A lot of tradespeople didn't get into the game to spend half the day doing marketing. You got into it because you're skilled at your craft — not because you enjoy marketing yourself online.
The reality is: being great at your trade isn't enough to keep the phone ringing. Mates recommending you is still gold, but it's unpredictable - particularly when work drops off after a busy run.
How do the blokes who are always booked solid pull it off? Here are the straightforward strategies that get results - no massive budgets or marketing degrees.
Get Your Digital Presence
When someone Googles "local roofer" - are you anywhere to be seen? Heaps of trades businesses haven't set up a proper online profile.
You don't need something complicated. A simple page that has real job photos, covers your service area, and has a clear way to get in touch - that's where you start.
A one-page setup showing your work and how to reach you outperforms most of your competition.
Google Business Profile - Free and Underrated
If you've been sleeping on your Google Business Profile, you're missing the easiest free leads going. It's completely free.
Those three local results that shows up at the top when a homeowner needs a tradie - that's prime real estate. Ranking in the map pack starts with not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Add pictures from actual jobs - real before-and-afters from site
- Get your happy clients to leave a review - this is massive for trust
- Reply to every review - it shows you're active and approachable
- Make sure your phone number and service area are correct
All of this compounds over time. Blokes who put 20 minutes a month into this end up above the competition that ignores it.
Social Media - Keep It Simple
Nobody's asking you to be some social media expert. What works for trades businesses online best marketing for tradies keep it dead simple.
Snap a photo before you pack up and leave site. Before and afters get the most engagement by far. A freshly painted room - that's all you need.
Post it with a short caption and move on with your day. Even once or twice a week is plenty. Every photo you share shows potential customers you're the real deal.
Homeowners respond to what they can see with their own eyes. An honest before-and-after beats a professionally designed ad campaign - because there's no faking it.
Paid Ads - When They Make Sense
Running Google Ads gets results when it's set up properly - but it's not a set-and-forget situation. The tradies who get burnt is paying for clicks that go to a dodgy website with no clear call to action.
Before putting budget behind anything: make sure your website actually converts. Paying for eyeballs is pointless if people can't find your phone number.
Start with a small budget. Pay attention to what generates real enquiries. Put more behind what works and cut what doesn't.
Reviews and Reputation - The Stuff That Actually Sells
One thing a lot of tradies underestimate: the majority of homeowners will read your reviews before they pick up the phone. Someone with a stack of real feedback beats the competition over a tradie with none - every single time.
Get into the routine to follow up with a review request. People generally don't mind - they just don't think of it. Make it as easy as possible and the reviews will stack up faster than you'd expect.
Don't ignore or argue with bad feedback - how you handle criticism tells potential customers as much about you as the good reviews do.
Wrapping It Up
Growing a trade business shouldn't be complicated. The busy ones aren't marketing geniuses - they got the fundamentals right and stuck with it.
Get your online profile in order. Post your work. Collect reviews. And if you go the paid route, 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.