Social media has become one of the most effective ways for manufacturers to connect with contractors, distributors and more. But one question always comes up when planning a content strategy, should you focus more on organic or paid social media?
Each plays a different role in building awareness and engagement, especially in the trades.
Organic Social
Organic social media includes everything you post for free, updates, project photos, employee spotlights, how-to videos and customer stories.
For manufacturers, organic content builds trust. It helps you stay visible to your existing audience, show thought leadership and nurture relationships over time. When a contractor sees your posts regularly, they begin to associate your brand with reliability.
The challenge is that organic reach has declined across nearly every platform. Algorithms now favor content that generates engagement, so only a small portion of your followers might see each post. You can’t simply post, you must stay active, respond and create content your followers want to see and share.
Paid Social
Paid social media consists of ads, boosted posts or sponsored campaigns, which lets you reach new and highly specific audiences. You can target by region, job title or even interests, ensuring your message gets in front of the right people.
For example, if you’re launching a new tool or promoting a training event, paid campaigns can generate awareness quickly and drive measurable results. They can also help you test different messages and visuals to see what resonates most with your audience.
However, without strong creative, a clear goal and ongoing optimization, it’s easy to spend money without seeing much impact. Successful paid campaigns require planning, testing and refining to make sure every dollar is working hard for your brand.
Why You Need Both
Organic and paid social work best when they support each other. Organic content builds credibility and trust, it shows who you are and why you matter. Paid content amplifies that message, helping you reach new people and drive traffic to your page or website.
For example, a contractor might first learn about your brand through a sponsored post, then continue to engage with your organic content to learn more about your products and expertise.
Finding the Right Mix
The best strategy depends on your goals and audience. Start by developing strong organic content that reflects your brand’s voice and provides real value like educational tips, behind-the-scenes looks or customer success stories. Then, use paid campaigns strategically to boost high-performing posts, promote new product launches or highlight trade show appearances.
Paid campaigns can help you reach new audiences fast, but your organic presence is what keeps them engaged for the long haul.
When you strike the right balance between organic and paid social, you build more than awareness, you build trust, credibility and long-term brand loyalty.
Everyone in the industry wants to get their message in front of contractors. But simply hitting “publish” on a blog post or video doesn’t guarantee the right people will see it, let alone act on it. To make real impact, your content needs to be tied to a clear strategy and delivered in a way that speaks directly to the contractor’s day-to-day needs.
Contractors are busy. If you want to earn their attention, your content should solve a real problem like showing them a faster technique, a more efficient tool or a way to train their crew without slowing down the jobsite.
But here’s something brands often overlook; you don’t always need more content. You need to make better use of the content you already have. One great piece can fuel multiple tactics, reaching contractors where and how they prefer to consume information.
Here are five ways to get more use out of a single piece of content:
Turn it into a video series
Break down a piece of content into short videos your sales team can share directly with customers or post them on social to extend reach.
Host a webinar or live Q&A
Use your original content as a jumping-off point for an educational session. Record it, post it on your site, and promote it through email or social channels.
Create an infographic
If your content includes stats, processes or how-to tips, design a visual version. Infographics are perfect for quick engagement via e-blasts, LinkedIn or trade publications.
Leverage testimonials
Repurpose your content into a real-life scenario. A contractor’s voice, whether written or on video, can bring your solution to life in a way that builds credibility and trust among your audience.
Pitch it to a trade publication
Your content could be the foundation for a feature article or guest column. Most trade outlets welcome new, practical content tailored to their readers.
Develop a blog
You don’t always have to start from scratch when writing a blog. Look at what you’ve already created from sales collateral, case studies, videos, webinars or even internal presentations. For example, turn frequently asked customer questions into a how-to article or summarize key points from a recorded webinar into a written piece. Repurposing content not only saves time, but it also helps reinforce your message across multiple platforms.
In the trades, efficiency matters and that applies to your marketing, too. Instead of constantly creating new content, focus on using what you already have in smarter ways. From videos to blogs to infographics, repurposing your content gives you more chances to connect with contractors where they’re paying attention.
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You’ve spent time writing a great blog post, now what? With countless methods to promote your blog, simply hitting “publish” isn’t enough. Promoting your blog is just as important as writing it, especially if your audience includes busy contractors or distributors in the skilled trades.
