Short answer
- Rotate between five goals: show your work, build trust, teach, join the community and promote.
- Real photos and short phone videos beat polished stock images for local businesses.
- Save this list. On a busy day, pick one idea and post it in ten minutes.
Show your work (10 ideas)
Proof that you're good at what you do. Usually your strongest posts.
- Before and after of a recent job, side by side.
- A 15-second time-lapse of a job from start to finish.
- Your most-ordered item or most-booked service, close up.
- "Today's work" carousel: three photos from one day.
- A finished result from a customer's point of view (the clean car they come back to, the plated dish).
- The detail most people miss: the stitching, the edge trim, the garnish.
- A tricky job and how you solved it.
- Your tools or kitchen at the start of the day, ready to go.
- A new service or menu item, the day it launches.
- A "one week, five jobs" roundup every Friday.
Build trust (8 ideas)
People buy from people. These show who they'll be dealing with.
- Meet the owner: why you started the business, in under a minute.
- Team introductions, one person per post.
- A customer review turned into a graphic (with their permission, using their real words).
- How you price a job, explained simply.
- Your process in four steps, from first call to finished.
- Your licenses, insurance or certifications, and why they matter to customers.
- Your cleaning, safety or hygiene routine.
- Honest "what we don't do" post, pointing people to someone better suited.
Teach something (8 ideas)
Helpful posts get saved and shared, and they make you the obvious expert to call.
- "True or false?" myth-busting in your industry.
- The three questions to ask before hiring someone like you.
- A seasonal checklist (spring yard prep, winter car care, holiday hair booking).
- How to make a result last longer: aftercare tips.
- Explain one word customers often get confused by.
- "Fix it yourself or call a pro?" for a common small problem.
- Common mistakes customers make, without blaming anyone.
- Answer one question from your inbox each week.
Be part of the community (7 ideas)
- Shout-out to a neighboring business you love.
- A local event you're attending or supporting.
- Your favorite spot in town, and why.
- A thank-you post to regular customers (no names or faces without permission).
- Behind the scenes on a holiday or local tradition.
- A joint offer with a non-competing local business.
- A milestone: years in business, 1,000th customer, new van.
Promote, without being pushy (7 ideas)
Offers work best when most of your feed isn't offers. Aim for roughly one promotional post for every few others.
- Last-minute openings today or this week.
- A seasonal offer with a clear end date.
- A gift card reminder before holidays.
- "Book your spot before it fills up" for genuinely busy seasons.
- Your price list or menu, updated.
- A referral offer for existing customers, if you run one.
- A reminder of how to book, call or find you, with one clear link.
One rule on reviews: it's fine to ask happy customers for Google reviews in a post, but don't offer discounts or prizes in exchange. Google doesn't allow incentivized reviews.
How to shoot them on a phone
| Post type | How to shoot |
|---|---|
| Before and after | Same spot, same angle, same light. Mark where you stood. |
| Time-lapse | Phone on a stand or shelf, time-lapse mode, don't touch it. |
| Talking to camera | Face a window, phone at eye level, under 45 seconds, one idea. |
| Product close-up | Daylight, plain background, tap to focus, no zoom. |
| Team or customer photos | Ask permission first, natural moments over posed lineups. |
Shoot vertically if it's for Reels or Stories. Send me raw clips and I'll turn them into finished Video reels ($39 each). If you'd rather hand off the whole feed, my Social media management plan ($199/month) plans and schedules 12 posts a month from your photos and videos.