Because your profits often depend on word of mouth and staying current and competitive, plumbing marketing is especially important for plumbers and all service-based professionals. In order to develop a customer base your business needs to get its name out to as many people as possible and, with the right digital marketing techniques, it’s never been easier to reach large numbers of prospective customers in a short amount of time and the least amount of impact on your bottom line. Here is the best way to market a plumbing business.
What is plumber marketing?
Plumber marketing, like with any business, is the techniques, tools, and overall plumbing marketing plan that your business utilizes to reach current and prospective customers, creating a plumbing brand people recognize and trust.
Starting your own plumbing business can be very exciting but also a little nerve-wracking as well. Of course, the main thing on your mind is booking jobs and earning an income. The easiest way to get yourself started is by setting up a website and Facebook page. From there, you can optimize email marketing and try sponsored advertising on Google Ads, along with many other ways to market your business.
Why do plumbers need a marketing strategy?
A good plumbing marketing strategy is key for any plumber to run a successful business. Promoting a scheduling app can be useful to provide customers with an easy way to book your services. You are not going to see any results without using the right consistent marketing that’s customized to your business. Customers are not going to reach out if they don’t know where to find you. (P.S. the number of people using the phone book to find a plumber has drastically decreased since Google came along.)
Developing the correct plumbing marketing strategy will allow you to offer the benefits of using your service and reach your target market. Once you’ve created your unique strategy, you will need to properly monitor your efforts and results to see how effective each technique has been. This way, you can more easily make adjustments where needed. The benefits of having a curated marketing strategy for plumbers will be an increase in organic leads to your website, more booked appointments, and securing a growing income.
Marketing statistics for plumbers
As long as there are toilets and sinks, there’s always going to be a need for plumbers. More plumbing businesses are taking a more online approach to bring in new customers, using booking software to easily schedule visits, send invoices, and get paid. In fact, there’s likely to be an increase in demand for the construction industry, including plumbers.
Here are some great facts and statistics you can use to your advantage when building your plumbing marketing strategy.
- The market size for plumbers in the USA is $124 billion. (Source).
- 54% of people search online for plumbers before converting. (Source)
- “Plumbers near me” is one of the top searched keywords for home services on mobile phones (Source)
- There are about 120,467 plumbing businesses in the USA. (Source).
- There are no plumbing companies in the USA that have more than 1% of the market share. (Source).
- A plumber’s fix of a leak can save a home 10 gallons of wasted water a year. (Source).
- 86% of consumers read reviews of local businesses before making a choice (Source).
By searching for statistics within your industry, you can use those numbers to generate amazing content for your audience. If homes with even the smallest leak are watching water and money go down the drain (we give you permission to use this little pun), your proven stat might sway them to consider hiring a plumber.
Top 5 marketing agencies for plumbers
Marketing for plumbing companies isn’t easy and often takes more than sharing a few images on Instagram. When coming up with the best marketing strategy for plumbers, it may be better to find an expert marketing agency to do it for you. Make sure you find an agency that is going to work well for your business and be able to come up with creative plumbing marketing ideas. