Social media for painters: show the prep, the colour and the finish

Prep is the story

A wall in the middle of being filled and sanded is not pretty, but it is interesting. A photo of masked-up skirting, drop sheets laid and edges taped tells a viewer that you do the unseen work.

Pair a prep photo with a plain caption: 'Sanding and filling before the first coat. The boring part that makes the finish.' The aim is to teach something, which reads as helpful rather than pushy.

Short sequences work well here. A photo of the bare wall, one after filling, one after the primer and one of the finished coat tells the whole story in four frames, and the caption can be a single line.

Photograph colour honestly

Colour changes with light, and phone cameras shift it again. Shoot in natural light, avoid the flash and take one photo near a window and one in the middle of the room.

Name the colour if the client is happy for you to. People love knowing what shade a room is, and it gives them something to search for. If you are unsure of the exact name, say 'a warm white' or 'a soft grey' rather than guessing.

If a client asks you to match an existing wall colour, you can mention matching as a skill without naming the household. Blending a repair into an old wall is often a talking point for people who have a patch to fix.

• Natural light, no flash
• Same angle before and after
• One wide room shot and one detail shot

Detail shots that show craft

The finish is in the edges. A clean line where wall meets ceiling, a crisp edge along a window frame or a smooth coat on a door are the shots that make another painter nod.

Hold the camera close and level, and keep the lighting even. One strong detail photo often does more than a whole room.

Cabinets, doors and timber trims are strong subjects. A smooth finish on a hand-sanded door catches the light and shows the work properly. Photograph from a low angle so the sheen shows.

Interior, exterior and the weather

Exterior painting depends on weather, so posts about planning a job around the forecast are natural and honest. A caption that says 'Rain delayed us a day, back on the wall tomorrow' keeps clients informed and shows you are open.

Interior posts can follow room by room: hallway, bedroom, kitchen cabinets. Series posts like this encourage people to come back for the next one.

Furniture moved and floors covered makes a good photo too. It shows a client what to expect on the day, and it reassures people who are nervous about letting painters into their home.

Say what you did, nothing more

Keep claims modest. Describe the surfaces and steps, such as two coats on the feature wall or a full repaint of the lounge, and avoid promises about how long a finish will last or what it will save.

If you work on older homes, be careful about commenting on the materials or hazards. Your own regulator or industry body is the right place for that wording, and you are responsible for keeping any statements accurate.

A before and after is fine, as long as you keep the same angle and light. If the room looked very different, say what changed in the caption rather than letting the photo overclaim.

How Ninjaneer Media fits

Ninjaneer Media is an invite-only beta. You add photos from the job plus your business details, and it drafts posts. You review each one in a swipe feed and choose Schedule, Delete or comment a change.

Approved posts wait in a queue at the times you pick, with a weekly cap. Live posting to Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Google Business switches on after the beta.

A simple weekly rhythm, say a prep photo, a finish photo and an availability note, fits painting well, because each stage of a job gives you a ready-made post.