High praise for tradespeople – why using social media really does pay off for the trade industry

In Germany, people access entertaining content on the Internet on a daily basis. Fifteen per cent of the daily usage relates to Instagram and this trend is set to increase further. What opportunities does this offer tradespeople?

Many tradespeople and trade firms have already discovered the advantages of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: not only is it a cost-effective marketing tool that they can use to reach lots of customers. It also provides a platform to exchange ideas with like-minded people and helps to broaden horizons. However, you do have to invest time, something that pays off for many tradespeople. At last year's STABILA Social Media Day participants from a variety of trades confirmed these impressions. As highlighted by the videos on this page, this event also gave us the opportunity to ask participants about their trade.

High praise for tradespeople: on a daily basis, hundreds of thousands of images and videos on social media showcase various trades on construction sites around the world, illustrating what people can achieve with their bare hands.

High praise for tradespeople: on a daily basis, hundreds of thousands of images and videos on social media showcase various trades on construction sites around the world, illustrating what people can achieve with their bare hands.
@ferz.woodwork / Jan Ecker

„I am in the fortunate position of being able to motivate young people to learn a trade. Otherwise, one day we will be unable to complete building projects or day-to-day tasks in our homes.“

(Jan from @ferz.woodwork)

However, many tradespeople do not just invest their time to establish a social network or use it as a platform to acquire new orders and customers. For many trades, investing in their social media presence is also a means of recruiting personnel. Regardless of whether they use images, videos or text, companies can use these platforms in a variety of ways.

Trade firms can present themselves as attractive employers, generating interest from potential employees and young people. It provides these target groups with the opportunity to see how varied an apprenticeship in the trade industry can be and that it is worth becoming a tradesperson after finishing school. An increasing number of young people are discovering the popular platform TikTok. 13% of 14 to 29 year olds already use the app daily. As we know, the early bird catches the worm. The trade industry needs young talent.

„The trade industry is very versatile. We currently have a huge shortage of skilled professionals, which is why young people have excellent prospects. The trade industry always offers a huge variety of tasks“

(Christian from @bauunternehmung_baumgaertner)

@bauunternehmung_baumgaertner / Christian Baumgärtner
One thing is certain: social media has become an integral part of day-to-day life for many people.

One thing is certain: social media has become an integral part of day-to-day life for many people. So the question is no longer whether social networks will be established but rather to what extent the trade industry sees it as an opportunity to expand its appeal and further strengthen the social importance of the profession. Working with our global STABILA community, we will continue to fly the flag for the trade industry!