3 Social Media Hacks That Actually Get Bedford Builders More Leads
- Danilo Velimirovic
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
You're posting on Instagram. Facebook. Maybe even LinkedIn if someone told you that's where the professionals are. Still not getting enquiries. Most construction businesses in Bedford are doing social media wrong. Not because they're lazy. It's because they're treating it like a portfolio instead of what it actually is – a way to prove you're not another cowboy builder.
The Problem With Most Bedford Builders On Social Media
Your feed's full of finished jobs. Nice kitchens. Tidy extensions. Maybe a shot of the team standing in front of a van.
Great. So is every other builder in Bedfordshire.
Someone in Kempston is seeking a builder to undertake their loft conversion. They're scrolling through Instagram trying to figure out whom to trust with their biggest investment.
Your feed looks identical to the other 30 builders they've looked at today.
Same content. Same captions. Same "professional tradesman" vibe that tells them absolutely nothing about whether you'll actually show up on time or disappear halfway through their job.
That's the problem. Not that your work's not good enough. That you're invisible.
Why does this actually matter?
Bedford homeowners have been burnt. They've got stories about builders who took their deposit and vanished. The ones who promised six weeks, and it took six months. The ones who left the job half done.
Your social media is your chance to prove you're different before they even call you.
But if you're posting the same stuff as everyone else, you're not proving anything. You're just another builder with a nice logo.
And when everyone looks the same, people pick based on price. Which means you're competing with every cheap cowboy who can undercut you because they're going to bodge it.
That's why this matters. Your social media marketing should be bringing in customers who already trust you. Not tyre kickers looking for the cheapest quote.
Why does this actually matter?
Bedford homeowners have been burnt. They've got stories about builders who took their deposit and vanished. The ones who promised six weeks, and it took six months. The ones who left the job half done.
Your social media is your chance to prove you're different before they even call you.
But if you're posting the same stuff as everyone else, you're not proving anything. You're just another builder with a nice logo.
And when everyone looks the same, people pick based on price. Which means you're competing with every cheap cowboy who can undercut you because they're going to bodge it.
That's why this matters. Your social media marketing should be bringing in customers who already trust you. Not tyre kickers looking for the cheapest quote.
The Three Hacks That Actually Work
Right. Stop doing what everyone else is doing. Try these instead.
Before And Afters (But Do Them Properly)
Everyone posts before and afters. Most do it wrong.
They post a wreck, then a finished room. Nice.
Doesn't tell anyone anything except that you can finish a job. Which is literally the minimum.
Do this instead. Show the mess in the middle.
Film the disaster you found when you opened up that wall. The bodge job someone else did. The problem you had to solve that the customer didn't even know about.
"Here's what we found behind this plasterboard in a 1930s terrace in Bedford. The previous builder didn't bother with damp proofing. It would've cost them thousands in five years. Here's how we actually fixed it."
That's what builds trust. Because you're showing you know what you're doing when things go wrong. And things always go wrong on building jobs.
One builder in Luton started posting the problems they found and how they sorted them. Three months later they were turning down work because they were booked solid.
Not because the posts went viral. Because people saw them dealing with real issues honestly.
Create Skits (Yes, Really)
Most builders think skits are stupid. Too childish. Not professional enough.
Wrong.
Skits make you real. They show there are actual people behind the business. And people trust people, not logos.
Film a 30-second skit about the classic customer questions you get. "Can you just have a quick look while you're here?" "My mate said it should only take a day." "Can't you just do it cheaper?"
Make it funny. Make it relatable. Don't take yourself too seriously.
A builder in Biggleswade started doing skits about the weird stuff they find in people's lofts. Got more engagement in two weeks than they'd had in two years. Because it was entertaining, and it showed they were real people who don't take themselves too seriously.
This is what separates you from every stiff, corporate-looking builder account. You become memorable. You become the builder people actually want to work with.
And the best bit? You film it on your phone in five minutes. No fancy equipment. No script. Just you being yourself.
Copy Your Competitors (And Make It Better)
Controversial, this one. But it works.
If another builder in Bedford is getting loads of engagement on a certain type of post, they've figured something out. Don't ignore it because you want to be original.
Take the principle. Make it yours.
Another builder posting client testimonials that are getting comments? Do testimonials. But film yours. Get the actual customer talking about why they chose you. Make it real, not just a screenshot of a Google review.
Competitors are doing job updates that people are engaging with? Do updates. But show the stuff they're not showing. The problems. The decisions. The reality.
One construction business in Sandy saw a competitor getting traction with "day in the life" content. Copied the format. Added their own personality. Within a month they were getting more enquiries than the original.
Because originality is great. But results are better.
You're not stealing. You're learning what works and doing it your way. That's just smart business.
This Is What We Help Bedford Builders With
Look, you're running a construction business. You haven't got time to figure out social media trends and what's working this month.
We work with builders across Bedfordshire on exactly this. Not theory. The practical stuff that actually generates enquiries from people who already trust you before the first phone call.
Want to chat about what's working for construction businesses in Bedford right now? Drop us a message. We'll be straight about what'll work for you and what's a waste of time.
Just Start
You're good at building. You do solid work. You show up.
Just show that online. Not the polished version everyone else is doing. The real version.
Pick one of these. Try it this week. Film it on your phone. Post it.
Do that and you'll stop blending in with every other builder in Bedfordshire.
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