From Trade Pros to TikTok

The Changing Role of Influencers in AEC and BPM Marketing

A decade ago, if you’d told a building-products executive they’d be investing in influencer marketing, they probably would’ve laughed you out of the room.

Influencers? For windows and decking? Please.

But something changed. Influence in our industry has always existed, it just didn’t live on social media. It lived in the architects who specified your product. The builder who swore by your flashing tape. The dealer who pushed your line at every counter sale. Those were the original influencers, the people who carried credibility in their circles.

Today, those same people have smartphones, cameras, and followings. They’re showing installation hacks on YouTube. Reviewing hardware and build techniques on Instagram. Hosting design podcasts that reach both specifiers and homeowners.

• Installation Hacks on YouTube: Matt Risinger, host of The BUILD Show, breaks down everything from window flashing to vapor barriers. His channel has become the gold standard for product-education content in high-performance construction.

• Hardware & Remodeling Insights on Instagram: Zack Dettmore — a New Jersey-based remodeler specializing in kitchens and baths — shares job-site videos, tool reviews, and pro-level installation advice to help followers “level up” their craftsmanship. His cross-platform content (YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram) blends authenticity and education in a way few can match.

• Hosting Design Podcasts: Shows like Smarter Building Materials Marketing, with Beth💥 PopNikolov and Zach Williams, feature builders, manufacturers, and marketers discussing how building-product brands earn trust and drive ROI through storytelling and content.

From Visibility to Credibility

When I led PGT Innovations’ 2023 influencer and sponsorship program, our goal wasn’t “more followers.” It was to build credibility at scale across both professional and consumer audiences.

Through a mix of HGTV partnerships, regional creators, and technical demos, we increased brand engagement by 147% and social growth by 121%, while product interest rose 18%.

You can read the full case study here.

That growth didn’t happen because we chased trends. It happened because we connected influence back to its original purpose: making expertise visible.

How We Got Here: From Bob Vila to Micro Builders

Before social media, the most trusted voice in home improvement was a guy with a flannel shirt and a PBS show. Bob Vila didn’t just sell renovations, he sold reassurance. Viewers believed him because he knew what he was talking about.

Fast-forward to today, and that same dynamic plays out across thousands of creators, from tradespeople with GoPros on job sites to designers curating remodel reveals on Instagram.

It’s people being relatable that works, not the channel.” Technologies evolve, but trust doesn’t. Whether it’s HGTV or TikTok, audiences still look for authentic, relatable expertise, the kind that helps them decide what to buy, install, or specify.

Why Influencers Matter in Building Products

Let’s strip away the buzzwords and look at the evidence.

• Businesses generate an average $6.50 ROI for every $1 invested in influencer marketing (Convince & Convert, 2023).

• 81% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy based on social media recommendations (Nosto, 2023).

• Influencer content outperforms branded content by 2.7× (Linqia, 2021).

• Global marketers plan to increase social spend by 53%, more than any other channel (Nielsen, 2022).

Those numbers don’t lie. In building products and construction, the value is in building trust and brand equity. Builders, architects, and homeowners are all looking for proof. They want to see products installed, tested, and lived with. That’s what influencer content delivers. It’s not just impressions, but validation.

Case in Point: PGT Innovations’ Dual-Market Play

When we built PGTI’s influencer program, we focused on balance: technical credibility for the trade, lifestyle aspiration for homeowners.

• Partnered with Brian and @Yamika McGee Kleinschmidt (100 Day Dream Home) to demonstrate missile-impact testing on national TV.

• Re-introduced the WINDOOR line through designer Sarah Baeumler at the International Builders’ Show.

• Featured PGT and WINDOOR products in HGTV’s Rock the Block and a full-length Designing Spaces episode.

• Collaborated with One Room Challenge host @LindaWeinstein and regional micro-influencers to show real installations in real homes.

That combination of star power and hands-on authenticity bridged the B2B–B2C divide. It also proved that influencer marketing isn’t just for brands with giant budgets. It’s for any manufacturer willing to invest in relationships and storytelling.

Learn more about how PGT Innovations leveraged influencer marketing to drive 147% brand engagement growth in my full case study → dhxconsulting.com/case-studies-influencer

The New Influence Hierarchy

Influencers typically fall into three tiers:

1. Mega or Star influencers – National personalities and HGTV celebrities with mass reach.

2. Macro influencers – Design bloggers, remodelers, or YouTube pros who focus on a niche.

3. Micro influencers – Builders, architects, designers or installers with small but fiercely loyal followings.

While mega influencers deliver awareness, macro and micro creators drive action. According to Linqia’s State of Influencer Marketing 2021, 91% of all sponsored-post engagement comes from micro influencers.

In other words, the people installing your products are now the ones shaping how others perceive them. As NKBA’s Elle H-Millard, CKD, CLIPP puts it: “Influencers don’t have to have a ton of followers to make an impact.”

Authenticity Is the New Currency

In the building materials manufacturing space, credibility has to be earned. You can’t fake expertise with a filter. What separates the successful campaigns from the forgettable ones are three things:

1. Hands-On Support – Equip our influencers with product demos, install training, and tech-team access. The goal isn’t just promotion; it’s education.

2. Co-Created Content – Instead of handing over scripts, collaborate. The best content comes from their experience, not our copy deck.

3. Transparent Partnerships – Authenticity skyrockets when influencers disclose sponsorships and genuinely use the products they’re showcasing.

This creates what I call the Credibility Flywheel: Knowledge → Trust → Engagement → Advocacy → Repeat.

Each cycle compounds influence across audiences and channels.

Measuring What Matters

The most common objection I hear from leadership is, “How do we measure it?”

Influence isn’t as abstract as it seems. Track it using the same rigor you would apply to any paid channel:

• Visibility: Impressions, mentions, and reach.

• Engagement: Comments, shares, saves, and video completion rates.

• Conversion proxies: Website visits, CEU registrations, dealer inquiries, and spec-sheet downloads.

The average influencer program yields 6.5× ROI on every $1 spent (Convince & Convert, 2023).

The real win is brand equity. Influencer marketing drives all four parts of the PESO model — Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned — turning a single piece of content into a multi-channel performance engine.

The Next Wave: From Influencers to Ambassadors

The future isn’t one-off influencer posts, it’s long-term brand ambassadorships.

Look at Brizo + Jason Wu or Sherwin-Williams + Kerrie Kelly. These partnerships go beyond campaigns; they fuse design, credibility, and collaboration over years.

Ambassadors are integrating themselves into their brands’ projects, courses, and showhouses. They’re speaking at IBS, teaching CEUs, and consulting on R&D. They’re not just promoting products.

For manufacturers, this approach turns marketing into relationship capital. For trade pros, it turns expertise into influence. Everyone wins.

The Trust Dividend

Influencer marketing in building products is about scaling trust.

PGT Innovations proved that even the most technical products can become aspirational when human stories bring them to life. By blending education, authenticity, and storytelling, we didn’t just boost engagement, we deepened credibility. View the case study →

That’s the opportunity in front of every BPM brand right now: To stop thinking of influencers as social media personalities and start treating them as extensions of your channel strategy. In this industry, influence has never been about fame. It’s always been about who builders, architects, and homeowners trust when decisions are on the line.

And that’s a conversation worth investing in.