# Marketing for tradesmen: 12 ideas that bring in local work

> Practical, low-cost marketing ideas for tradesmen, from Google and your website to vans, referrals and past customers. What works and where to start.

Source: https://roughfigure.com/blog/marketing-ideas-for-tradesmen (updated 2026-06-12)

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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/google-business-profile-for-tradesmen).

**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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/website-for-tradesmen).

**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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/how-to-get-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?](https://roughfigure.com/blog/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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/instant-quote-calculator-for-your-website) 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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/qr-codes-for-tradesmen) 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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/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](https://roughfigure.com/features) 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.