10 Effective Plumbing Marketing Ideas (to Get More Business)
In today’s world, proper marketing is the only way to make an impact as a plumbing business. Potential customers have countless businesses and online resources to choose from, so you must stand out. So, what are the best ways to market your plumbing business and stand out?
Search engine optimization, a great website, and a strong social media presence are the best ways for plumbers to market themselves. You can also widen your customer base if you request customer reviews that will appear on your website or Google business profile. Stay in touch with existing customers via service reminder emails and contact local builders and landlords to build longstanding business relationships.
It’s important to make your plumbing business as useful and memorable as possible based on the impression you make online. Classic marketing tactics like mail ads and business cards are still quite effective and can make a strong impression. Follow along as we explore how we can help your plumbing business grow and maintain a consistent customer base.
How Can Marketing Grow Your Plumbing Business?
Marketing can grow your plumbing business to attract new customers and keep old customers. Everything from the layout of your website to your social media presence can attract potential customers. Nearly 92% of businesses use social media to increase their reach.
Word of mouth is still an effective way to market your business, but that’s a slow way to gain new customers. Marketing tactics such as search engine optimization, mail ads, and emails can help maintain a consistent customer base. Online reviews have effectively changed the way people discover plumbing businesses.
First impressions are just as important as the quality of the work you perform. That’s why it’s critical to do a great job and encourage customers to share their experiences online as an effective form of organic marketing. Paid ads are quite effective, but organic marketing from satisfied customers can show people that your services are valuable.
Top 10 Plumbing Marketing Strategies
1. Focus on SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the best way to drive customers toward your plumbing business. SEO lets you push your website and plumbing business to the top of search results for major search engines like Google. Everything from your website layout to the keywords you use when you post on your site can improve your SEO impact.
Blog posts and reviews from existing customers can also boost your SEO. Plumbing marketing is all about attracting customers in an organic way that will resonate with them. Nothing resonates more in the online marketing world than relatable and helpful keywords, user interface, and consistency between your website and social media pages with the keywords you use.
2. Start a Social Media Campaign
Brand awareness is the most important part of plumbing marketing, and social media makes that much more attainable. Social media platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook make it easy to reach as many people as possible. Instagram currently boasts more than 2 billion users, so it’s no secret that the platform has a wide reach.
Make sure to include links to your website and contact information on your social media page. That will make it easy for potential customers to reach out. It also helps to use location tags so people in your area can find you more easily.
Create videos to expand your reach and promote your plumbing business. For example, you could record a video from a job site and post it to show the world what you do. This will demonstrate value and reach people who could use your services. Include a call to action to entice potential customers to reach out when they have problems with their plumbing fixtures.
You can also invest in paid ads on Instagram. They cost $0.50-$1 per click and reach people in your area. Paid ads combined with organic reels can increase brand awareness and drive customers toward your business.
3. Optimize Your Website
While social media can drive customers to your website, you will only draw them in if the site is impressive. Your website should highlight the plumbing services you offer, as well as your contact information. Make sure to specify your service areas so potential customers know where you operate so they aren’t disappointed if they reach out and learn you can’t help them because of their location.
Include reviews from happy customers and links to your social media profiles. Your website should be easy to navigate so potential customers can quickly find your contact information and reach you. It helps to post before and after photos of job sites you’ve worked on so customers know you have something to offer.
4. Ask Clients for Reviews
Reputation management is everything when it comes to marketing for a plumbing business. You will only attract and keep customers if they can easily find positive reviews that show you are a great choice. That’s why it’s important to request reviews from happy customers after you help them.
Positive online reviews sway 72% of customers to check out and even patronize businesses. The easiest way to market your plumbing business is to do a great job so your customers are compelled to post positive reviews. However, you must also take negative reviews into account.
Learn from negative reviews so you can fix problems before they grow. This will only serve to influence future customers to post positive reviews that influence potential customers to contact you for their plumbing needs.
5. Engage Customers Via Email Marketing
You can expand your customer reach if you contact people via email. Over 4.2 billion people have email addresses which makes it one of the most practical platforms to influence customers through. Prompt customers to sign up for your email list when you help them.
Include an email sign-up prompt on your website as well to sway potential customers. Send regular emails with service reminders, coupons, and key plumbing information. For example, you can remind customers to consider your services if you reach out to them during winter to remind them about how to avoid freezing pipes.
