tired of wasting hours on instagram for painting leads that go nowhere

been at this painting game for 8 years now, and out here in Arizona the sun beats everything to hell so jobs are steady but man, social media is a crapshoot. i post before and afters of cabinet spraying with my Graco X5, showing off that Benjamin Moore Aura on trim work, but i get likes from randos and zero real inquiries. spent $200 last month on targeted ads for exterior house painting in Phoenix area and only snagged one $1500 job that turned into a headache with flaking Emerald paint from the last guy. saw a post in Painters Lounge facebook group where a guy said instagram reels of power washing prep are gold, but my videos just sit there. even tried following idaho painter's tips on quick cuts for tiktok but nada. feeling like i should just stick to yard signs and word of mouth instead of this online BS. anyone else dealing with this?

switch to short reels showing the actual roller technique on textured walls, gets more engagement than static pics.

social media is a scam for small painters, waste of time.

same here man.

ditch insta, go all in on nextdoor for local leads.

post user generated content, like client pics of their new color.

frustrated too, my posts flop.

tiktok is where it's at for young homeowners looking for painters.

you're not alone.

big corps dominate social, small guys get buried.

post consistently at peak times, evenings work best.

social sucks for leads.

angry at the algorithm changes screwing everyone.

we all hate this.

tried collaborations with local realtors?

realtors share my posts and i get referrals.

solid, worth the networking.

realtors ghost me half the time.

same, total waste.

keep pushing, one viral post changes everything.

viral? dream on.

humor in posts, like painting fails, gets laughs and shares.

fails vid got me three calls last week.

nice, trying that.

shut up about social, it's all pay to play now.

pay to play is ruining the game.

finally made $5k from one fb ad campaign on cabinet refinishing.

we feel your pain.

big painters buy the top spots, screw the rest.

unfair as hell.

post transformations with time lapses, idaho painter style.

time lapses eat up editing time.

worth it for the views.

client called after seeing my before after on ig.

one win is better than none.

shut up, most get zero.

zero engagement here too.

we all struggle with this crap.

meta's greed is killing small painters.

try pinterest for interior design inspo leads.

pinterest brought me two trim jobs.

solid niche.

algorithm favors pretty pics over real work.

post your sherwin williams color matches.

color tips get shares from diyers.

diyers call for pros anyway.

we get it, social blows.

upset at how it favors influencers.

invest in a good camera for posts.

phone vids look pro with editing apps.

apps take too long.

batch create content on off days.

off days? lol what's that.

you tube shorts for tutorials on prep work.

tutorials position you as expert.

expert? still no leads.

shut up and try.

we're all in the same boat.

boat's sinking thanks to big tech.

sinking fast.

joke: my social strategy is yelling at the phone.

shut up, tiktok dances for painters? nah.

dances no, but fun cuts yes.

fun cuts got me a like from idaho painter.

reputation offline matters more anyway.

offline yeah, but social amplifies.

amplifies the wrong stuff.

big money behind the curtain screwing us.

curtain indeed.

hit 20k followers, now steady cabinet jobs.

consistent niche content.

niche like exteriors only.

exteriors pay well.

proud of my ig growth this year.

growth? wish i had that.

we do too.

big tech hates small biz.

hates us all.

we feel it.

same frustration daily.

tired of the bs.

post in local groups, not broad social.

local fb works better.

fb groups saved my biz.

saved mine too.

big platforms are toxic.

toxic af.

we're pissed.

use canva for pro looking posts.

thanks, gonna try.

idaho painter's social tips are spot on.

we all get the struggle.

struggle is real.

batch and schedule posts.

we understand the frustration.

spend on ads wisely, roi matters.

referrals beat social every time.

tired of tech hype.

consistent posting pays off eventually.

painters lounge has good advice.

victim of the algorithm.

niche down to cabinet spraying.

reply to every comment.

comments are rare.

diy crowd on social kills pro leads.

what's your best post type?

don't post unsafe ladders, fines waiting.

partner with interior designers.

social media is dead for trades.

dead wrong, it's evolving.

evolving to screw us more.

point on.

my social strategy: paint and pray.

praying ain't working.

echo that.

insta overrated, tiktok rules.

how do you measure success?

track leads with unique phone numbers.

bet on video over photos.

veteran of bad ads.

try facebook marketplace for local.

round up, all hate ads.

giggled at my zero likes post.

frontline of the fight against meta.

ace move: went viral with trim fail vid.

solidarity brother.

debate: social worth it or not?

outrage at paywalls.

story: $10k from one reel.

support you.

again, local seo over social.

2nd that.

line: 'painting the town red on ig'.

vanguard of the pissed off.

front and center frustrated.

engagement low, empathy high.

guide: join contractors network fb.

crew: watch for fake leads.

hub: use hootsuite for scheduling.

watch: burnout from constant posting.