You don't need to be on every platform. You need to be strong on the two where your future customers already spend time, and consistent enough that they see you there more than once. A platform playbook makes that choice for your specific trade and turns it into a weekly routine your office can actually follow.
What the service is
It is a written plan, usually six to ten pages, based on your trade, your service area, your job types and the time you have. It covers:
- which two platforms to prioritise, and why
- what to post on each, with examples drawn from your own work
- how often to post, and how to batch it
- profile setup: name, category, service area, links, highlights
- how to handle comments and direct messages so enquiries don't sit unanswered
- what to stop doing
We write it, walk your team through it, and check in after 30 and 90 days to adjust.
Who it's for
Owners who want to keep social media in-house but are tired of guessing. It's also the right first step if you've been posting the same thing everywhere and seeing little return, or if a previous agency left you with five half-built profiles and no plan.
How the main platforms differ for trades
| Platform | Strongest for | What works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual trades: painting, landscaping, renovation, tile | Reels, carousels of before-and-afters, Stories from the job site | Over-polished feeds that look nothing like a real job | |
| Smaller towns, older homeowners, community word of mouth | Project albums, local group participation, prompt replies to messages | Posting sales offers into community groups that ban them | |
| TikTok | Trades with an on-camera personality | Explainers, "what's wrong with this?" clips, satisfying process footage | High posting volume needed to gain traction |
| YouTube Shorts | Trades where people research before buying | Short clips that link to longer how-it-works videos | Clips that are just copies with another app's watermark |
| Commercial work, property managers, recruiting | Project write-ups, crew milestones, safety culture | Expecting homeowner enquiries from it |
What's included
- A one-hour discovery call about your work, customers and capacity
- An audit of your existing profiles and the last three months of posts
- The written playbook, with a posting calendar for the next 12 weeks
- Caption templates using placeholders such as [Job type], [Town] and [Season]
- Saved replies for common messages: "How much?", "Do you service [Town]?", "Are you insured?"
- A 30-day and a 90-day review
Timeline
Discovery and audit take about a week. The playbook is delivered by the end of week two, with a walkthrough call. Most teams are posting on the new routine within three weeks.
How we measure results
We compare the 90 days after the playbook with the 90 days before, on:
- posting consistency (weeks with at least two posts)
- reply time on messages
- saves, shares and profile visits per post
- enquiries your office attributes to social media
Mistakes to avoid
- Cross-posting everything unchanged. A landscape-format Facebook photo album doesn't belong on TikTok.
- Ignoring messages. A slow reply to "Do you do decks in [Town]?" wastes the whole effort. Decide who answers and how fast.
- Chasing every new feature. Pick a format, get good at it, and only then try the next one.
- Leaving dead profiles up. An abandoned account with a last post from three years ago makes homeowners wonder if you're still in business. Archive what you won't maintain.
- Ignoring language rules. Quebec customers must be able to get your social content in French; the Quebec page explains this.
Next steps
The playbook pairs naturally with short video and before-and-after content, because those services fill the calendar it creates. If you run an HVAC company, our sister site HVAC.Social has playbooks built around heating and cooling seasons. Otherwise, call, text or email and tell us which platforms you're on now; the FAQ covers what most owners ask first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Facebook still worth it for trades?
In many Canadian towns and suburbs, yes. Local community groups and Marketplace still drive word of mouth, and many homeowners in their 40s and older check Facebook before hiring. It deserves a place in most playbooks.
Should a plumbing company be on TikTok?
Only if someone on the team enjoys making short, explanatory clips. TikTok rewards personality and volume. Without both, the time is usually better spent on Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
What about LinkedIn?
It matters when you sell to property managers, strata or condo boards, builders and commercial clients. For purely residential work it's usually low priority, except for recruiting.
Can our office manager run the playbook?
That's exactly who it's written for. It sets out a weekly routine of about two hours, with templates, so an in-house person can keep it going without us.