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Social media for tree services: before and after videos, what to post and how often
Tree work looks great on a phone screen. This guide shows you how to turn the jobs you already do into simple posts, how often to post, how to shoot short videos safely, and how to tell if any of it brings in work.
By Umair Nawaz, Lirevon. Last reviewed: October 2026.
What social media can and cannot do
Before you spend evenings on posts, be clear about the job social media does for a small tree company.
What it can do
Show your work, your crew and your gear. Make your name familiar in your area, so people remember you when they need a tree service. Build trust before the first call. Give past customers something easy to share with a neighbor.
What it usually cannot do
Replace Google. Many people who need a tree removed this week search on Google and call a company that looks good there. Social media is slower. It builds trust over months, not days. Treat it as support for your Google profile, your reviews and your website.
So get the basics right first. A complete Google Business Profile and a steady flow of real Google reviews usually do more for calls this month. Many photos and videos you take for social media can also go on your Google profile, so the work does double duty.
Before and after videos
If you only make one kind of post, make this one. It needs no script and no talking. The tree tells the story.
1. Shoot the before from a fixed spot
Pick a spot you can find again, like the end of the driveway or a fence corner. Hold the phone at chest height. Take a 5 to 10 second clip and one photo. Keep the house or roof line in frame so viewers see the size of the tree.
2. Shoot the after from the same spot
Same place, same height, same direction. Line it up with the before shot so the change is obvious. The clean yard is the payoff of the whole video.
3. Grab a few middle clips
One or two short clips filmed by a ground person from a safe distance: a limb lowered on a rope, the chipper eating brush, the grinder finishing a stump. Three seconds each is plenty.
4. Edit short
Before, two or three middle clips, after. Many good before and after videos are under 30 seconds. Put the most interesting moment early.
5. Tell the story in one line
Say what the job was in plain words, on screen and in the caption: "Big oak leaning over the garage, removed in one day." Never show the street name or house number.
The hardest part is remembering the before shot, so make it part of the job start. The free job photo checklist lists every shot, so the crew lead can tick them off.
What to post: ten ideas
You do not need to be creative every day. Rotate through a few post types. These ten cover most weeks.
Before and after
Your strongest post. Removals, crown cleanups, roof clearance, stump grinding.
Why we did it this way
Explain one choice, like why you rigged a limb down or brought a crane. It shows skill.
Storm work, done safely
Show cleanup from a safe angle with a note: stay away from downed lines and call the utility.
Meet the crew
A crew member says their name and how long they have done tree work. Only with their permission.
Gear and safety checks
A morning gear check or a climber clipping in. It shows you take safety seriously.
Homeowner tips
When to prune, signs a tree may be dead. Keep it general and suggest a pro look at their own tree.
Questions you get asked
One question per video: "Do you grind the stump?" or "What happens to the wood?"
A real review, shared
Share a real Google review, with a first name only or no name. Never write one or reword it.
Seasonal reminders
Spring pruning, fall cleanup, storm prep. Plan them ahead on a calendar.
Behind the scenes
Loading the truck at 6 am, the wood yard. Ordinary days show you are a real local company.
Keep it honest
- Post only your own work. Never post another company's photos as yours.
- Do not fake a before shot or stage damage. Brightness and cropping are fine; adding or removing trees is not.
- Never write reviews for yourself or ask friends to post fake ones.
- If you mention a price, say it was for that job only and invite people to get their own quote.
How often to post
There is no magic number. What matters is that you can keep it up. The table is a starting point; change it to fit your time.
| Your situation | Starting point | What to post |
|---|---|---|
| Just starting, owner does it all | 2 to 3 posts a week | One before and after, one tip or question. Batch on a slow evening. |
| Someone on the team can help | 3 to 5 posts a week | Add crew clips, gear checks and seasonal posts. |
| Busy season, no time | 1 to 2 posts a week | Keep only before and after. Something beats nothing. |
| Storm week | Post when safe, short and useful | Safety notes, honest wait times, how to reach you. No hype. |
The trick is batching. Film on every job, but edit and write once a week, then schedule posts ahead. Plan seasonal posts, such as spring pruning or storm prep, with the free promo calendar.
Short video tips
You do not need to dance or follow trends. You need clear, steady clips of good work. These seven habits make the biggest difference.
Film vertical
Hold the phone upright. Short video apps and phone screens are tall, and wide clips get cropped or shrunk.
Clean the lens
A phone in a work pocket gets dusty. Wipe the lens before every clip. This one habit fixes many blurry videos.
Hold still for three seconds
Start recording, wait, then move. Stop, wait, then end the clip. Brace your elbows or lean on the truck.
Keep the sun behind you
Filming into the sun turns the tree dark.
Add text and captions
Wind and saws drown out talking, and many people watch with the sound off. Put the key words on screen. Check auto captions, because they often get tree terms wrong.
Start with the result
Try opening with one second of the after shot, then cut back to the before. It gives people a reason to watch.
Use music you are allowed to use
Use the free music inside the app you post on, or music you have a license for. Songs you do not have rights to can get a video muted or removed.
