Jobber’s HVAC social guides and Housecall Pro’s contractor marketing lists say the same thing: be visible where homeowners already look. That is Google, Instagram, Facebook, and sometimes TikTok. They are not wrong. They also tend to assume you have a marketing coordinator. You probably do not.
A trade shop’s social job is not to become a creator. It is to prove you do real work, near real houses, with a phone number on the graphic.
The only content mix that matters
- Before/after of installs and repairs — the post people save.
- Finished job + shop name + phone — so it still works when it is screenshotted.
- Google Business Profile photos — this is local SEO, not “engagement.”
- A review screenshot once a week — social proof, then send them to get more reviews.
Skip: stock photos of people in hard hats, motivational quotes, and AI-generated furnaces. Homeowners can tell. We built Social Boost so the graphic is *your* before and after, with your shop name on the card. Optional AI only writes the caption.
Where to actually post
Google Business Profile first
If you only do one channel, do Google. Photos and reviews move the map pack. Full walkthrough: Google Business Profile for contractors.
Instagram and Facebook second
Same graphic, same caption. Facebook still works for 40–65 homeowners in the suburbs. Instagram works if the photo is good. Reels help; they are not required to get booked.
TikTok only if you like it
A talking-head “3 signs your AC is dying” can work. If you hate filming, do not build a strategy on self-loathing. Post the stills.
What not to do
- Do not post customer faces or street numbers without a yes.
- Do not argue in the comments. Take it to a call.
- Do not disappear for four months and then dump 20 photos. See when to post.
Need a website that is not a Facebook page? That is not built into TradeCommands the way Jobber Sites is. Sister company 360 Nerds will do a real site cheap if you already run TradeCommands.
How many posts per week?
Three honest posts beat fourteen empty ones. Timing guide: when to post on social media.
Should I pay for social ads?
After Google reviews and a profile that looks alive. Ads on a dead page waste the click — same reason we do not send Google Search to the homepage. Resources.
