Plenty of trades business owners didn't pick up a tool to sit around doing marketing. You started your business because you're good at what you do — not because you enjoy digital advertising.
Here's what nobody mentions though: being great at your trade isn't enough to keep the phone ringing. Word of mouth still matters, but it comes in waves - mostly when things get quiet.
How do the blokes who are always booked solid pull it off? These are the practical things that actually make a official source difference - and none of them need thousands of dollars.
Set Up a Proper Digital Profile
When someone searches for "local roofer" - can they find you? A surprising number of tradies haven't set up any real web presence.
You don't need a $10k custom site. A clean site that has real job photos, lists where you work, and doesn't make people hunt for your number - that's where you start.
A basic landing page showing your work and how to reach you already beats the tradies who have nothing.
Google Maps - Costs Nothing, Does a Lot
If you've been sleeping on your Google Business Profile, you're invisible to local searchers. It costs nothing.
That map pack that appears first when a homeowner needs a tradie - that's prime real estate. Ranking in the map pack is mostly about having a complete, active profile.
- Put up photos of your work - real before-and-afters from site
- Ask satisfied customers for reviews - reviews are everything for local
search
- Engage with what people write - it shows you're active and approachable
- Update your info when anything changes
This stuff builds up quietly. Tradies who stay on top of their profile end up above the competition that ignores it.
Facebook and Instagram - It's Not Rocket Science
You don't need to become an influencer. The ones actually winning work from Facebook and Insta keep it dead simple.
Take a quick pic when you finish a job. Before and afters are absolute gold. 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.
People trust photos of real work. Real work on display outperforms any amount of fancy marketing - because it's real.
Paid Ads - When They Make Sense
Paid advertising can absolutely work for tradies - but you can't just throw money at it. The tradies who get burnt is paying for clicks that go to a dodgy website with no clear call to action.
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 to a site that doesn't load properly.
Don't go all-in on day one. Track which ads bring actual calls. Scale the campaigns that convert and pull the plug on anything that's just burning cash.
Customer Reviews - More Powerful Than Any Ad
Here's something worth paying attention to: the majority of homeowners looks at what other people have said about you first. A tradie with 50 genuine reviews will win the job over someone with zero social proof - every single time.
Build it into your process to follow up with a review request. Satisfied clients will do it - they just don't think of it. Text them the Google review link and most will do it on the spot.
Respond to negative reviews professionally - how you handle criticism says more about your business than you'd think.
The Bottom Line
Getting more work as a tradie isn't overwhelming. Blokes with full schedules aren't marketing geniuses - they set up a few things properly and keep showing up.
Lock in your Google listing and a basic site. Let your jobs do the talking. Collect reviews. And if you go the paid route, be strategic about where the budget goes.
Your skills aren't the problem - getting found online is easier than most tradies think.