So you’re officially a trade business owner – but have no idea of where to start with the marketing side of things? The truth is, you don’t technically have to have any marketing going on at all to run a successful business. For some, their business runs purely off word of mouth, however for others, having a complex marketing plan is absolutely necessary.
We’re going to step you through the key items we would recommend if you wanted to increase your marketing, in order of importance.
- Create your website
For a large majority of the population, Google is the place to start when looking for a tradie. If someone’s googling a service in a particular location, it would be wise to have a website up and running for them to find. If you’re not able to be found on google, your biz is basically completely offline.
The first step in creating a website is creating and purchasing your domain name. This Government site steps you through the basics here. Once this has done, either hire a website developer to get the job done for you, or create a basic site yourself! Squarespace, WordPress and Wix all provide templates for website newbies and make it easy to set up a website if you wanted to give it a go yourself.
Whoever is making the website needs to ensure your contact details are easily found on all pages, the website is mobile-friendly (as over half of websites are viewed on mobile) & includes a brief history of you and your work experience.
- Request to list your business on local directories
Once your website is up and running, it’s time to reach out to local directories and request for your business to be added to the list. Places like Service, Your Tradie and TradieWives are all a great place to start. Don’t forget to join your local Facebook community page and keep an eye out for people asking for tradie recommendations too!
- Create a Facebook & Instagram account
Facebook and Instagram are great places to be engaging with your community. These aren’t places for the “hard-sell” tactic, but rather a space to foster your community, learn more about your clients, understand their needs & engage with them in a friendly way. Often a relationship built over social media has more trust involved, which often converts people into future customers and clients.
It’s best to create these accounts under your business name rather than your personal. Use your logo in the profile photo, provide your contact mobile & email & aim to post between 1-4 times p/w.
Our three basic marketing steps can lead you to huge success & big client gains. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments below and our team will help you out.
