Tradie Advertising - Tips to Get Steady Leads and Less Runaround
Plenty of trades business owners didn't pick up a tool to waste hours on the phone quoting. You started your business because you're bloody good at your trade — not because you love marketing yourself online.
But here's the thing: doing quality work doesn't guarantee a full calendar. Mates recommending you is still gold, but it comes in waves - particularly when things get quiet.
How do the blokes who are always booked solid pull it off? Below are the straightforward moves that shift the needle - no massive budgets or marketing degrees.
Set Up a Proper Online Profile
When someone searches for "plumber near me" - do you show up? Too many tradies haven't set up any real web presence.
It doesn't need to be a $10k custom site. A clean website that has real job photos, lists where you work, and doesn't make people hunt for your number - that's the baseline.
A one-page setup showing your work and how to reach you already beats the tradies who have nothing.
Your Google Listing - Still the Easiest Win
If you haven't claimed your Google Maps listing, you're invisible to local searchers. It's completely free.
Those three local results that pops up before everything else when someone searches for a trade - those spots get the most calls. Showing up there is mostly about not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Put up photos of your work - real before-and-afters from site
- Ask satisfied customers for reviews - this is massive for trust
- Respond to reviews, good and bad - it shows you're active and approachable
- Keep your hours and contact details up to date
All of this adds up month after month. The ones who keep it updated end up above those who filled it out once and walked away.
Facebook and Instagram - It's Not Rocket Science
Forget about being a content creator. The ones actually winning work from Facebook and Insta is a lot more basic than you'd think.
Snap a photo when you finish a job. Side-by-side comparisons get the most engagement by far. A new deck or pergola - that's content.
Post it with a short caption and move on with your day. Consistency helps but don't stress about a schedule. Each post shows potential customers you're the real deal.
Customers believe photos of real work. An honest before-and-after outperforms a professionally designed ad campaign - because it's proof.
Paid Ads - When They Make Sense
Spending money on online ads can absolutely work for tradies - but it needs to be done with a plan. The tradies visit who get burnt is paying for clicks that go to a dodgy website with no clear call to action.
If you're going to invest in ads: ensure there's a clear way for people to contact you when they click through. All the clicks in the world won't help to a site that doesn't load properly.
Start with a small budget. Measure results, not just impressions. Put more behind what works and kill the duds quickly.
Reviews and Reputation - More Powerful Than Any Ad
Here's something that doesn't get talked about enough: most people checks reviews before making contact. A tradie with 50 genuine reviews gets the call over someone with zero social proof - even if their prices are higher.
Make it a habit to follow up with a review request. People generally don't mind - they just need a nudge. Text them the Google review link and the reviews will stack up faster than you'd expect.
If you get a bad review, reply calmly and factually - your response to complaints tells potential customers as much about you as the good reviews do.
What It All Comes Down To
Marketing your trades business isn't a second full-time job. Blokes with full schedules haven't cracked some secret code - they got the fundamentals right and stuck with it.
Get your online profile in order. Share what you do. Collect reviews. If you run ads, do it with a plan, not a prayer.
You're already great at what you do - getting found online doesn't take as much as you'd expect once you get the ball rolling.