start showing who you really are.

And if you need help building a complete marketing strategy that integrates social media with advertising, SEO, and web design, let’s talk. We’ll help you figure out what’s actually worth doing and what’s just a waste of time.