Most tradies we talk to know video ads work. The problem is they picture a camera crew, a drone, a voiceover artist and a big invoice. So they never start.
The good news is that the video ads getting the best results for trade businesses right now are mostly filmed on a phone, by someone on the crew, during a normal day's work. Here's what to film, how to film it, and why the rough stuff often beats the polished stuff.
01Why phone footage works so well
When people scroll through Facebook or Instagram, they're used to seeing videos from their mates. Shaky, real, filmed on a phone. When a slick, studio-style ad pops up, their brain instantly flags it as an ad and they keep scrolling.
Phone footage of your real work blends in. It feels honest. It shows exactly who's going to turn up at their house and what the finished result looks like. For a homeowner deciding who to trust with their property, that matters a lot more than fancy editing.
02The shot list
Here's what we ask our clients to grab during a normal week. None of it should take more than a minute or two.
- The before: a slow walk around the space before you start, filmed in landscape and portrait
- Progress shots: the frame going up, the tiles going down, the moment things start to take shape
- The team: a few seconds of the crew working, ideally with someone giving a quick wave or nod
- The finished job: a slow, steady walkthrough of the completed work in good light
- The owner or foreman talking: 20 to 30 seconds explaining what the job was and what made it tricky
- The customer: if they're happy, ask if they'd say a few words on camera about how it went
That's it. A few of those every week and you'll have more ad material than you can use.
03A few tips that make a big difference
You don't need to be a filmmaker, but a few simple habits make your footage much easier to turn into ads:
- Film in portrait for Reels and stories, and landscape when you can, because both get used
- Hold the phone steady and move slowly, especially on walkthroughs
- Wipe the lens. Phones in tool belts get grubby, and it shows
- Film in daylight where you can, and avoid pointing straight at a bright window
- Turn off music in the background if someone's talking
- Grab more than you think you need, since a 10 second clip usually becomes 3 seconds in the ad
04What makes someone stop scrolling
The first second or two of a video ad decides whether anyone watches the rest. The strongest openers for trade ads tend to be a dramatic before shot, a big reveal of the finished job, or someone talking straight to camera with a clear statement like "this deck was rotting out from underneath".
After that, keep it short. Most of the best performing trade ads we run are under 30 seconds. Show the problem, show the result, show the team, and tell people how to get a quote.
05Customer videos are gold
A happy customer saying "they turned up when they said they would and the place looks amazing" is worth more than anything you could say about yourself. If a client is chuffed with the job, ask them. Most people are happy to help a tradie who did good work for them.
Keep it simple. Ask them what the job was, what they were worried about before, and how it turned out. Thirty seconds on a phone is plenty.
06Don't let it sit on your phone
The biggest problem we see isn't a lack of content. It's great footage sitting in someone's camera roll forever. Get into the habit of sending it somewhere straight away, whether that's a shared folder or straight to whoever does your marketing.
That's a big part of what our brand and creative service does. We give you the shot list, you send us the clips, and we turn them into ads and UGC-style content that runs across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. If you want to see what real creative can do, have a look at our results.
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