What You're Going To Need As A Contractor in 2023 to create engaging content.

Hey there guys! Reggie here from The Contractor Social Media Guru. Today we’re going to be taking a look at a few important things you will need in 2023 as a contractor to create content that is not only compelling but also engaging. 

As we all know doing something right never comes cheap so prepare yourself for a few minor expenses. The good news is that these tools end up paying for themselves when used properly.

Without wasting any further time, let’s dive right in!

1. Get yourself a drone for a “birds-eye” view

If you’ve spent any time watching contractor videos on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Facebook then you’ve definitely seen some drone footage. What makes drone footage so valuable on social media is that it offers a new perspective to audiences viewing your video content. Not only does it look great, it also acts as a fantastic way to showcase special projects & previous work.

We’ve all heard a million times that video content will be king in 2023 so why not get a camera that can go almost anywhere? I’m gonna go ahead & list my top 4 drones for contractors below. Check them out & decide for yourself which drone would work best for you.

Top 4 drones for contractors:

1. DJI Air 2S

The Air 2S drone, which is priced at around $1,000, offers great value as it features DJI's dependable obstacle avoidance technology, a high-quality 5.4K camera, and extended battery life.

2. DJI Mavic 3

If you want the best camera available on a DJI Mavic drone, the Mavic 3 is our pick.

3. DJI Mini 2

This lightweight drone, which is equipped with a 4K camera and DJI's autonomous capabilities, offers excellent value as it does not need to be registered with the government.

4. Autel Robotics Evo Lite+

This drone, which is simple to operate, is equipped with a high-resolution 6K camera and offers a long flight time of 40 minutes. It does not have any reported security issues, which is a significant advantage when compared to DJI drones.

2. Make sure your camera is able to record timelapses.

Let’s face it, EVERYBODY loves timelapses & that's because they’re cool as hell! Most mobile devices available today are able to record in time lapse mode or hyper lapse mode as it's called on some devices. Not only does it look cool, it also gives your audience an insight into your process which is educational.

Here’s our list of timelapse ideas.

1. Roof tear-off

2. Laying a shingle roof start to finish

3. Painting a room

4. Building a deck

5. Installing gutters around a house

6. Driving to an inspection or the office ( Overlay audio of you talking about a topic related to your niche.)

7. Driving home from the office or an inspection ( Overlay audio of you talking about a topic related to your niche.)

8. A day in your office

9. Material drop off

3. Find a video editing software that works for you.

There really is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a video editing software that works for you. This one obviously doesn’t apply to the guys with in house production crews. At the end of the day when choosing a video editing software we would recommend keeping the following in mind:

1. Cost

Knowing how often you’re going to be creating content & using the editing software is important when making your choice. The reason I say this all boils down to price. You don’t want to be spending a ton of money on something you’re using once a month.

2. Utility

Find a software that has all the bells & whistles you’re looking for to create the type of content you’re after for your contractor business. There are many different options out there with roughly the same tools and features. Some programs have unique features that others don’t so make sure to do your research before making your choice.

3. Learning curve/ease of use.

If you’re going to be editing your own content it’s important to know that editing video is no walk in the park. Many contractors opt to have their videos edited by professional video editors instead before using them on their social media platforms.

If you’re keeping it in house then its wise to choose software with an easier learning curve to start off with. Finding the right software is the difference between loving & hating the experience so take the time to find what works for you.

Here are our top 3 desktop video editors for contractors:

1.  Adobe Premier Pro

2. Da Vinci Resolve

3. Blendr

Here are our top 3 mobile video editors for contractors:

1. Adobe Premiere Rush

1. FilmoraGo

2. iMovie

4. Find an auto captioning software to add subtitles to your videos automatically.

Generally people overlook the importance of video caption or subtitles due to the fact that they’re used to the novelty of watching short & long form video content with the audio on. The reality is that there are many people out there watching without so it's important to make sure you get a software that can help you generate captions or subtitles automatically so you don’t have to waste time doing it.

According to YouTube's data, captioned videos tend to have better engagement in terms of viewing completion. While only 60% of videos without captions are fully watched, that number increases to 80% for videos that include captions. Additionally, captioned videos are shared more frequently with a 15% increase in sharing compared to uncaptioned videos. The numbers don’t lie! Take the time to caption your videos.

5. Find someone to manage your social media presence & content.

The truth here is you’re not supposed to be messing around on social media at all during the day because you’ve got a scaling contractor business to run. That’s my job & quite frankly that's why I’m here. Anyways, jokes aside, you really need to find a person, freelancer or agency to manage your digital presence so you can focus on the more important aspects of your business like where the heck you’re going to find the shingle your homeowner wants that were discontinued in 2014.

The long & the short of it is taking care of it yourself uses up a lot of precious time you could be using to call up your leads or catch up on our blog. I know it’s hard to trust someone with something as important as your business's digital presence but somewhere along the line you need to let go.

My closing 2c on everything mentioned above?

If you’re just starting out with the whole content creation thing & you’re nervous to invest money in the whole operation then that's perfectly fine too. Your mobile device should work just fine to start things off with.

Once you’re a bit more confident in front of the camera &  your content has reached its perfect audience you’ll find yourself wanting to invest in it more. Everybody has to start somewhere & in 2023 if you’re falling behind you’re falling off so best you get your ass in gear and behind that camera. Your homeowners need educating!

Wanna chat?

Before I go I'd like to mention that I'm here to help you with anything social media related so just reach out! You can book a quick call with me by clicking the big "Book Now" button below ( It's 100% FREE ) or you can just reach out to me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting! Good luck out there.