Most tradies didn't start out on their own to sit around doing marketing. You started your business because you're bloody good at your trade — not because you enjoy chasing people for work.
But here's the thing: being great at your trade won't fill your schedule on its own anymore. Mates recommending you still matters, but it dries up - especially when the market slows.
How do the blokes who are always booked solid pull it off? These are the no-BS moves that shift the needle - no massive budgets or marketing degrees.
Sort Out Your Online Footprint
When someone searches for "electrician in your suburb" - can they find you? Heaps of tradies still don't have a proper online profile.
It doesn't need to be anything over the top. A simple page that shows photos of your work, lists where you work, and doesn't make people hunt for your number - that's the baseline.
Even a single-page site showing your work and how to reach you puts you ahead of the blokes relying on Facebook alone.
Google Business Profile - Still the Easiest Win
If you're not on your GBP, you're handing work to your competition. It costs nothing.
The map listings that pops up before everything else when people look for local
services - that's prime real estate. Ranking in the map pack starts with not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Put up photos of your work - not stock images
- Ask satisfied customers for reviews - people read these before they call
- Respond to reviews, good and bad - it makes a real
difference
- Make sure your phone number and service area are correct
All of this adds up month after month. Tradies who stay on top of their profile end up above the ones who set and forget.
Social Media - It's Not Rocket Science
You don't need to become some social media expert. What works for trades businesses online aren't doing anything fancy.
Grab a shot of a completed project. Side-by-side comparisons perform better than anything. A finished bathroom reno - that's all you need.
Add where the job was and what you did and you're sorted. You don't need to post every day. All of it builds your read more credibility.
People trust photos of real work. Real work on display outperforms paid ads nine times out of ten - because there's no faking it.
Online Advertising - Worth It If Done Right
Paid advertising can absolutely work for tradies - but you can't just throw money at it. The tradies who get burnt is running ads with no clear target.
Before you spend a dollar: have a landing page that works. There's no point driving traffic if your site looks like it was built in 2005.
Start with a small budget. Measure results, not just impressions. Put more behind what works and cut what doesn't.
Customer Reviews - More Powerful Than Any Ad
Here's something worth paying attention to: the majority of homeowners checks reviews before making contact. A tradie with 50 genuine reviews gets the call over a tradie with none - even if their prices are higher.
Build it into your process to ask for a review after every job. Satisfied clients will do it - you just have to ask. Send them a direct link and most will do it on the spot.
Respond to negative reviews professionally - how you handle criticism tells potential customers as much about you as the good reviews do.
The Bottom Line
Getting more work as a tradie shouldn't be a second full-time job. Blokes with full schedules aren't marketing geniuses - they got the fundamentals right and stuck with it.
Sort out your web presence. Share what you do. Build your reputation with real feedback. When you put money into advertising, do it with a plan, not a prayer.
You're already great at what you do - the growth stuff just needs a bit of attention to start working for you.