Plumbing is a service that is always needed. But how are your clients going to find you? Sometimes great plumbers can’t be found simply because they don’t have great plumber advertising! We don’t want that to be you. We believe in your business and want to help you connect to potential clients. How can we help? Well, we’ve come up with some plumbing advertising ideas.
Advertising has always been around, but the internet has completely changed the advertising game! We believe in both classic and modern ways of advertising, and we think they are both relevant today, especially for plumbing ads. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most effective ways to advertise your plumbing business, both online and off!
Offline plumber advertising ideas and tips
Billboards
This is far from a new way to advertise. But sometimes you don’t need to mess with a classic! Billboards are often placed in high traffic areas, whether that traffic is on foot or by car. This traffic means that it is an easy way to get views on your plumbing advertisement, and they are much harder for people to ignore or miss.
Billboards can greatly range in price, but are typically paid for by month. Prices can range anywhere from $200 on rural highways to over $10 000 in big cities. Also, don’t forget that the cost is more than just renting the billboard space. It’s also designing and gathering the materials to put the plumbing ad onto the billboard.
Finally, keep in mind that designs should be simple and memorable. This is particularly important for drivers that only get a quick glance at the billboard!
Ad in the newspaper
Local newspapers provide lots of advertising space, especially for small businesses! Placing an ad or getting a listing in the appropriate section is also fairly simple.
Local newspapers tend to charge very little for advertising space. Naturally, the larger the newspaper and the more it is circulated, the more expensive it will be to take out a plumbing ad.
Local newspapers are great, especially for smaller businesses, because they target the audience you are hoping to influence, like those in your town or neighbourhood.
The great thing about plumbing ads in newspapers is that they feel less intrusive than say ads online or on the radio. Many people expect to see, and will actually go searching for, ads in the newspaper.
The newspaper is also a great place to offer coupons and deals to really hook potential customers.
Signage to post locally
These types of advertisements are also great for grabbing the attention of locals! It could be signs put on lawns or posters put on telephone poles, just to name a few ideas.
Many people like to support local businesses and these simple sign postings can be helpful to bring attention to hard working locals.
These types of signs can be more cost-effective but provide similar purposes as billboards. So remember, keep the visuals simple and really try to catch the attention of those passing by.
Distribute printables
This is another classic way to advertise a plumbing business. Plus, business cards, flyers, and brochures can be pretty cheap if printed in bulk!
These are great to give out at a moment’s notice in conversation, but they can also be distributed at local coffee shops or other places of business that allow it. They can also be passed along to friends and family who can further spread the word to people they know.
Another great way to hand out printables is by going door to door. Sometimes just leaving the plumbing advertisement on the doorstep is enough, but you may also want to start conversations with anyone you see. This face to face interaction can go a long way, especially because many clients hire based on personal social interaction.
Vehicle wraps
Vehicle wraps are also great options, especially for company cars! Though not every business has the money for these types of vehicles, it could be effective for even just the owner or an employee or two to put on their car.
Vehicle wraps are important for catching attention and giving information about the business, like the business name and contact information.
Whether the car is parked or on the road, vehicle wraps are constantly advertising and are only really a one-time purchase. This could be a more cost-effective option and could really pay off in the long run.
Online plumber advertising tips and ideas
SEO for website content (learn SEO basics)
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This means that when someone searches on Google for “best plumber near me,” your website will hopefully appear, but only if you’re using SEO properly. You can do this by putting keywords and phrases into your website that match with these searches for plumbing.
One way to use SEO is keywords and phrases. So, when writing content for your website, make sure to naturally integrate words that people might search for when looking for a plumber.
Another way to use SEO is to incorporate these keywords into headings and tags! Other helpful tools are links to other parts of your website and pictures that demonstrate your business.
Don’t forget to make it clear where you are located because many people will search specific cities! Mentioning where your business is located, or where you would be willing to travel to, is very important for getting hits on the website.
PPC
PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click and it’s another way of receiving hits on your plumbing business website. When you pay to have these types of ads, they appear at the top of the Google search.
The great thing about PPC is that you can pick your budget and how much you want to spend on your ads, and Google won’t go above that budget. You choose keywords that you want in order to prompt your plumbing ads, and Google takes it from there.
