With so much AI content out there, it can be tough to tell what’s real and what’s fake. Anyone else see the Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise rooftop fight created using ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0?
Which is why it’s more important than ever to lean into real and authentic content. Instead of posting perfectly polished shots of your log home projects, show your process and the why behind them. Take your audience behind the scenes and show them the real humans who do the real work.
You’ll build trust, position yourself as the go-to log home maintenance and restoration expert and partner they’ve been looking for to keep their dream log home in tip-top condition. Not sure how to do it?
Here are some ideas to inspire you, whether you’re posting on social media or sending out postcards.
Show & Tell: Social Media
Social media should feel like a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes of your company. Showcase the people who do the blasting, staining, and sealing.
1. Jobsite Walkaround
Record a short video that walks viewers through your current restoration project. Show what you’re working on, the problem you solved, and what comes next.
2. “Why We Did It This Way”
Educate your audience on why you picked that stain. Why you used borates, or how to get rid of carpenter bees. Be honest, list the pros and cons. Share mistakes you’ve learned along the way, too, so others can avoid them.
3. Meet the Crew
Highlight the person who answers the phone. The estimator. The house cat (or dog) that hangs out around the office. You can share what they like to do in their spare time, how long they’ve been on your crew, their experience, and their expertise. What do they like most about their job?
4. Before, During, and After Series
Don’t forget the during that’s where the magic happens (and most of the work). Show the weather delays, your crew backbrushing the stain in, up on ladders, taping off windows, etc.
5. Get Testimonials
Take a photo or, better yet, a video of your happy customers gushing about your work and how excited they are to get back to enjoying their cabin instead of working on it.
6. Talk About Money
Talk about how and what drives costs. This will help with sticker shock, and you’ll weed out the folks that aren’t for you. Be honest and transparent.
7. Mistakes Were Made
Everyone enjoys seeing funny fails but in all seriousness we all learn a little something from others’ mistakes. Share your mistakes so your customers learn what not to do too.
8. Energy Efficiency Myths Busted!
Explain how log homes, when maintained, are an energy-efficient option. You can go into the thermal mass of logs, insulation, and ICC compliance.
9. Day-in-the-Life
Ask a crew member to document a typical workday to show what really happens each day.
10. Go Local
If you volunteer or take part in local community events, share those stories and tag your partners to reach more people.
Make It Evergreen: Printed Marketing Collateral
11. Share Your Process
Clearly outline the steps customers can expect when working with you. For inspiration, see the brochure I created with Log and Timber Worx.
12. Tell Your Story
How long have you been in business? How did you get started? Tell your origin story.
13. Highlight a Project
If you’ve worked in log homes for a while, you might know the Capture the Moment stories for Sashco’s Capture. These stories became brochures, blog posts, and social media content.
14. Create a Maintenance Checklist
You and I know what it takes to maintain a dream log homle, but many log homeowners don’t. Make a spring and fall maintenance checklist so people know what to look for around their cabin before it becomes a problem. Here’s one I designed for Sashco back in the day. Want one? Let’s talk.
15. A Log Home Maintenance Guide
Now that you’ve made your mainteance checklist, create a guide on how to maintain log homes that your customers can refer back to.
Meeting New People & Staying in Touch: Direct Mail
Direct mail can be a powerful, personal tool for reaching out to log homeowners. People still like to have something in their hands that they can feel and refer back to.
16. Welcome to Your Log Home
Send out a brochure or a nurturing postcard series to new log home owners, directing them to your online resources and what they can expect when caring for their log home. Wondering where to find a list? Do a search on Zillow for log homes recently sold or for sale. Or partner with local real estate agents.
17. Seasonal Maintenance Reminders
Don’t forget to clean those gutters this spring. Or what to look for when it comes to failing stains and log rot.
18. Local Project Spotlight
Highlight a nearby project with photos and a short story to build credibility.
19. Energy Myth-Busting Mailer
Address misconceptions about log home efficiency.
20. Milestone Mail
Check in with past clients on the milestones of their log homes. When they bought it, when they last stained, etc.
21. Thank-You Notes
It might sound old school, but a handwritten thank-you note can feel like a breath of fresh air in the mail. Check out these ones I designed as a thank you to a few of my clients.
An Easy Cost-Effective Way to Market: Email Marketing
Some of the ideas we had in direct mail could be run in parallel with an email campaign. For my own business, I send out postcards and then two weeks later send the same content in an email to prospects.
Wondering why email? Read my ultimate guide to email marketing here. Otherwise, move ahead to the ideas below.
22. Project Spotlight
Showcase the before, during, and after of your log home restoration and maintenance projects. Link it to a blog post on your website.
23. What to Expect When We’re Working
What happens before your project even starts? Set expectations up front and let your customers know what really happens when you blast their log cabin and what to do about the dust.
24. Log Homeowner FAQs
Answer one frequently asked question per email.
25. Product Spotlight
Do you have a go-to product? Share what you use and why.
26. Log Home Design Considerations
How high should the foundation or stone work be? How decks can help protect a log home. Or where to put landscaping.
27. Log Home Energy Education Mini-Series
Explain how thermal mass works, how to seal up windows and doors, and insulation considerations specific to log homes.
When You’re Not There Your Website Does the Work
Your website is the first place your audience will go to learn more about you and determine whether they want to do business with you. Make it easy for them to find the information they need and show them who they’re working with and how you work.
28. Process Page
From start to finish, lay out your process. List what’s involved with log home prep? Cleaning? Staining? Sealing? Blasting?
29. List Your Pricing
This is hard with log homes, but it will also help you rank with search engines in the age of AI. If you have a maintenance plan or something that’s predictable, you could include that here. Or use this space to explain what goes into pricing out projects.
30. Project Highlights
You’ve seen this idea throughout, but really go into detail on your website. It could be a blog post explaining the budget, timeline, project challenges, and the final result.
31. “Meet the Team”
Think beyond the smiling headshot. Showcase your crew’s experience, certifications, and years in trade.
32. Educational Resources
Publish blog posts on log home energy performance, maintenance tips, and details about each part of your process.
33. Client Testimonials
Use real photos, videos, or text from client testimonials sprinkled throughout your website.
34. Frequently Asked Questions
This is especially important in the age of AI and search engine ranking. Create an FAQ section or, even better, a page of questions you get all the time. It’s not only good for AI but also good for those clients who feel too sheepish to ask.
The Big Picture
And there you have it, a few ideas to help you get the good word out there about your services and show that you’re a real-life and trustworthy company that cares about its customers.
And remember, trust compounds.
Authenticity and consistency across your marketing channels pays off in the long run. When social media posts match your website’s tone. When brochures align with what’s said in person. When emails educate rather than pressure customers, customers feel confident in who you are. Your reputation builds. And customers know you’re looking out for their best interests and you’ll deliver quality craftsmanship.
Wondering which content ideas you should try first? Give me a holler and book a 30-minute free discovery call. I’m happy to help you figure out the next steps to grow your business.
I help build brands. I love partnering with folks across the building materials, nonprofit, and consumer goods industries—big or small. I aim to help you get the good word out about your products, services, and mission so you can grow.
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