Gold Coast Landscaper — Social Media
A landscaper had no online presence beyond a Facebook page — before/after Reels now drive 234% more project enquiries.
TL;DR
- Challenge:
- A Gold Coast landscaper with 180 Facebook followers convinced social media "wasn't for tradies".
- Approach:
- Systematic before/after Reels + drone flyover content, Instagram portfolio, targeted Meta ads to homeowners.
- Result:
- +234% project enquiries, followers 0 → 3,400, average project value up 86%.
Key Results at a Glance
+234%
Project enquiries
New
Instagram followers
+86%
Average project value
Client Context
Business Type
Landscape design + build (residential)
Founded
2012
Team Size
5 landscapers + designer
Market
Gold Coast + Tweed Shire
Revenue Tier
$1.1M annual revenue
Stack Before
Facebook page (stale), ServiceM8, word-of-mouth only
The Challenge
The business had a Facebook page with 180 likes and occasional posts of finished gardens. No Instagram, no content strategy, and the owner thought social media was "not for tradies".
Goals & KPIs
North-Star Metric
Generate 15+ qualified project enquiries per month from social within 6 months
Supporting KPIs
Project enquiries/month
Target: 15+
Instagram followers
Target: 3,000+
Engagement rate
Target: 5%+
Average project value
Target: $7,000+
Content output
Target: 4 Reels + 3 posts/week
Discovery & Research
Audit Findings
- •No Instagram account
- •Facebook page: 180 followers, no strategy
- •Zero before/after content documentation
- •No drone footage of completed projects
- •No paid social
Baseline Issues
- •6 project enquiries/month
- •0 Instagram presence
- •$4,200 average project value
- •No content workflow
Competitor Insight
Top Gold Coast landscapers averaged 8K+ Instagram followers, posted daily transformation content, and had drone flyovers converting at 3x static photos.
Audience Insight
Gold Coast homeowners (35-60, HHI $150K+) scroll landscaping Reels for 4+ months before committing — visual proof drives decisions.
Strategy
Core Hypothesis
“If crews capture before/after Reels at every job, then project enquiries will scale because homeowners buy landscaping on visual outcomes, not text.”
Positioning Shift
Repositioned from "landscaping" to "Gold Coast's outdoor transformation specialists — retaining walls, pool surrounds, native gardens".
Channel Mix
Instagram Reels (organic) · 45%
Highest reach for visual trades
Meta paid social · 30%
HHI-targeted homeowners
Drone flyover content · 15%
Premium project showcase
Instagram portfolio grid · 10%
Consideration stage
Our Approach
Before/after Reels
Created a system where the crew takes a 10-second "before" clip at arrival and a "drone flyover after" at completion — edited into 30-second transformation Reels.
Instagram portfolio
Built an Instagram grid organised as a visual portfolio — retaining walls, pool surrounds, native gardens, outdoor kitchens — each tagged with suburb and project type.
Local paid social
Ran Meta ads targeting homeowners within 25 km with household income targeting, using the best-performing Reels as ad creative.
Phased Roadmap
Weeks 1–4
Content System
- →Trained crew on before/after capture
- →Drone footage workflow
- →Instagram account setup
- →Content calendar (4 Reels + 3 posts/week)
Weeks 5–16
Organic Growth
- →Weekly transformation Reels
- →Drone project reveals
- →Follower growth 0 → 1,800
- →Engagement rate: 6.2%
Weeks 17–26
Paid Amplification
- →Meta ads: homeowners HHI $150K+ within 25 km
- →Winning Reels as ad creative
- →Retargeting to profile visitors
- →Average project value: $4,200 → $7,800
What We Built
The Results
Monthly Project Enquiries
Before vs After — 6 Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project enquiries | 6/month | 20/month | +234% |
| Instagram followers | 0 | 3,400 | New |
| Average project value | $4,200 | $7,800 | +86% |
“I thought Instagram was for influencers. Turns out homeowners spend hours scrolling landscaping Reels before they call anyone.”
Matt R.
Owner, Landscaping Company
Key Insights
- →Drone flyover Reels outperformed handheld footage 3.6x on saves + shares
- →HHI-based targeting on Meta was worth the pixel setup — quality > quantity
- →The crews resisted content capture initially — the first viral Reel changed their mind
- →Project value grew because premium projects reached out after seeing premium content
What's Next
Launching a garden design consultation service, testing TikTok with the same transformation content, and hiring a full-time content coordinator.
Ready to see similar results?
Book a free strategy call — we'll audit your current setup and map out what growth looks like for your business.
Services Used
Representative case study. Figures illustrate the type of outcomes achievable through these strategies for Australian businesses; individual results vary based on market, budget and starting position.