Social Media FAQs

Basic Presence runs $400–$800/mo (2 platforms, 8–12 posts/mo from photos you send). Standard Management runs $900–$1,800/mo (2–3 platforms, 16–20 posts/mo, story/reel production, review response). Content + Video Program runs $2,000–$4,000/mo (monthly on-site shoot, edited reels/shorts). A Paid Social Layer adds $500–$3,000/mo ad spend plus $500/mo management. Full Social Program (everything combined) runs $3,500–$7,000/mo all-in.

Number of platforms, posting volume, whether content comes from photos you send versus an on-site shoot we run, and whether paid social is layered in.

Yes at every tier, scaled to the plan — Basic Presence works from photos you send, while the Content + Video Program includes a monthly on-site shoot and edited reels/shorts.

Not in the base management tiers — paid social is a separate layer ($500–$3,000/mo ad spend plus $500/mo management), or bundled into the all-in Full Social Program.

Yes — Basic Presence covers 2 platforms, Standard Management covers 2–3, and pricing scales with platform count and posting volume.

Toughjobs manages social media for trade contractors across the Midwest.

Most day-to-day management is remote — posting, community response, and reporting. On-site content shoots are periodic and scoped as part of the Content + Video Program.

Most accounts kick off within 1–2 weeks of signing, starting with profile setup and optimization before the posting schedule begins.*

Talk to us about your market — no pitch, just a straight read on what would actually move the needle for your business.

It depends on what you're solving for. Google Business Profile has the highest direct ranking impact, Reddit ranks well for high-intent "near me" threads, Facebook drives local reach and reviews, YouTube works for how-to and project videos, Instagram/TikTok build brand demand with before/after visuals, and Nextdoor drives hyper-local neighborhood trust. You don't need to be everywhere — just consistent where your customers already are.

8–12 posts/mo at the Basic Presence tier, 16–20 posts/mo at Standard Management, scaling up with the Content + Video Program.

Yes — captions are written in your voice, not corporate marketing-speak, and content ranges from photos you send (Basic) up to a full monthly on-site video shoot with edited reels and shorts (Content + Video Program).

Yes, across every tier.

Yes, starting at Standard Management — review response and community engagement are included, along with inbound DM handling.

Yes — a monthly report is included at every tier, with a full posting calendar at the Content + Video Program level.

Trade contractors who want their real job photos, before/afters, and crew work turning into brand recognition and, indirectly, better search visibility.

Reputation, yes directly — social proof drives more Google reviews, and review volume lifts your position in the map pack. It also feeds brand searches and backlinks, both of which are ranking signals.

3–5 times per week per platform is the sweet spot. Below 2/week and the algorithm stops showing you to your own followers. Above 7/week is usually a waste unless you're running a heavy content operation. Consistency matters more than volume — a steady 3/week beats a burst of 15 followed by silence.

Four moves: set up and optimize every platform that matters for your trade and town, post real job photos and before/afters on a steady schedule, engage helpfully in community spaces like Nextdoor and local groups, and run systematic review prompts.

Community engagement is built into the process — helpful answers in local groups and Nextdoor threads, not scheduled posts on autopilot.

At the Basic Presence tier, real job photos and before/afters from your crews. At the Content + Video Program tier, we come to you — a monthly on-site shoot means you don't have to be the one capturing and sending content.

No. Most contractors get 90% of their social ROI from Facebook and Instagram, with Nextdoor as the sleeper. TikTok and Shorts are worth it if you (or a crew member) are naturally comfortable on camera — otherwise the effort-to-return ratio doesn't pencil out for a busy contractor.

Real ads, through Meta Business Manager, almost every time. Boost buttons are Meta's way of taking your money for lower-quality placements and worse targeting. A properly built lead-form campaign will outperform boosted posts by 3–5x on cost per lead.

Yes, matched to what actually moves the needle for your trade — Facebook and Instagram for local reach and visuals, YouTube for how-to content, TikTok for emerging reach, Nextdoor for neighborhood trust, and Google Business Profile and Reddit for direct search impact.

Seasonal promotions and lead-form campaigns are part of the Paid Social Layer; broader campaign work is scoped per project.

Yes — social activity directly feeds review volume, brand searches, and backlinks, all of which are ranking signals, and the Paid Social Layer coordinates with organic posting rather than running separately.

Indirectly, and significantly. Social drives branded searches (people Googling your name after seeing your post), referral traffic to your site, and — for Google Business Profile — signals of an active, real business. It also fuels reviews, which are a direct local ranking factor. Social isn't an SEO tactic, but it feeds the machine.

Leads generated, not just "reach." Reporting covers engagement and follower growth AND leads generated — vanity numbers alone don't tell you if it's working.

Organic builds the brand searches, reviews, and community trust that make paid ads convert better; the Paid Social Layer (lead ads, retargeting, seasonal promotions) is optimized weekly on top of that organic foundation.

Yes — you own the accounts; we manage them.

Yes.

Respond publicly, quickly, and professionally — always. Acknowledge, apologize where warranted, offer to take it offline. How you handle criticism in public is one of the most-read signals of your business's character, and a well-handled negative review often converts better than five glowing ones.

Review response and inbound DM handling are part of Standard Management and above — managing responses and engagement, not just outbound posting.

Reach out through the contact page for a straight read on which platforms and tier actually fit your business.

A baseline before work begins (starting assets, access, tracking, market, budget, constraints), a work log of what changed and when, and verified outcomes connecting activity to lead quality or booked work when the data is available — never a stock quote substituted for proof.

Monthly, at every tier.

Reports focus on engagement, follower growth, AND leads generated — not just reach.