Digital marketing for plumbers
In this articleWhether you’re a brand-new plumbing business that’s only been operating for a few months or a well-established presence in the industry with strong roots in your local community, every plumbing company needs a good marketing plan to attract new customers.
Without a steady stream of clientele, your plumbing business may struggle to get off the ground, especially if you’re only just starting out.
From how to properly optimise your business for the online world to tried-and-tested marketing methods for the modern day, here are our essential plumbing marketing tips that all plumbers should know.
Why is digital marketing for plumbers so important?
You might be wondering why exactly you need to market yourself as a plumber – after all, there will always be demand, no matter where you are in the country.
And while this is certainly true, the reality is that if you don’t market your business properly and consistently, then you’ll more than likely lose potential customers to other competitors – without marketing, customers may not even know your business exists.
Simply put, good marketing is a must for any trade business looking to drive more leads and boost their brand’s reputation, and you’ll want to make it a core part of your business strategy from day one.
Our top plumbing marketing tips
Many of the essential plumbing marketing ideas of the past are not nearly as effective as they used to be. Instead of relying solely on print media, much of the current plumbing marketing landscape sits in the digital world, and that means this is where you need to focus your efforts.
Here are the main digital plumbing strategies you’ll want to start with:
1. Create a user-friendly website
A user-friendly website is all but essential for the online presence of a modern business.
But while building a website from scratch might be outside your skillset, the good news is that there are plenty of website designers out there who can build you a simple, functional, and bespoke site at a reasonable price.
Or, alternatively, you can choose to use one of the various website-building apps available online. Cheap and easy to use, this software lets you have your website ready to go in just a few days.
And once your website is ready to launch, don’t forget to check all of the following before you put it live:
- Make sure that all essential pages are available for customers to view.
- Make sure your business info is visible and up to date.
- Double-check that no links and buttons are broken.
- Make sure all your contact details are visible and that any contact forms work as intended.
- Make sure that your site layout is mobile-friendly for customers looking to book a plumber while on the go.
2. SEO optimise your landing pages
As part of making a website, you’ll need to create various landing pages to advertise both your business and the services that you offer. But while you need to make the content on these pages relevant, you should also optimise them using keywords.
For example, if you’re a plumber operating in the Manchester area, you’ll want to include keywords like ‘plumbing in Manchester’ or ‘Manchester plumber’ in your copy, as this will let you better target online searches made by customers in your work area.
However, keyword research like this is not as simple as it sounds, so we’d recommend hiring the services of an SEO expert to ensure the keywords you’re using are relevant for your business.
3. Get active on social media
If your website is the foundation of your online marketing strategy, then your social media presence is its face. Simply put, there is no better way to get your business front and centre in the minds of customers than with regular social media interaction and updates, such as:
- Before and after shots of work
- Videos and images of your team in action
- Recent reviews
- Industry updates
All of these are fantastic candidates for social media content and will go a long way towards boosting your reputation with customers through genuine social proof and word-of-mouth marketing.
4. Don’t neglect social proof
Speaking of social proof, another area that you shouldn’t disregard as a business is collecting and displaying customer reviews. Much like a verbal recommendation from a friend, a clearly displayed review of your services is far more likely to win over a new customer than having no reviews at all.
For the biggest impact, try to have your reviews displayed in a prominent but unintrusive location on your website home page as well as on your social media accounts. And if you have the time, try to respond to each one that comes in – regardless of how they rated you.
It might not seem like it, but even if a review is negative, you can still show yourself as being a customer-first business by engaging with the review in question and asking how you could improve your services in the future.
5. Consider PPC advertising
While not always a necessity for marketing small businesses, if you do have a larger marketing budget for boosting your business presence, then there’s no harm in trying your hand at PPC marketing.
In short, these are the paid ads that appear at the top of all Google search results. And so long as you’re careful with how you set them up, there’s a good chance you can get your business ranking over competitors for local plumbing searches in your area.
However, PPC is not something you should attempt without expert help, so much like keyword research, we recommend speaking to a PPC expert in your local area to see if this sort of marketing is right for you.
6. Grab your GMB listing
Another great way to make your business stand out on Google is to create a GMB listing (Google My Business). This will ensure that the details of your plumbing business appear in the information box on the right-hand side of Google results pages for local customer searches.
Not only that, but getting your GMB listing also lets you register your business on Google Maps, which not only confirms to customers that you’re definitely a local business, but also adds further credibility to your company’s professional image.
7. Share helpful content and advice
You may want to consider sharing helpful tips and tricks on how customers can deal with smaller plumbing problems at home.
For example, you could create and share videos clearly demonstrating how to patch up a leaking pipe properly until it can be replaced. Or you could write and share blog posts about how best to care for your home plumbing on a day-to-day basis.
Whatever you choose to go with, creating content like this will help to cement your business reputation, which in turn will make you a more attractive option in the eyes of new customers.
8. Make it easy to book your services
Last, but not least, when it comes to actually closing a lead, you want to give your customers as much flexibility as possible in how they can book your services – it’s not enough to simply have a contact number that customers can reach you on.
Email, social media, and contact forms on your website, you should aim to have as many booking options available for use as possible so that customers can contact you in whatever way works best for them at that moment in time.
Other useful types of plumbing marketing
There are a few tried-and-tested plumbing marketing ideas out there that you should still look to make use of as part of your wider plumbing marketing strategy:
1. Expand your service offering
Expanding your service options is a great way to open your business up to more potential leads, especially if you’ve spotted a niche in your local plumbing market.
For example, if none of your competitors are currently offering eco-plumbing services (such as low-flow toilets, energy-efficient water heating systems, water recycling, etc), then you can capitalise on this opportunity and the customers that come with it by upskilling as a plumber to install and maintain these systems.
2. Invest in your business branding
Something interwoven into the entirety of your plumbing marketing strategy, solid and consistent business branding is very important if you want your plumbing company to compete on a professional level – and this means having more than just a company logo.
From clear business branding on your work vehicle to work uniforms and even a business card, having branding like this acts as visible and direct marketing to consumers, advertising your business even when you’re out on a different job.
3. Don’t ignore print advertising
Print advertising still has its place in modern marketing strategies – you just need to make sure you take the right approach and that your digital marketing plans are in place first.
For example, once you have your website and social media profiles ready to go, a local leaflet campaign with all your contact details available on it can be the perfect way to get the word out about your business.
4. Take time to network with other businesses
Finally, much like word-of-mouth marketing that can come from reviews and social media, networking and collaborating with other businesses not in direct competition with yours is an excellent way to spread your business name further afield.
Construction companies, gas engineers, electricians, and other trades like this can all find themselves crossing paths with plumbers on projects at one point or another. So, if you can collaborate with other local businesses and set up a mutual referral system, you’ll almost certainly find more leads coming in.
Grow your customer base as a Trusted Trader
And there you have it; those are our top digital marketing tips for plumbers. Hopefully, you now have plenty of ideas on how to improve your business's marketing or what to consider beforehand if you’re planning to start a plumbing business in the future.
However, one area we didn’t touch on that could further grow your customer base is to sign up with a reputable trade directory – such as by becoming a Which? Trusted Trader.
As a Trusted Trader, you’ll get access to your very own business profile to display those all-important reviews and customer testimonials, as well as an account manager to help you manage everything.
