SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERTISE AT THE FAF 2024
Renowned influencers, who are master painters or wall professionals themselves, answered questions from their fellow tradespeople at FAF, such as Which social channel is the right one for my business? How do I get the most out of my social media presence? or How do I attract interested parties for my apprenticeships?
THESE INFLUENCERS DISCUSSED THE FAF
Master painter Andy | @malermeisterandy
Andy Hansen, better known as master painter Andy, has a total of 284,000 followers on his social media platforms Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. He began training as a painter in 2003, completed his master painter's certificate from 2016 to 2019 and immediately afterwards took the plunge into self-employment with his professional experience and master craftsman's certificate. Andy is an expert in painting and varnishing work, floor laying, creative interior design techniques and seamless surfaces.
His speciality is combining high-quality materials and products with the creative possibilities of the social media world, based on his expertise and experience. He always remains true to his role as a master painter and decorator. Painting and social media are his two great passions. He has made both his profession and lives, shows and embodies them every day in his social media posts and stories, which he uses to inspire and engage his community. This is also reflected in his viewer numbers on his social media platforms: more than 1 million viewers are not uncommon.
Maren Kogge | @malermeisterin.maren
The master church painter is not only an ambassador for the craft, but was also crowned Miss Craft 2023 last year. She has been at home in the painting trade for twelve years and has been successfully running her own business in Chiemgau for six years. The specialist in heritage conservation and restoration sees social media as one of the best tools for actively recruiting young talent and skilled workers, dispelling common clichés and providing an authentic insight into her workshop and everyday life on the construction site.
Combining craftsmanship with social commitment is the passion of the thirty-year-old Hessian. In the summer of 2023, she founded the Buntes Handwerk initiative, which campaigns for diversity and against discrimination. She also shows this diversity on her Instagram account. In addition to inspiring handicrafts and entertaining TV contributions, she shows what makes her tick in her private life and why it is worth making the world more colourful. As a child, she herself lacked female role models from the trades, which is why she deliberately wants to act as a role model on social media to inspire young people to take up the trades. She enjoys networking on her three social media channels.
Andreas Neufeld | @derwandprofi
Andreas Neufeld, born in 1988, is the wall pro on YouTube (81,900 followers) and Instagram (14,800 followers). His background is rather unusual. After leaving school, he trained as an IT systems administrator at Deutsche Telekom AG and three years later swapped his mouse and keyboard for a paintbrush and roller. In 2013, he ventured into self-employment as an interior decorator and launched his own YouTube channel in 2016 to showcase his enthusiasm for the craft.
Neufeld is known for his expertise in painting and varnishing. His speciality: he knows how to explain complex techniques simply, making it easy for his viewers to successfully complete their projects. He has a passion for education and enjoys sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm, especially to inspire and motivate others to realise their full potential. Ideally, he also puts a smile on the faces of his listeners. The wall pro with many years of experience is proud of his work. He looks forward to continuing to produce lively and informative content for his social media channels YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Jessica Jörges | @buntezukunft
Jessica Jörges, born in 1998, decided to train as a painter and varnisher after graduating from high school in 2016. From 2019 to 2020, she completed her training as a master painter. Sporty by nature - she is a keen basketball player - she threw herself into the industry competitions with great commitment and fought her way up from being the best in her guild to state and national winner to fifth place at WorldSkills in Kazan in 2019. She is also committed to promoting young talent in the skilled trades and takes part in many events to this end.
You can follow her work on the blog since the first day of her apprenticeship. Now she is taking her community with her on her Instagram channel @buntezukunft. Her aim is to offer her followers interesting content about the skilled trades and to show that success is also possible in the skilled trades. Her motto: "It's up to you how colourful your life is."