Tip #1: Send it to your email list
Whether it’s featured in a monthly newsletter or sent as a standalone, your blog deserves to be in front of an audience who keeps up to date with the company. If the content is specific to a niche like plumbing or HVAC, segment your list accordingly for better results.
Tip #2: Share it on social media
Schedule multiple posts across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X). Social media posts can highlight a stat, a quote or encourage your followers to check out the blog for more information.
Tip #3: Use industry-specific hashtags
Hashtags help expand your visibility beyond your followers. Use targeted ones depending on the blog post like #MarketingToTheTrades, #SkilledTrades or #ConstructionProfessionals. Using specialized hashtags for each blog can help to push the blog to the correct audience and increase engagement.
Tip #4: Repurpose it
One well-written blog post can do more than live on your website. Take that long-form content and break it down into short-form assets like social media carousels, short videos or even talking points for a podcast or webinar. Repurposing stretches the value of your content and helps you connect with your audience in the formats they prefer to engage.
Tip #5: Collaborate with industry partners
Share your content with manufacturers, distributor partners, or trade publications and encourage cross-promotion. You could also offer the guest post for their blogs, newsletters or websites and include a link back to your site. You can even pitch your blog as the foundation for a feature article in an industry magazine.
Promoting your blog doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional. By using even a few of these practical tips, you can significantly increase the reach and impact of your content. Whether you’re targeting contractors or distributors in the skilled trades, making the most of each blog post ensures your message gets seen, shared and remembered.
CLEVELAND – December 2025 – Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial and MRO markets, received a gold award in the “B2B Campaign” category at the 23rd Annual Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Cleveland Rocks Awards competition, recognizing excellent communications programs and tactics.
The recognition celebrates Sonnhalter’s integrated public relations campaign in partnership with NIBCO to commemorate the company’s 120th anniversary and the grand opening of the Rex Martin Interactive Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.
The campaign blended strategic media outreach, social media engagement and storytelling to highlight NIBCO’s legacy of innovation, family leadership and commitment to education within the skilled trades. Through customized content, proactive editorial pitching, two key press releases and a high-visibility ribbon-cutting media event, the campaign amplified awareness among industry professionals, trade and local media, employees and the local community.
“We’re honored to once again be recognized by our peers at PRSA,” said Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect at Sonnhalter. “This campaign was incredibly special, not only because it celebrated a major milestone for NIBCO, but because it helped inspire future generations to explore careers in the trades.”
Annually, the PRSA-Cleveland Rocks Awards acknowledge Northeast Ohio’s outstanding communications programs, which incorporate research, planning, execution and evaluation. PRSA Cleveland Rocks Award winners demonstrate leadership in public relations and contribute to advancing the profession locally.
About NIBCO INC.
NIBCO INC. manufactures and distributes a full line of flow-control products and systems for applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, marine, irrigation and waterworks markets. NIBCO, a fifth-generation business with its headquarters in Elkhart, Ind., operates 15 manufacturing plants across the United States and around the world. Visit NIBCO.com for information on the complete line of NIBCO products.
About Sonnhalter
Established in 1976, Sonnhalter is the leading B2T marketing communications firm to companies that target professional tradesmen in construction, industrial and MRO markets. Sonnhalter’s brand identity highlights its expertise in marketing to the professional tradesmen. Its tagline, “Not Afraid To Get Our Hands Dirty,” promotes the employees’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into clients’ businesses, also, it refers to the market it targets: the tradesmen who work with – and dirty – their hands every day. Sonnhalter developed the acronym “B2T,” which stands for “business-to-tradesmen” to capture the essence of its specialty. For more information, visit the company website at Sonnhalter.com.
About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members, and more than 100 Chapters nationwide. Serving nearly 300 members, the PRSA Greater Cleveland Chapter brings together public relations, communications and marketing practitioners throughout Northeast Ohio. Among the Chapter’s most important activities and duties is coordinating networking events and activities, developing and hosting professional development activities for members, serving as a resource for public relations students and providing recognition of excellence and best practices in all facets of the field of public relations. www.prsacleveland.org