The first two seconds
People decide fast whether to keep watching. Open with movement or a clear result, not a logo: a limb swinging on a rope, or a flash of the finished yard. Add a short line of text that says what is happening: "60 foot oak, leaning over the house."
Safety and permission checklist
A video is never worth an injury, an angry customer or a crew member who feels used. Check this list before you film and before you post.
- Nobody films while climbing, running a saw or feeding a chipper. Filming is a ground job for someone not working the tree, standing well outside the drop zone.
- Never film near power lines in a way that suggests the work is safe for anyone. Work near lines is for trained, qualified people only.
- Ask the customer before you film their property: "Mind if we take a before and after for our page? No address shown." Respect a no.
- Keep house numbers, street signs, license plates, customers and children out of the shot, or blur them.
- Do not post anything that breaks your own safety rules, like a missing helmet or chaps. Viewers notice, and so do insurers.
- Ask crew members before you post their faces or names.
- If a customer or neighbor asks you to take a video down, take it down. This is a short explanation, not legal advice.
Captions and calls to action
The caption is where a viewer becomes a caller. Keep it short and plain. Four parts are enough.
What it was
One line on the job: "Dead pine over the back deck, taken down in sections."
Where, roughly
Town or area only, never the street. It tells local people you work near them.
One useful detail
Why it needed doing, or one tip: "If your pine has brown needles all year, get it looked at."
One clear next step
"Call or text us for a free estimate." Make sure your profile shows your phone number and service area.
A starting-point example
This is a template, not a tested result. Change the words so it sounds like you.
Big silver maple hanging over the garage, taken down in sections and cleaned up the same day, here in [your town]. If a tree is leaning toward your house, get it looked at before storm season. Call or text [Your Company] for a free estimate.
When a post works, your phone rings. Miss that call and you lose the lead anyway. Read the missed calls guide to make sure those calls get caught.
What to measure
Views feel good, but they do not pay for fuel. Track the numbers that point to jobs.
| Number | How to track it |
|---|---|
| Callers who mention social media | Ask every new caller "How did you hear about us?" and write it down. |
| Profile taps and link clicks | The app's own stats show how many people tapped through to your number or website. |
| Shares and saves | A share means someone sent your post to a friend, often a neighbor. |
| Comments with questions | Each one is a lead or a new video idea. Reply the same day. |
| Views | Useful as a trend, but do not chase them. Views from your own town beat views from across the country. |
Give it two or three months before you judge. If almost no callers mention social media, cut back to one before and after a week and put the saved time into reviews and your Google profile.
A simple weekly plan
This routine fits around real tree work and takes roughly an hour a week once it is a habit. Your time may differ.
On every job
Before and after clip and photo from the same spot, plus one or two middle clips by a ground person.
One evening a week
Pick the best two or three jobs. Edit each into a short video, write the captions and schedule them.
Every day, five minutes
Reply to comments and messages. Treat a message like a phone call: fast, polite, with a clear next step.
Once a month
Look at which posts brought calls or messages. Do more of those. Plan next month's seasonal posts.
If you would rather spend your evenings on estimates, see our services and pricing, or ask for a free audit of your calls, reviews and Google profile. Lirevon is new and has no tree-service clients yet (first case studies December 2026), so these tips are general advice, not client results.
Common questions
Is social media worth it for a small tree service?
It can be, if you keep it simple and cheap. It works best as a trust builder next to a strong Google Business Profile, good reviews and a clear website. Start small and track whether callers mention it.
What is the best thing to post?
Before and after videos of real jobs. They are easy to shoot and show your skill without words. Shoot both from the same spot so the change is obvious.
How often should a tree company post?
Two or three times a week is a fair starting point. Posting steadily for months beats posting every day for two weeks and then stopping.
How long should a short video be?
Often 15 to 30 seconds is enough for a before and after. Put the best moment in the first second or two.
Do I need to ask the customer before filming?
It is a good habit and builds trust. Ask, say you will not show the address, and respect a no. This is a short explanation, not legal advice.
Can my climber film from up in the tree?
Not while working. Climbing, cutting and rigging need full attention. A ground person can film from a safe spot. A climber should only take a clip when stopped, tied in and safe, and only if your own safety rules allow it.
Should I post prices?
Be careful. Every tree is different, and one price can set the wrong idea for another job. If you share one, say it was for that job only and invite people to get a quote.
Should I answer comments and messages?
Yes, and fast. A message about a tree is a lead, just like a phone call. Reply the same day with a clear next step, such as a time to call or a request for a photo.
How do I know if it is working?
Ask every new caller how they heard about you and write it down. After two or three months, count how many said social media. Also watch profile taps and shares.
Can Lirevon run my social media?
Our main system covers calls, texts, booking, reviews, your website and your Google Business Profile. See the services page for what is included. Lirevon is new and does not have tree-service clients yet, with first case studies planned for December 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Posting frequencies and video lengths are starting points, not rules.
Social posts work best next to a strong local presence. See the Google Business Profile and local SEO terms, read quick answers on the answers hub, or look at our Local Dominance offer. If you run a small crew, the owner-operator page shows how we keep the setup light.
Turn views into booked jobs
A good post makes the phone ring. Lirevon helps tree service companies catch every call that follows. Get a free audit, see the services or check pricing.