Cutting In with S McLean Decor

With currently over 50,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 50,000 followers on TikTok, Stuart McLean (@smcleandecor) has become one of the most prominent voices in the UK’s painting decorating scene. Known for his quick wit, relatable trade stories, sheer skill and community-first mindset, Sean proves that social media isn’t just for the typical influencer, it can be a genuine business tool for those in trade.

We had a Q&A with him, it’s honest and truly inspiring. He shares how he came about building his platform from scratch, what motivates him and how decorators can find their own voice online.

What inspired you to focus on your social media content and what were your initial goals?

“I’d started a hobby TikTok page while I was recovering from a broken arm. It started to gain a little following and on a night out with my cousin, who works in social media, he suggested I make a TikTok page for my newly setup business. I wanted to try to set myself apart from other businesses in the area, as I had just started up for myself, so my initial goal was to just try and drum up some more work.”

What do you look to achieve with your social media?

“Although social media has created opportunities that I never dreamed of having, the main thing I have always wanted to achieve with it is simply to bring in a steady stream of work. It has also given me a platform to support my fellow decorators and I would love to find more ways to do this going forward. I also hope I can use the platform I have to encourage a new generation of men and women to learn the trade.”

How would you describe your style of content?

“For the most part comical, I enjoy telling stories from my time in the trade and pointing out funny little quirks that occur in our industry. I also enjoy giving out advice so I do the odd tutorial video every now and again.”

What challenges have you faced while growing your presence?

“I recently attended The Scottish Painting & Decorating show, this was the first time I’d been to an event since I gained a following online and it was completely overwhelming! So many people wanted to come up and talk to me and it really scrambled my brain. Of course I was grateful that people wanted to actually engage with me but it was so unexpected that it was hard to cope with mentally.”

How do you come up with content ideas and keep things fresh?

“A lot of them come from personal experience. Tales from my time on building sites or conversations I’ve had with customers. Sometimes I’ll see a “trend” and see a way to make it related to my niche.”

You started the “Pass The Phone” community video between decorators, what inspired that?

“I saw an article one morning saying that we are losing skilled workers and that the apprentices that are meant to replace them are mostly dropping out before being qualified and I just wanted to show that there is a supportive community out there and that it is worth becoming a tradesperson. Being supportive can be something as small as liking a post or saying “good work”. The smallest things can really change a persons mindset.”

Have you seen your social media success help your business?

“I definitely have. I’ve often found that customers have stumbled across one of the platforms I use and watched my content for a while before deciding they want me to do work for them. Most of the time I’m the only person they are getting to quote for work. It’s also got the attention of brands who have asked me to test products, and produce adverts for them. I’ve also been invited onto a couple of construction podcasts to talk about my time in the trade.”

What are your top 3 tips for decorators starting on social media?

• Be authentic – “Warts and all! If you’re being fake online your audience will pick up on it. Potential customers feel like they are getting to know you from your content.”

• Storytelling is key – “People love stories. Don’t be afraid to do longer form content to tell an in-depth story.”

• Enjoy yourself – “If you enjoy making your content your audience will enjoy watching it. Don’t treat it as a job or as a vehicle to get brand deals/ad deals.”

What’s next for you on your socials?

“I take each day as it comes, I always have. Every day could potentially have new opportunities. I like to think my content brings enjoyment to people and I get hundreds of messages of support from people saying they do. I don’t like setting goals or targets when it comes to social media as I find it too unpredictable. I’ll just keep enjoying what I’m doing and see where life takes me.”

You can catch Stuart’s brilliant content, community videos, and decorating antics on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.