Social media has never been more crowded — or more important. In 2025, it’s not just about jumping on trends or posting pretty pictures. For builders, remodelers, designers, trades, and suppliers across Minnesota, social media has become a direct line to your next customer.
So what’s working? What’s not? And how should your business show up online for the rest of the year?
We took a deep dive into Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Report and paired it with fresh insights from Meta for Business, HubSpot, and Hootsuite to create a mid-year check-in tailored for the housing and construction industry.
1. Consumers Still Want You on Social, But Only if You’re Authentic
According to Sprout Social, 93% of consumers say it’s important for brands to keep up with online culture. But that doesn’t mean you need to hop on every meme trend or use Gen Z slang. What it does mean is staying tuned into what your audience cares about: great craftsmanship, reliable service, and visually compelling work.
What this means for Housing First Minnesota members:
Share behind-the-scenes moments on job sites, walk-throughs of completed homes, and quick videos explaining your process. The bar for polish is lower than you think — relatable > perfect.
2. Instagram and Facebook Are Still Kings, But TikTok Is Coming for the Crown
If your business is active on Instagram and Facebook, you’re in the right place. These platforms remain the top sources for consumers to keep up with trends and the top places they go when deciding who to hire or what to buy.
But TikTok is gaining ground, especially among millennial and Gen Z homebuyers and design lovers. Sprout’s 2025 report shows Facebook and Instagram remain dominant, but Gen Z overwhelmingly favors Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Tip: Try repurposing your Instagram Reels for TikTok. Think of it as an extension of your brand voice: short videos of project walkthroughs, “before and afters,” or customer testimonials can go a long way. This does not mean posting the same exact content on both platforms, but rather using the videos or ideas you already have and reworking it to better fit the TikTok algorithm.
3. Your Content Doesn’t Need to Be Constant; It Needs to Be Meaningful
One of the biggest takeaways from 2025 data? Consumers are tired of brands posting just to post. In fact, constant content can backfire if it’s not adding value.
What you should do instead:
- Post fewer but more thoughtful updates
- Lean into storytelling (Why did you choose that material? What challenge did your team solve?)
- Engage in the comments; don’t just broadcast
People don’t scroll on social to see brand content, they want to see lifestyle, comedy, and culture. Ask yourself how your company can show up in those spaces while still remaining true to your brand.
4. Stop Letting Links Kill Your Reach
Meta recently confirmed what many marketers have suspected: putting external links in your Facebook post captions drastically reduces reach. In fact, 97.3% of Facebook post views now go to content without a link. This reinforces a major tactic for 2025: Zero-Click Marketing, which prioritizes content that keeps users engaged inside the platform.
For housing industry pros, this means shifting away from link-heavy posts and focusing on content that offers standalone value: walkthroughs, insights, photos, and stories that keep people scrolling. If you do need to share a link, drop it in the comments, not the caption.
Don’t measure success solely by web traffic; engagement, saves, and long-term brand trust are now more important than ever.
5. Your Customer Service is Now Public — and It Matters
Nearly 73% of consumers say they’ll switch to a competitor if they don’t get a response on social. That’s not just true for big brands; it applies to local businesses too.
Try this:
Make sure someone on your team is checking Facebook and Instagram DMs, tags, and comments daily. A fast, friendly reply can be the difference between a lead and a lost opportunity.
6. Social Drives Sales, Even in Homebuilding
Even if you’re not selling cabinets or windows directly through Instagram, your future customers are still shopping there. 81% of consumers say they make spontaneous purchases based on social content, and many start researching contractors or products three to six months before they’re ready to buy.
What to do now:
Make sure your profile is active, up-to-date, and showcases your best work. Use highlights or pinned posts to feature recent builds, services, and client testimonials.
Meta’s insights echo this, noting that short-form video content is leading to faster purchase decisions and more qualified leads, especially for small businesses.
What Now? It’s Time to Revisit Your Strategy
The biggest takeaway from the data? You don’t need to be everywhere. But you do need to be intentional. If it’s been a while since you updated your social strategy or you’ve been “winging it” with content, it’s a great time to pause, evaluate, and reset for the rest of 2025.
Here’s where to start:
- Prioritize showcasing your craftsmanship, culture, and customer experience
- Identify achievable video goals for your team’s bandwidth and stick to a content creation schedule
- Choose 1–2 video series ideas and start testing that content’s performance against your regularly scheduled programming
- Add in more time to actively respond to comments, DMs, and comment on other brand content to increase community engagement
- Become an expert in your niche. How can you prove to your audience that your team knows their stuff?
HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing report reinforces this: short-form video remains the highest ROI format, and marketers are moving away from volume-based strategies.
With the right strategy, your business can stand out from the noise and build deeper trust with the people who matter most.
Need more resources or inspiration?
Stay connected with Housing First Minnesota. We’re here to help our members thrive in all aspects of the housing industry, including digital marketing. Have a social media win? Tag us @HousingFirstMN or email us — we’d love to feature your story.
