Social media advertising, used honestly
Social media advertising works for tradespeople, but differently from Google. We use it for awareness, remarketing, promotion periods and recruitment.
100+ businesses and growing
Social media advertising works differently for trade businesses than Google: people do not search, but see your work pass by. Marketingkenners uses Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for awareness in your service area, remarketing to website visitors, promotions with a fixed date and recruiting staff, always measured down to the enquiry.
What is social media advertising?
Social media advertising is being visible for a fee on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You choose who sees your ad, based on region, age, interests or job title.
The difference with Google is big. On Google someone is actively looking for a tradesperson. On social media someone is scrolling a feed and is not looking for anything at that moment.
That does not make social worse, just different. It is strong for standing out and being remembered. For direct quote requests, search traffic is almost always stronger.
Meta's advertising system manages Facebook and Instagram together. LinkedIn has its own system, aimed at business audiences. On all three you set the budget and the duration yourself.
What you measure depends on the goal. For an open day you count sign-ups, for recruitment applications and for remarketing the enquiries from people who came back. Reach and likes are never the goal in themselves.
One campaign, three platforms
Each platform asks for something different. Switch between Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn and see how the same message changes.
Instagram: visuals first. Real project photos and a short text that stops the scroll.
Just completed in Arnhem: a brand new roof in five days. Curious what that would cost for your home?
New roof in 5 daysSearch intent comes first
Anyone who wants a roof replaced or a heat pump installed searches for it. That is why, within the Growth System , we almost always start with a website that converts and Google Ads on buying intent.
Social media advertising comes after that, with a clear goal. It complements the rest of your marketing and makes your brand known in your region. That way you know in advance what to expect from it.
There is a reason for that order. An ad on Google appears to someone who is looking for a tradesperson at that moment. An ad on Facebook first has to catch the attention of someone busy with something else. That costs more impressions for the same enquiry.
Yet social can deliver a lot, especially for big jobs. A roof renovation or home improvement has a long consideration period. In those weeks you want people to keep seeing your name and your projects. Social media is strong at that.
Four moments when social advertising pays off
This is where tradespeople really get something out of social media ads.
Awareness in your region
Let people in your service area see your projects, so they think of you when they search later.
Remarketing
Show ads to people who have already visited your website but not yet made an enquiry. That way you stay in view during their orientation. For jobs with weeks of consideration, that is often the difference between you and a competitor.
Promotion periods
An open day, a viewing day or a seasonal promotion has a fixed date. Social informs many people in your region in a short time.
Recruitment
Tradespeople rarely actively look for a new job. With social ads you reach them where they are.
Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
Each channel has its own audience. Facebook Ads reaches a broad group of homeowners and works well for remarketing and local promotions.
Instagram Ads runs on visuals. Nice project photos of a new dormer or a neatly finished extension do well there.
LinkedIn Ads is for business clients and for recruitment. Think of project developers, property managers or tradespeople you want to hire.
You do not have to advertise on all channels at once. We start with the channel that best fits your goal, measure what it delivers and only expand when it works.
Recruitment deserves its own place. Many tradespeople in construction and technical trades have more work than hands. You rarely find a good fitter or roofer through a job site, but you do with a targeted ad in your region that shows what it is like to work for you.
- Facebook for reach and remarketing
- Instagram for visuals and projects
- LinkedIn for B2B and recruitment
Search ads and social ads
Google Ads
- The customer is actively looking for a tradesperson
- Strong for direct quote requests
- You pay per click on your ad
- First choice for new jobs
Social media ads
- You stand out while someone scrolls
- Strong for awareness, promotions and recruitment
- You decide who sees your ad
- A complement to search traffic
How we use social ads
Every campaign starts with one question: what must this deliver?
Define the goal
Awareness, remarketing, a promotion or recruitment. For each goal we choose the channel and the metric.
Setting up measurement
We set up the tracking so that enquiries, sign-ups and applications from social become visible.
Audience and imagery
We decide region and audience and make ads with your real projects and people.
Test and adjust
We test different copy and images and put the budget behind what works. In the monthly meeting we go through the numbers.
Social advertising makes sense if
Do you recognise one or more of these points? Then social media advertising can strengthen your marketing.
- Your website and Google Ads already bring in enquiries
- You have an open day, viewing day or offer with a fixed date
- You want to reach visitors who are still undecided again
- You are looking for new tradespeople for your team
- You have good photos or videos of your projects
- You mainly want more clicks, likes or followers. We steer on enquiries and signed jobs.
- You’d rather try it yourself first. Start in the knowledge base
- You don’t know yet where the leak is. Take the free growth scan first
What customers say on Google.
I'm very happy with the collaboration. They're very engaged and we're seeing a nice rise in enquiries.
A lot has been achieved in online marketing in half a year. Niels is always well prepared and comes with concrete suggestions and recommendations.
Our sales have risen sharply since we started working together. Marketing is finally truly measurable. Highly recommended!
They listened carefully to our wishes, thought along actively and everything is professionally and sharply put together.
Thom and Niels know what they're doing, they get the most out of our website and know how to translate our technical knowledge into language consumers can understand.
Our photobooth sales shot up straight away and the website looks super sleek. They think along well with new ideas.
When it comes to CRO, SEO and SEA, the guys deliver visible results time after time. They work in a structured and focused way.
Thom put our website at the top of Google like a shot. He keeps all his agreements, correctly and reliably.
I had previously been let down by another agency, but Thom and Niels exceeded all expectations.
They know their stuff, are very pragmatic and proactive, and importantly: they keep their agreements. A pleasure to work with.
Thom and Niels helped me with my SEO and Google Ads, and as a result I've gained a lot of new customers!
We're very happy with how they think along and with the improvements to our sites and online visibility.
Always on hand and thinking along. Highly recommended for entrepreneurs looking for a top-sport mentality.
Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question here? Call, WhatsApp or email us. You'll get an answer within one working day.
Does social media advertising bring in quote requests?
Sometimes, but less directly than Google Ads. On social media nobody actively looks for a tradesperson. It works especially well for building awareness, reaching doubters again and filling promotions with a fixed date.
What is remarketing?
Remarketing means you show ads to people who have already visited your website. So they already know you, but have not yet made an enquiry. For big jobs with a long orientation phase, remarketing keeps you in view.
Which social media channel suits my business?
That depends on your goal. For private customers in your region, Facebook and Instagram work best. For commercial clients and for recruitment, LinkedIn is often stronger.
What does social media advertising cost?
You decide the ad budget, and you can start small. What matters more is what it delivers: a sign-up, an enquiry or an application. We set the budget based on that.
Do you also make the ads and images?
We write the copy and set up the ads. The best imagery comes from you: real project photos and videos of your team work better than stock photos. We're happy to help you work out what material you need. We don't create organic posts for your socials, our focus is on advertising.
Why do you sometimes advise against advertising on social?
Because search intent almost always comes first for tradespeople. If your website or Google Ads are not yet running well, every euro there delivers more. We would rather say so honestly.
Get seen before anyone searches?
In 30 minutes we'll discuss what social can do for your business. Free, via video.
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