A lot of tradespeople didn't pick up a tool to spend half the day doing marketing. You went solo because you're skilled at your craft — not because you enjoy chasing people for work.
But here's the thing: doing quality work isn't enough to keep the phone ringing. Word of mouth still matters, but it dries up - especially when things get quiet.
What are the busy tradies doing differently? Below are the straightforward moves that actually make a difference - and none of them need thousands of dollars.
Sort Out Your Online Presence
When someone Googles "local roofer" - can they find you? Heaps of tradies still don't have any real web presence.
It doesn't need to be anything over the top. A simple page that shows photos of your work, mentions the suburbs you operate in, and has a clear way to get in touch - that's your minimum.
A basic landing page that covers the essentials puts you ahead of most of your competition.
Google Maps - Still the Easiest Win
If you're not on your Google Business Profile, you're missing the easiest free leads going. It's completely free.
Those three local results that pops up before everything else when a homeowner needs a tradie - that's prime real estate. And getting there comes down to not leaving your profile half-empty.
- Upload real photos - not some generic handshake pic
- Get your happy clients to leave a review - reviews are everything for local
search
- Reply to every review - it shows you're active and approachable
- Make sure your phone number and service area are correct
This stuff compounds over time. The ones who keep it updated consistently outrank those who filled it out once and walked away.
Posting Your Work Online - Don't Overthink It
You don't need to become other source an influencer. The ones actually winning work from Facebook and Insta keep it dead simple.
Snap a photo of a completed project. Side-by-side comparisons get the most engagement by far. A freshly painted room - that's all you need.
Write a line or two about the job and move on with your day. You don't need to post every day. Every photo you share shows potential customers you're the real deal.
Customers believe what they can see with their own eyes. Real work on display does more for your business than any amount of fancy marketing - because there's no faking it.
Google Ads - When They Make Sense
Paid advertising gets results when it's set up properly - 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.
If you're going to invest in ads: have a landing page that works. All the clicks in the world won't help if people can't find your phone number.
Test with a modest spend. Track which ads bring actual calls. Scale the campaigns that convert and kill the duds quickly.
Your Online Reputation - The Stuff That Actually Sells
Here's something worth paying attention to: the majority of homeowners will read your reviews before they pick up the phone. A tradie with 50 genuine reviews beats the competition over the bloke with no online presence - every single time.
Make it a habit to follow up with a review request. People generally don't mind - you just have to ask. 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 - how you handle criticism tells potential customers as much about you as the good reviews do.
The Bottom Line
Marketing your trades business isn't overwhelming. Blokes with full schedules haven't cracked some secret code - they set up a few things properly and keep showing up.
Lock in your Google listing and a basic site. Share what you do. Ask happy customers to back you up online. If you run ads, make sure the numbers add up before you scale.
You're already great at what you do - getting found online just needs a bit of attention to start working for you.