Everyone in transport is out there doing the same thing. Pick it up, drop it off, do a good job, do it again tomorrow. And no matter how long you've been at it, whether you're just starting out or you've been on the road for twenty years, competition doesn't go away. It just changes shape.
Shippers have more options than ever. That means you've got to give them a reason to remember your name. Not just new customers either. The ones you've been doing work for over the years, they need reminding too.
Social media is one of the most straightforward ways to do that. A lot of you are already on it, which is good. This article might help you get a bit more out of what you're already doing. If you haven't started yet, treat this as your starting point: what it is, why it matters, and how to do it properly.
Step 1: Set up your pages the right way
If you run a courier business, you need to be on social media. In 2026 that means two pages: Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook is where everyone is. Customers, suppliers, local businesses, mates. It's the first place people go to check if you're real.
Instagram is the second one. If you think it's just for the kids, it isn't. People in their fifties and sixties are on it every day. If that's you, you already know. You're scrolling it yourself.
TikTok is optional. If you've got the time and you fancy a bit of fun, throw it in the mix. The reach can be wild and a clip of you on the road can travel a lot further than you'd think.
So, set up your pages. Here's how to do it properly.
Pick a clean name
Just your business name. That's it. Don't bolt "Ltd" on the end. Companies House cares about that. Instagram doesn't.
Sort out a logo
Got a logo? Good. Use the same one across both pages.
No logo yet? Don't worry about it. Use the best photo you've got of your van. Clean it up first. Free AI tools will make your van look like it just rolled off the forecourt in about five minutes.
Write a description that says what you do
Two lines, max. What you carry, where you cover. That's all it needs.
Something like: "Same-day courier work across the UK. Pallets, urgent loads, ADR welcome. Based in [your area]."
Drop your contact details
Phone number first. That's the important one. Most people scrolling on their phone want to ring you there and then. If they have to hunt for your number, they're already ringing the next person on the list.
Got a website? Add the link. No website? No problem. The phone number does the job.
Step 2: Just start posting
Once your pages are set up, you've got to start posting. That's the whole point of it.
The easiest post is a photo of your van. Out on the road. At a loading point. Wherever you happen to be that day.
Why does it matter? When you bid on a job on Same Day Courier Network, the shipper often doesn't know you from Adam. So they have a poke around your social pages. Google does the same. So do the AI tools buyers use to vet suppliers these days. You want all of them to land on your page and think: right, this lot are the real deal.
The easiest post: one photo of your van
If you're not keen on being on camera, this is where you start. One clean shot of your van at a loading bay, on the motorway services, or parked outside a customer's warehouse. That's enough to show you're working and you're legitimate.
Level up: the carousel post
Carousels let you upload two, three, or more pictures in one post. Tell a little story of the job:
- Your van at the loading point
- The cargo going in, or sitting in the back ready to go
- You behind the wheel. Smile if you can
- Arriving at the drop-off
- A photo with the happy customer at the end, if they're up for it
Not everyone wants their face on social, so no drama if the customer says no. A quick selfie of you handing the parcel over does the job just as well.
Don't overthink it
Nobody expects your posts to look like adverts. They just need to be genuine. A slightly wonky photo of you next to your van does more for trust than anything staged ever will.
Step 3: Post regularly (but don't spam)
You've got to keep at it. That's how social media works. Show up regularly, or the algorithm forgets you're there.
Could you post every day? Sure. But we wouldn't recommend it. Daily posting turns your feed into noise fast. People scroll past. Worse, they hit unfollow.
Once a week is about right to start. That's enough to stay on people's radar without wearing out your welcome. Want to do more? Go ahead, there's no upper limit. Just don't drop below once a week, or you fall off the map.
Same post, both platforms? Yes.
Quick one that catches a lot of people out: do you need different content for Facebook and Instagram?
No. The same photo works on both. Nobody is comparing your two pages side by side.
Even better, Instagram lets you connect your Facebook page so every post you make on Instagram goes onto Facebook at the same time. One post, two platforms, no extra work.
Step 4: Share every post to your Stories
Here's something worth doing that most people don't bother with. Share every post you make to your Stories.
Stories are the little circles that sit at the top of Instagram and Facebook. They disappear after 24 hours. Which sounds like a downside, but it's actually the whole point.
How to do it
It's one button. Here's how:
- Open the post you just made
- Tap the small paper-aeroplane icon underneath the photo (that's the share button)
- Tap "Add to your story"
- Tap "Share" on the next screen
Done. Three seconds, tops.
Why this matters
Two things worth knowing here.
First, extra visibility with your followers. Posts sit on your main feed where people scroll straight past. Stories sit right at the top of the app, the first thing your followers see when they open Instagram or Facebook. You get in front of them twice instead of once.
Second, you can see exactly who watched. Tap on your Story and you get a list of everyone who viewed it. If one of your potential customers follows you, their name will be on that list. Now you know they're watching. Now you know your name is in their head.
The trust angle
The more often someone sees you, the more they trust you. The more they trust you, the more likely they are to call you when a load comes up.
This isn't a courier thing. It's how it works with everything. Out of sight, out of mind. Stay visible, stay in the running.
Step 5: Move up to video
Now we're into the good stuff. Video.
Nobody wants to talk to a camera. That's fine. You don't need to talk to one at all. Just film what you're already doing.
What to film
- Your van pulling out in the morning
- Loading the cargo at pickup
- The road ahead, especially if you're going through somewhere decent-looking
- The vehicle arriving at the drop-off
- Offloading at destination
Five short clips of your normal working day. Your phone is all you need.
"But I'm not a video editor"
You don't have to be.
Ask the kid. Yours, your mate's, your nephew. Anyone under twenty will laugh at how easy this is for them and put your clips together in about ten minutes.
You can also add music straight inside Instagram or Facebook. Both apps have a music library built in. Pick a tune, tap it on, post.
Why it's worth the bother
Across social media generally, video pulls in more engagement than images:
- Video posts get around 21% more engagement than image posts on Instagram
- Instagram Reels pull in around 35% more engagement than standard posts
- Roughly 40% of all time people spend on Facebook and Instagram is watching videos
We can't promise those exact numbers will hit for a courier page, but the direction is clear: people on social media reward video.
For a courier business, video has an extra edge. A 15-second clip of you reversing into a customer's yard tells a shipper far more than ten still photos. They see you're real, they see your van's in working order, they see how you handle yourself on a job. A photo can't do that.
The bottom line
No page yet? Go back to step one. Half an hour's work, tops.
Got a page already? Open it up. Is the name clean? Phone number on there? Description doing its job? If anything needs sorting, sort it today.
Already posting? Good. Keep at it. Once a week minimum. A photo of your van will do. A short video is even better.
When a shipper drops a job on Same Day Courier Network, twenty drivers might bid on it. You don't want to be one of the twenty. You want to be the one they remember. The one they looked up, found on Instagram, watched a video of, and thought: yeah, I trust that lot.
The more visible you are, the more trust you build. The more trust you build, the more loads come your way.
That's the bottom line.
One last thing
Right then. Now you know what to do with your socials.
If you're already on Same Day Courier Network, go and have a look at your profile while you're at it. Is everything where it needs to be? Documents up to date? Insurance uploaded? Spend five minutes on it today and make sure you're putting your best foot forward.
And if you need a hand with anything, drop us a message at info@samedaycouriernetwork.com or give us a ring on 01202 511 559.