A lot of tradespeople didn't pick up a tool to waste hours chasing leads. You went solo because you're bloody good at your trade — not because you wanted a career in marketing yourself online.
The reality is: doing quality work isn't enough to keep the phone ringing. Referrals is still gold, but it dries up - particularly when things get quiet.
What are the busy tradies doing differently? Here are the practical strategies that shift the needle - no a fancy agency.
Sort Out Your Online Profile
When someone searches for "electrician around your area" - can they find you? A surprising number of owner-operators still don't have a proper online profile.
You don't need anything over the top. A simple page that shows photos of your work, lists where you work, and makes it dead easy to call or message - that's your minimum.
A basic landing page that covers the essentials outperforms the tradies who have nothing.
Google Maps - Costs Nothing, Does a Lot
If you're not on your Google Maps listing, you're handing work to your competition. It's completely free.
That map pack that pops up before everything else when a homeowner needs a tradie - that's where you want to be. And getting there is mostly about not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Add pictures from actual jobs - not some generic handshake pic
- Ask satisfied customers for reviews - this is massive for trust
- Reply to every review - Google notices and so do customers
- Keep your hours and contact details up to date
These small things builds up quietly. Tradies who stay on top of their profile beat out the ones who set and forget.
Posting Your Work Online - Keep It Simple
Nobody's asking you to be some social media expert. The tradies who get results from social media is a lot more basic than you'd think.
Take a quick pic when you finish a job. Side-by-side comparisons perform better than anything. A freshly painted room - that tells the story on its own.
Add where the job was and what you did and you're sorted. Even once or twice a week is plenty. Each post builds your credibility.
People trust what they can see with their own eyes. A genuine job photo beats a professionally designed ad campaign - because it's proof.
Google Ads - Worth It If Done Right
Running Google Ads is effective for trades businesses - but you can't just throw money at it. The common mistake is running ads with no clear target.
Before putting budget behind anything: ensure there's a clear way for people to contact you when they click through. Paying for eyeballs is pointless if your site looks like it was built in 2005.
Don't go all-in on day one. Pay attention to what generates real enquiries. Put more behind what works and pull the plug on anything that's just burning cash.
Customer Reviews - More Powerful Than Any Ad
A fact worth paying attention to: nearly every potential customer looks at what other people have said about you first. Someone with a stack of real feedback beats the competition over the bloke with no online presence - even if their prices are higher.
Get into the article routine to send a quick message asking for feedback. Most customers are happy to help - they just need a nudge. Make it as easy as possible and the reviews will stack up faster than you'd expect.
Respond to negative reviews professionally - the way you deal with a negative review says more about your business than you'd think.
The Bottom Line
Getting more work as a tradie shouldn't be complicated. The tradies who stay booked aren't marketing geniuses - they've just covered the basics and stayed consistent.
Sort out your web presence. Let your jobs do the talking. Ask happy customers to back you up online. When you put money into advertising, make sure the numbers add up before you scale.
You're already great at what you do - the growth stuff doesn't take as much as you'd expect once you get the ball rolling.