The more you reach out to customers, the more likely they are to reach out to you when they need help with their plumbing fixtures. Send emails with service reminders, coupons, and information. For example, you could send a reminder to existing customers about how to prepare for cold weather, so their pipes don’t freeze, etc. This will keep you in their minds the next time they need plumbing assistance, etc.
In 2020, the world of email marketing was worth $7.5 billion, but stats and trends show that it will continue to grow. The rising trend shows that it can grow to nearly $18 billion by 2027, so it’s important to focus on emails when you market your plumbing business.
6. Send Mail Ads or Postcards
While email marketing is on the rise, you must not discount traditional mail ads. Mail ads are still quite effective, and studies show that 62% of recipients look up the businesses or act toward patronizing them. The same study shows that 72% of people open or read mail ads the day they receive them.
This serves to increase exposure and plant the seed that potential customers need to eventually choose you for their plumbing needs. Send out as many mail ads as possible to people within the range of your service areas to increase your reach and market your plumbing business.
7. Participate in Local and Community Events
Community participation is an essential part of any business. Advertising and a strong social media presence can reach many people, but you will make a stronger impression if you get some face time with the local community. Sponsor fairs, runs, festivals, and charity drives in your community to drive customers toward your plumbing business.
Event sponsorship is a great form of marketing, but you must be careful about which events you sponsor. You should only sponsor events that align with your and your business’s values because people will associate your plumbing business with the vent.
8. Contact Builders in Your Service Area
One of the best things a plumbing business can do is get in at the ground level of a new venture. That’s why it’s important to contact local builders in your service areas. This can help you install plumbing fixtures in new buildings.
Once you’ve done that, you will likely become the default plumber to maintain and service their plumbing fixtures. You can easily reach local builders via social media and by networking when you visit builders and give them business cards. This also emphasizes the importance of SEO and a great website as builders are likely to look up local plumbing businesses to find great deals and people who are easy to work with.
It also helps to reach out to local homeowner associations (HOAs) so they keep you in mind. HOAs are tight-knit groups, and they are likely to recommend the services of a single plumbing business to the homes in the neighborhood. A consistent customer base can make the difference between a marketable plumbing business and a plumbing business that markets itself.
9. Invest in PPC Ads
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads can drive customers toward your plumbing business that may not otherwise find your site or social media profiles. This is a great way to supplement your organic marketing tactics so people in your service areas will quickly find your business when they search for local plumbers. Google makes it easy to sign up for PPC ads that drive customers to your business when they search related keywords.
This model has businesses pay a small fee when customers click on their ads. Mobile users make up 70% of PPC ad clicks, so you can easily reach a wide range of people in your service areas. Pay-per-lead (PPL) ads are an alternative to PPC ads, and they can also boost your reach.
PPL ads are based on keywords you use related to your plumbing business. Keywords are the most important part of search engine optimization, so it’s a great option if you want to boost website traffic as effectively as possible.
10. Create a Google Business Profile
You don’t have to spend a dime if you create a Google business profile. Google business profiles are essential if you want to reach customers who search for plumbing businesses within a specific service area. Your plumbing business will show up in the Google search results when people enable location services.
Customers can quickly find the name of your business and your contact information. You can also include a link to your website so potential customers can quickly find out more. Use your Google business profile to increase customer awareness and make a strong first impression.
Let Us Help Your Plumbing Business Grow
Based on our statistical data, one of best ways to grow your plumbing business is to focus on search engine optimization (SEO). This is because once you rank for these competitive keywords, you’ll continue getting leads for months or years to come. The best part is; once you rank, you don’t have to invest more unless you want to target new keywords.
However, because not everyone has the time to wait, PPC or pay per click marketing may be a great option. If you need leads right away, this is the best option. Yes, you’ll have to pay a certain amount every single time someone clicks your ad, but every one of those clicks can turn into a call or a lead.
But SEO and PPC are not the only ways to market your business online. Here at Upscale Digital, we can help you structure keywords, your website, and a strong social media presence to drive customers toward your plumbing business.
It’s important to focus on your social presence, your Google Business profile, positive reviews, and much more. Don’t hesitate, start your digital marketing journey today by calling us at 1-800-211-8466.