Trades Advertising - Tips to Land Steady Jobs With Less Runaround
A lot of tradespeople didn't start out on their own to waste hours doing marketing. You got into it because you're skilled at your craft — not because you enjoy chasing people for work.
Here's what nobody mentions though: doing quality work won't fill your schedule on its own anymore. Word of mouth hasn't died, but it comes in waves - particularly when work drops off after a busy run.
What are the busy tradies doing differently? These are some straightforward strategies that shift the needle - no massive budgets or marketing degrees.
Set Up a Proper Digital Footprint
When someone searches for "electrician in your suburb" - do you show up? Heaps of owner-operators still don't have even a basic website.
It doesn't need to be a $10k custom site. A simple page that shows photos of your work, lists where you work, and has a clear way to get in touch - that's where you start.
Even a single-page site with your services, contact details, and a few photos outperforms the blokes relying on Facebook alone.
Your Google Listing - Free and Underrated
If you've been sleeping on your Google Business Profile, you're invisible to local searchers. It's completely free.
Those three local results that pops up before everything else when a homeowner needs a tradie - those spots get the most calls. Showing up there is mostly about not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Add pictures from actual jobs - not stock images
- Ask satisfied customers for reviews - this is massive for trust
- Respond to reviews, good and bad - Google notices and so do customers
- Update your info when anything changes
All of this builds up quietly. Blokes who put 20 minutes a month into this end up above the competition that ignores it.
Facebook and Instagram - Keep It Simple
You don't need to become a content creator. The ones actually winning work from Facebook and Insta is a lot more basic than you'd think.
Snap a photo of a completed project. Side-by-side comparisons get the most engagement by far. A new deck or pergola - that's all you need.
Add where the job was and what you did and move on with your day. You don't need to post every day. All of it builds your credibility.
People trust photos of real work. Real work on display does more for your business than any amount of fancy marketing - because it's real.
Online Advertising - Not a Magic Bullet
Running Google Ads gets results visit here when it's set up properly - but it's not a set-and-forget situation. Where most people waste their budget is boosting random Facebook posts.
Before you spend a dollar: ensure there's a clear way for people to contact you when they click through. All the clicks in the world won't help if people can't find your phone number.
Don't go all-in on day one. Track which ads bring actual calls. Double down on the winners and kill the duds quickly.
Customer Reviews - The Stuff That Actually Sells
Here's something that doesn't get talked about enough: the majority of homeowners checks reviews before making contact. A tradie with 50 genuine reviews beats the competition over someone with zero social proof - even if their prices are higher.
Get into the routine to send a quick message asking for feedback. Most customers are happy to help - you just have to ask. Text them the Google review link and most will do it on the spot.
Don't ignore or argue with bad feedback - the way you deal with a negative review says more about your business than you'd think.
The Bottom Line
Growing a trade business isn't complicated. The busy ones aren't doing anything magical - they got the fundamentals right and stuck with it.
Sort out your web presence. Share what you do. Ask happy customers to back you up online. And if you go the paid route, make sure the numbers add up before you scale.
The quality of your work speaks for itself - the marketing side just needs a bit of attention to start working for you.