Social Ads aren't Commercials

No One Watches Ads on Purpose — So Don’t Make Yours Feel Like One

If you're a contractor, electrician, plumber, or anyone working with your hands building something real — listen up:

I see a lot of small business owners in the trades treating social media ads like TV commercials. That’s a mistake.

They throw up a long, polished video that talks all about their company… run it as a Facebook or Instagram ad… then wonder why it doesn’t bring in any leads. And next thing you know, they’re saying:

“Facebook just doesn’t work for my business.”

I’ve heard that line in so many meetings. And every time I ask:

“Okay, what exactly did you run as an ad?”

And they show me a 5-minute video that would look more at home on a cable TV channel than on someone’s phone screen.

Look — social media is its own beast. It's fast, it's noisy, and it's competitive. People are thumbing through content while waiting on coffee or sitting in their truck on break. You’ve got seconds to grab attention.

So why would someone stop scrolling to watch a boring company pitch?

When I run ads for trade businesses, I don’t think “commercial.” I think problem-solving.

I think about the homeowner who's panicking because of a leak. The GC who's behind schedule and needs subcontractors. The business owner whose electrical is failing.

Those are real people with real problems. So the ads need to talk to them like real people. Not like we’re trying to win a film festival.

I test different messages. Different videos. Different audiences. I use lead forms right inside Facebook so they don’t even have to leave the app to contact you — especially now that iOS messed with retargeting.

I think mobile-first. I think speed. I think results.

I don’t care about flashy graphics or how great your logo looks on screen. I care about who's seeing the ad and what they do after.

I’m not here to post pretty pictures. I’m here to help you book more jobs and grow your business.

Some “marketing agencies” are out here just throwing your photos on Instagram with zero strategy. No targeting. No testing. No results. That might work for a little while… until it doesn’t.

Eventually, business owners catch on. Because the phone’s either ringing — or it’s not.

I get fired up about this stuff because I actually care. I care about the people you’re trying to serve — because that’s what gets you paid.

If you’re serious about growing your business, and you’re tired of ads that don’t work, hit me up. Let’s run something real.