Social media has changed how tradespeople discover products, follow brands, and engage with the industry. While many manufacturers still focus on product demonstrations and specifications, Jonard Tools is finding success by creating content that's designed to entertain first and sell second.
At NECA 2025 in Chicago, Trade Hounds VP of Marketing Jeanette Abrahamsen sat down with Colin Conrad, Manager of Social Media at Jonard Tools, to discuss how the team develops content ideas, responds to trends, and builds an authentic brand voice that actually connects with tradespeople.
I really have to give a lot of credit to [my boss] Kandace. I come from a creative background, but she was the one who said, “We want you to take spaghetti and throw it against the wall.”
We’re trying to find that balance between letting people know about the tools we have, but we also don't want to just spew ads to everybody all the time. We want you to be entertained.
The second I see an ad, I'm like, "Don't tell me what to do," and then I just go away. Versus if I'm like, "Hey, I'm just here to entertain you. And yes, we do have awesome tools. Stick around. Party with us a little bit."
That's my mindset.
I'm from Maryland, and I went to school in Ohio, where I studied film production. Then I went to Los Angeles for 12 years, where I worked as an actor and writer for a lot of different TV shows.
When the pandemic happened, everything kind of dried up, and I was looking for a change. I saw an ad for Jonard, and I was like, "Hey, I would like to come aboard."
It's probably been one of the best experiences I've had. I'm not just saying that. It combines creativity with the freedom of tools. I do a lot of DIY stuff in my house, and it's like combining those two different loves.
It's been a really fun time.
I'm the social media manager. At work, my name is Colin Conrad, but on camera, I go by Joe from Jonard.
I just wanted to create a little mascot. That is the person you can look at, and he can do a lot of different things and be a lot of different characters. Colin can just be the person behind the scenes, trying to come up with creative stuff.
I run the social media, but I work with Kandace, who's our marketing manager. We've just been trying to continue to push the envelope, but also have fun and get people's attention. It's like, "Hey, look at us."
If we can get them to turn their heads now, we're going to try to reel them in and be like, "All right, now come hang out with us for a little bit. See what we've got going on."
Coming in, checking socials, trying to stay on top of stuff, and trying to engage with people. But after that, it's really getting to editing. Editing can take anywhere between one to three hours.
Then it's trying to figure out the shot list. Coming from a production background in Los Angeles, the more prepared you are with a director's shot list and a breakdown of what you want to say, the better. You kind of have a vision.
Luckily, it's just me that I'm working with, so I don't have to explain the craziness inside my head. But when I have worked with others, that has been a great exercise too. Then I can say, "All right, this is exactly what I need to get the shot."
The best ideas come to you when you're not even trying. I saw some of our tools, and I had an idea for a dentist sketch. I was like, “POV: You can't afford a dentist, so you come to an electrician.” Then I did some really bad New York accent.
There was a trend where someone took a box and was throwing it to people. I was like, "Can we expand on that?" So I did one with the BP-100 backpack, and I had the marketing intern continuously throw the box at my head. That one did well. Anything that causes pain is going to get some good views.
Part of social media management is that you have to be glued to your phone. You have to be looking for what's going on, staying tuned in, and trying to apply that to what you're doing.
For example, with the Coldplay concert. It has such a short lifespan. I love comedy, and I was just spitballing. Me and the marketing intern were talking back and forth, and I said, "Not all marriages are made for life, but Jonard is."
She was like, "That's brutal." And I was like, "Let's go with it."
It blew up so fast for us, and people we never hear from started chiming in. That's the fun aspect of it because I want to keep doing that.
As more tradespeople spend time on social media to learn, connect, and discover new products, manufacturers are rethinking what effective content looks like. Jonard's approach shows that building an audience isn't just about showcasing tools—it's about creating content people want to watch and engaging with the community in authentic ways.
Watch the full conversation from NECA Chicago to hear more.