Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools available for local businesses and tradesmen. Whether you’re a plumber, electrician, hairdresser, or landscaper, having a strong social media presence can help you grow your brand, attract more local customers, and generate consistent enquiries.

But many small business owners struggle to use social media effectively. Simply posting occasionally won’t get you results—you need a strategy to grow your following, increase engagement, and convert your audience into paying customers.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the best ways to use social media to grow your business, including how to:

✅ Choose the right platforms
✅ Grow your social media following
✅ Increase engagement and build trust
✅ Convert followers into paying customers

Let’s get started.

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1. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms

Not all social media platforms are suitable for every business. To make the most of your time, focus on platforms that align with your business and target audience.

Best Social Media Platforms for Local Businesses & Tradesmen:

✅ Facebook – Best for community engagement, local advertising, and customer interaction. Ideal for tradesmen, hairdressers, beauty salons, and service-based businesses.

✅ Instagram – Great for visual businesses (landscaping, beauty, renovations). Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your work.

✅ LinkedIn – Best for professional services (consultants, accountants, B2B businesses) and networking.

✅ Nextdoor – A platform specifically for local communities. Great for tradesmen and service-based businesses looking for local leads.

✅ TikTok – Perfect for businesses that can create engaging video content (e.g., behind-the-scenes, transformations, before-and-after work).

✅ YouTube – If you can create tutorials or educational content (e.g., “How to prepare your home for painting”), YouTube is great for credibility and long-term marketing.

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2. How to Grow Your Social Media Following

Building a strong following doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistency and the right approach, you can increase your audience and reach more potential customers.

Tips to Grow Your Social Media Audience:

✅ Post consistently – At least 3–5 times per week to stay visible.

✅ Use local hashtags – E.g., #PlumberLondon, #HairSalonManchester, #LandscaperBirmingham. This helps local people find your content.

✅ Engage with local businesses and customers – Comment on local business pages, join community groups, and respond to customer questions.

✅ Share behind-the-scenes content – Customers love to see the real people behind a business. Share work-in-progress projects, staff introductions, or daily routines.

✅ Offer giveaways and contests – Encourage people to follow, like, and share your posts to enter (e.g., “Win a free gutter clean – like and share this post to enter!”).

✅ Encourage customers to tag your business – Ask happy customers to tag your page in their posts, which will increase your visibility.

✅ Collaborate with other local businesses – Cross-promote with non-competing businesses (e.g., a painter and decorator partnering with a flooring company).

✅ Use trending topics and challenges – If there’s a trend related to your business (e.g., “before-and-after transformations”), participate to reach more people.

✅ Invest in targeted advertising – Running a small budget ad on Facebook or Instagram can significantly boost your reach and bring in more local customers.

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3. How to Increase Engagement on Social Media

Having followers is great, but engagement is the key to turning them into customers. The more people interact with your content, the more visible your business becomes.

Best Ways to Boost Social Media Engagement:

✅ Ask questions – Encourage responses by asking for opinions (e.g., “Which colour do you prefer for this kitchen remodel?”).

✅ Post ‘before-and-after’ photos – These get high engagement, especially for tradesmen and beauty professionals.

✅ Use video content – Videos get more reach than photos. Show behind-the-scenes footage, customer testimonials, or explain your services in a short clip.

✅ Go live – Facebook and Instagram live videos let you interact with customers in real time (e.g., “Live Q&A: Ask a plumber anything!”).

✅ Respond to every comment – This signals to social media algorithms that your content is engaging, so they’ll show it to more people.

✅ Post customer testimonials and reviews – Share screenshots of happy customer reviews to build trust.

✅ Use polls and quizzes – These encourage participation and keep your audience engaged.

✅ Educate your audience – Share tips, maintenance advice, and common mistakes to position yourself as an expert.

✅ Celebrate milestones – If you’ve completed 1,000 projects or reached a certain number of followers, share it!

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4. How to Convert Followers into Customers

Getting engagement is great, but the ultimate goal is turning followers into paying customers. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Best Ways to Turn Social Media Followers into Customers:

✅ Make it easy to contact you – Include your phone number, email, website, and a direct message option on all profiles.

✅ Use strong calls to action (CTAs) – Tell your audience what to do next (e.g., “Book your free consultation today!”).

✅ Post limited-time offers – Urgency encourages action (e.g., “Get 10% off garden maintenance this week only!”).

✅ Showcase real results – Share customer testimonials, completed projects, and case studies to build trust.

✅ Promote your website and services regularly – Don’t assume people know what you offer. Regularly remind them.

✅ Run exclusive social media discounts – Offer special deals only available to your social media followers.

✅ Retarget visitors with ads – If someone visits your website but doesn’t book, show them a Facebook ad reminding them to take action.

✅ Leverage social proof – If a customer tags your business in a positive post, share it to encourage others to book.

✅ Create an email list – Use social media to collect emails and send exclusive offers to potential customers.

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5. Should You Use Paid Social Media Ads?

Yes! Social media ads are one of the most effective ways for local businesses to get more customers.

Why Paid Ads Work:

✅ You can target your exact local audience
✅ You can set a small daily budget (as little as £5 per day)
✅ You can reach more people instantly
✅ You can generate leads quickly

Example: A roofer can run an ad targeting homeowners in their town who have recently searched for “roof repairs.” This increases enquiries and brings in high-quality leads.

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Final Thoughts – Take Action and Grow Your Business

Social media is one of the best marketing tools for local businesses and tradesmen. But to see real results, you need a strategy that includes regular posting, engagement, and converting followers into customers.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Choose the right platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
✅ Post consistently (3–5 times per week)
✅ Grow your following organically (hashtags, collaborations, giveaways)
✅ Increase engagement (videos, Q&As, testimonials, polls)
✅ Convert followers into customers (clear CTAs, offers, website links)
✅ Consider running paid social media ads to reach more local customers

Need a Professional Website or Social Media Strategy?

At InboxingProWeb, we help local businesses and tradesmen get more customers with professional websites and effective online marketing strategies.

✅ Fixed-price websites that generate leads
✅ SEO & social media marketing to grow your business
✅ Affordable packages for local businesses

Contact us today for a free consultation!