PPC also starts gaining traction and clicks on your website the second it’s paid for. SEO is a little different, where Google takes some time to make sure your website is a trustworthy and compatible source for clients.
Also, PPC allows you to see the results that you are getting and adjust your budget and keywords from there! Tracking progress can be super helpful for getting the most of your money.
Grow your email list
Sometimes marketing emails can be annoying, but businesses that strike the perfect balance between helpful and informative can be super successful with email marketing!
There is tons written on how to successfully email based on your type of business, but one of the most important tips is to make your email accessible and easy to subscribe to on your website.
Emails are a great way to advertise news deals and offers that your business currently has going.
Another important use of email marketing is to simply remind your clients that you exist! Remind them that you are a helpful and accessible option when they are in need. And remind them that you take great pride and care in your work, and are here to make their lives easier!
Many people think that weekly newsletters are great to keep your clients up to date on what is going on with your business, and how they could easily obtain your services.
Social media
This may be one of the most important advertising ideas in today’s society. Everyone is on social media, which means people will search for just about anything on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter!
Social media is great to advertise plumbing business because you can have people follow your page and keep updated on the latest news with your business.
For example, if your business closed briefly because of Covid 19, social media is one of the quickest ways that you could have informed your clients and followers of this news. Likewise, they will know right when you open back up and the precautions you’re taking to keep everyone safe while doing your job.
Social media is also great because it can be a bit more of a relaxed (but not unprofessional or inappropriate) environment to connect with customers and followers. It can often be more authentic than a specialized website and it allows a bit more personality to shine through. This can be especially important to customers looking to support local businesses because they want to see the real people they are hiring!
Use Facebook or Instagram ads
With the amount of time that people are spending on social media these days, it could also be worthwhile to advertise on sites like Facebook or Instagram!
Just like PPC, you will set a budget and the site will make sure not to charge you anymore than you choose. Typically, Facebook and Instagram require ads to run for at least 2 weeks. These types of plumbing ads are great because use can choose which area and demographic you want to target.
Also, Facebook and Instagram will often tell you exactly how many people you’re reaching based on the amount that you are paying and the number of days you want the plumbing ad to run for. For example, $200 over 2 weeks will reach more people than $200 over 2 months. These sites are super easy to use and run ads on, and they are great for short term advertising if that is your need!
Make videos or blog posts
Just like having a social media account, making videos or blog posts are great to show authenticity. People love to see the faces behind the business, and meaningful content can go a long way!
Videos can be great to show processes, for example, how something gets fixed in a step by step video. Obviously, you may not want to give away every secret, since you want people to hire you to fix their problems.
Blog posts are also great because, if used alongside SEO, they can bring lots of traffic to your website. People will read these blog posts to learn more about the ins and outs of your business and daily workings. Maybe answer some of the frequently asked questions about your business! And because people don’t like to be sold to, they will find these honest and content rich blog posts much more meaningful than flat out trying to sell yourself or your business.
A combination of blog posts and videos can be great to show diversity and authenticity in your business. The best part is that these videos and posts don’t need to be made by experts! People appreciate genuine hard work the most – it doesn’t always need to be flashy to be good.
Google My Business profile
Making a Google My Business profile is a free way to claim your business! This way, when your business comes up on Google, it will show your location, hours of operation, reviews that have been left, a link to your website, and more.
Many people will also want to see pictures in this listing. Even a picture of your business storefront can go a long way!
Don’t forget to provide as much information as possible in this section, because this is often the first thing that most people will see when searching Google.
Google My Business also allows you to make posts, for example, upcoming events, sales, or blog posts. Don’t miss the opportunity to stand out and post your plumbing advertisements here!
Conclusion
Overall, the best advertising for plumbers is whatever suits you best! Maybe you are camera shy and the thought of creating videos terrifies you, but you love talking face to face with clients and networking that way. Maybe your business is just starting out and you have a small budget, so you may go with printable ads instead of big billboards.
Do what suits your business, and do a hybrid of different plumbing advertisements as well! In today’s technological world, it’s important to be easy to find online, but many people also still appreciate old-school advertisements as well. In the end, it’s all about what you think best represents your business.
