To The Point - Home Services Podcast: Episode 313

Title: Stop Posting Crap! Why Your Social Media Isn't Getting Leads
Date: March 12, 2026
Host: Chris (RYNO Strategic Solutions)
Guest: Jen McKee (Keyhart Marketing)

Episode Overview

This episode dives straight into the realities of why social media often fails to drive real leads for home service businesses—think HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and more. Host Chris sits down with Jen McKee, founder of Keyhart Marketing, renowned for her bold purple brand and mastery of social media marketing for the trades. Together, they tackle real-world pitfalls, best practices, KPIs, and actionable strategies (organic and paid) to help contractors stop "posting crap" and start generating actual business results from social.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Who is Jen McKee? (04:48 – 07:07)

• Background: Jen is the owner of Keyhart Marketing, specializing in social media for home service companies. She stumbled into the industry in 2021 by helping a plumber go viral on TikTok.
• Experience: Worked 17 years in restaurants, 5 as a manager—skills in culture, storytelling, and habit-building inform her approach.
• Natural Content Creator: Self-described “documenter” and journalist at heart, always sharing and capturing authentic moments.

Why Social Media Fails for Contractors (01:51 – 03:45)

• Cookie-Cutter Content Doesn't Work: "I was never a fan of, like, cookie cutter graphics and like, the same heat pumps and all this other bullshit that nobody cares about." —Chris (02:35)
• Internal vs. External Teams: Internal teams succeed by being authentic, but many contractors don’t have someone in-house who can or wants to “own” social media.
• Value of Authenticity: “We want people to see who we are behind the scenes…Let’s have fun with it.” —Chris (03:54)

Where to Start: Just Document! (11:06 – 12:32)

• Start Simple: "Just start posting...document your life. Take a picture or video of whatever it is you're doing that day and share that. That is literally step one." —Jen (11:06)
• It Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect: Don’t overthink—realness resonates far more than polished, generic posts.
• Actionable Advice: Post authentic moments from the field, office, or meetings.

Choosing the Right Platforms (09:44 – 14:04)

• Top 3 for Home Service: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok are the "big three."
• Content Reuse: Most businesses should repurpose the same content across all platforms to maximize reach.
• YouTube’s Mixed Bag: Currently, Google mostly indexes video from FB, IG, and TikTok—not as much from YouTube Shorts (13:23). Still worth posting, but not the primary organic focus.

What Content Actually Works? (15:28 – 20:11)

• Engagement is King: “Our number one goal is reach and engagement.” —Jen (15:43)
• 3S Framework: 50% of your content should be crafted purely for engagement (“show up” content).
• Types of Content: Humor, trends, authenticity, and occasional memes—if relevant to your audience.
• Chris’ Litmus Test: “If nobody gave a shit about what I do, would they continue to watch this thing?” (18:54)

Metrics & KPIs (15:28 – 23:34)

• Organic Social: Focus on reach, engagement, and visibility. Organic is a branding play, but can drive leads too.
• Paid Social: Primary KPIs are cost per lead and booking rate (the latter heavily relies on internal team follow-up and process).
• Internal Accountability: “It’s not like Jen or you just create all these videos and stuff...No, you have some like lifting on your end. You have to do too.” —Chris (22:57)

Paid Social: Winning Offers and Budgeting (26:02 – 30:38)

• Winning Offers: Tune-up ads (despite being loss leaders) still provide the best ROI for new customer acquisition.
• Creative is Critical: “You have to have video and pictures that match the offer. We've stopped running ads if we don't have great creative because they're just not performing as well.” —Jen (28:34)
• Budget Guidance: $50–$100/day ($1,500–$3,000/month) is a typical starting point, varying by market.
• Lead Attribution: Best tracking happens when clients use tools like ServiceTitan, but monthly client reporting is the norm.

