Marketing for tradesmen: 12 ideas that bring in local work

Marketing for tradesmen doesn’t have to mean big advertising bills. Most of the work that keeps a trade business busy comes from a handful of simple things done consistently: being easy to find, looking trustworthy, answering quickly and keeping in touch with past customers.

Here are 12 ideas, roughly in the order we’d tackle them.

Get found

1. Set up your Google Business Profile properly. It’s free and often the first thing local customers see. Follow our Google Business Profile checklist.

2. Make your website answer customers’ questions. What you do, where, roughly how much, and how to get in touch from a phone. See website for tradesmen: 9 things that bring in more enquiries.

3. Create a page for each service and area. “Tree felling in Exeter” and “Hedge trimming in Exmouth” are what people type into Google. A useful page for each main service, with photos and a rough price, helps you show up for those searches.

Look trustworthy

4. Collect reviews every week. Ask every happy customer. Our guide to getting more Google reviews includes message templates.

5. Show your real work. Before-and-after photos on your website, Google profile and social media do more than any advert.

6. Put prices on your website. A ballpark range tells customers you’re upfront and helps them decide to call you. Read should tradesmen put prices on their website?

Turn more enquiries into jobs

7. Answer fast. Customers often contact several trades. The first to reply, and to give a rough idea of price, often wins. If you can’t pick up during a job, an instant quote calculator gives customers an answer straight away.

8. Follow up every quote. Many quotes are won by the second or third message. See how to follow up on a quote.

Use what you already have

9. Make your van work. Clear lettering, your phone number, and a QR code that leads to an instant price.

10. Drop leaflets near jobs. When you’re working in a street, neighbours can see your work. A short note through nearby doors (“We’re working at number 12 this week, ask us for a price”) is cheap and well targeted.

11. Ask for referrals. Happy customers know other people with gardens, trees and fences. A simple “If you know anyone who needs similar work, we’d be grateful for a recommendation” at the end of a job costs nothing.

12. Keep in touch with past customers. A yearly reminder for hedge trimming, a spring garden tidy or a tree check brings in repeat work with no advertising cost. Only send marketing messages to customers who have agreed to hear from you, and let them opt out easily.

Paid options, used carefully

Lead sites, Google Ads and Facebook ads can all bring in work, but costs add up quickly. Try one at a time, track every enquiry it brings, and work out what each won job costs you, not just each lead. Our Checkatrade alternatives post compares the main options.

Track what works

Ask every new customer how they found you, and write it down. After a few months you’ll know which ideas bring in work and which don’t. In RoughFigure, analytics show where your estimator leads come from, and separate QR codes for your van, flyers and quotes show which one people scan.

Questions

What’s the best free marketing for tradesmen?

A well-kept Google Business Profile with a steady flow of genuine reviews, plus a website that answers customers’ questions. Both cost little more than your time.

How much should a trade business spend on marketing?

There’s no fixed rule. Start with free and low-cost options, then add paid ones only when you can track how many won jobs they bring in and what each one costs.

Should I use social media?

It helps, especially for showing your work, but it rarely replaces Google for people actively looking for a trade. Post real jobs regularly rather than trying to be everywhere.