Social media for tilers: pattern, precision and the satisfying finish

Layout is half the job

Before a single tile is stuck down, there is a plan. A photo of tiles dry laid on the floor, with chalk lines marking the centre, shows the thinking that happens before the mess starts.

Pattern posts do well. Herringbone, stacked, offset and large format layouts all look different, and people enjoy comparing them. Name the pattern in the caption so people learn the terms and can ask for it by name.

Shoot patterns from a standing height, looking straight down or straight across, so the lines stay parallel. A tilted phone makes straight lines look wonky even when they are not.

Grout, edges and corners

Close-ups are where tilers shine. An even grout line, a clean cut around a pipe, a neat mitred corner or a trim set flush with the wall are the shots that make other tilers stop scrolling.

Hold the camera close and level, and use light from the side so the surface shows. Wipe the tiles first, because haze and dust show up in photos far more than in person.

Not every close-up has to be polished. A photo of a clean run of grout mid-job, with a sponge and bucket in the corner, shows the work in motion.

• Grout lines across a wall
• A cut tile around a pipe or switch
• A corner where two walls meet
• Where tile meets a different floor

Before and after, kept private

A room that goes from bare walls to finished tiles is the classic post. Take the first photo before you start and the second from the same spot, with the same light, once the grout is clean and the room is tidy.

Check the frame for anything personal before you post: family photos, mail, medication on a vanity, a toothbrush. Move it or crop it out, and never include people. Many clients are happy to be asked, and some prefer to say no.

Skip the address and the street. A suburb in the caption is enough to show you work locally. A line about the type of room, such as a small ensuite or a laundry, gives readers enough to picture the job. Add the tile size or finish if you know it, since people often ask.

Small details people love

Niches, shower shelves, feature strips and step edges are the details that make a job feel considered. A photo of a niche lined up with the grout lines on the wall around it is the kind of detail people notice.

Mixed materials also photograph well. A border strip, a patterned feature tile among plain ones, or a change of finish from matt to gloss gives the eye something to settle on.

Short clips of a tile being laid or a pattern coming together suit the same idea. The point is that tiling is calming to watch, so let people watch.

Wording that stays in your lane

Describe the tile, the layout and the finish. Stay away from technical claims about the layers behind the tile, because those need exact wording and belong with your own paperwork and your regulator.

If you show a licence number or registration, keep it exact and current yourself. Avoid wording that sounds like an approval or a ruling on the work.

How Ninjaneer Media fits

Ninjaneer Media is an invite-only beta. You upload photos from a finished room and add your business details, and it drafts posts from them. You go through each draft in a swipe feed and choose Schedule, Delete or comment a change.

Nothing is published until you tap Schedule. 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.