Recruitment & Culture Benefits (36:40 – 37:42)

• Recruitment Tool: Employees and new hires directly cite company TikTok as a reason they want to work there.
• Culture Spark: Involving your team in fun, on-trend social media not only builds brand but boosts morale: “Their team just has so much fun with it...it boosts the morale.” —Jen (34:46)

Overcoming the Excuses: Small Team, Fear of Camera, or No Time (44:18 – 48:59)

• No Excuses: If you’re too small or shy, that’s exactly why you need to leverage a partner, or just get started—even if it’s cringy at first.
• No “One-Size-Fits-All”: Authentic owner or team content always wins over paying for generic creative.
• Mindset Shift: “What are you willing to do to ensure the growth of your business? Sometimes you have to do things you’re uncomfortable with.” —Jen (47:56)

AI vs. Human Content (50:35 – 53:32)

• AI Tools: CapCut, Opus Clip, Canva, and ChatGPT are useful for editing and ideas but...
• Real Talk: “AI can’t do your social media yet.” – Jen (51:32)
• Authenticity Wins: “There’s only two directions that work: completely unedited, raw content or very, very, very polished…nothing in between.” —Jen (51:17)

Consistency & The Long Game (55:05 – 56:03)

• It’s a Snowball: “Organic social is like a snowball. It doesn’t do anything at the beginning...but over time people start to remember you that don’t know you at all.” —Jen (55:05)
• Leads Will Come: The more consistently you post authentic content, the greater your organic reach—and eventually, the leads follow.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I was never a fan of cookie-cutter graphics and the same heat pumps and all this other bullshit that nobody cares about.”
  —Chris (02:35)
• “Just start posting…document your life. That is literally step one.”
  —Jen (11:06)
• “You have to make sure the audience you’re trying to reach would find it funny. Sometimes what you find funny isn’t what the moms in your city would find funny.”
  —Jen (19:24)
• “If this growth is important to you, there’s just something about maybe doing it anyway. Even if it feels cringy, even if you’re uncomfortable.”
  —Jen (47:56)
• “AI can’t do your social media yet.”
  —Jen (51:32)
• “Organic social is like a snowball…it doesn’t make that big of a difference at first. But over time…that’s when it really starts to make a huge impact.”
  —Jen (55:05)
• "You don't got to do everything, but you got to do something."
  —Chris (59:32)

Practical Social Media Tips (Action Items)

• Start Posting Today: Use your phone, don’t overthink, and share authentic moments from the field.
• Don’t Wait for Perfection: Progress over perfection—your early content will be awkward, but you’ll improve.
• Leverage Team & Trends: Involve your crew, follow trending topics, and keep the tone upbeat or educational.
• Track What Matters: On organic, look for engagement and reach. On paid, watch cost per lead and booking rates.
• Invest What You Can: $1,500–$3,000/month is an effective starting ad budget, but do what fits your business.
• Stay Consistent: Treat social as a long-term investment; leads and brand equity snowball over time.

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Keyhart Marketing Freebies: Social media blueprint, video ideas, shot lists, and more resources available on [Keyhart Marketing’s website].
• The Growth Experience Conference: Event in San Antonio, March 30–April 1, focused on profits, people, and presence.
• Book Recommendation: "Atomic Habits" for building routines around content creation.
• Influencers and Friends: Gary Vee, Tommy Mello, Aaron Gaynor, Zach Car, Derek (TikTok dancing trendsetter in HVAC).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:48] Jen’s backstory and entry to the trades
• [09:44] The top 3 platforms for home services contractors
• [11:06] How and why to start “just documenting”
• [15:28] The most important metrics (engagement, reach, cost per lead)
• [19:24] Humor vs. education vs. entertainment in content
• [28:34] Paid ad budget and creative requirements
• [36:40] Social media as a recruiting/culture tool
• [47:56] Mindset: Getting over fear and excuses with social
• [51:32] AI’s impact—and limitations—in social content
• [55:05] Embracing the “snowball effect” of consistency

Conclusion

Chris and Jen's lively, no-nonsense conversation delivers a powerful, reality-based look at social media for home service companies—demystifying what works, debunking excuses, and providing practical steps for anyone ready to increase their visibility, leads, and ultimately, their bottom line. The core message? Stop overthinking, start posting, and be relentlessly authentic.

“Effort costs $0.” —Chris (59:32)

For more, visit [Keyhart Marketing] for resources or grab a ticket to The Growth Experience Conference!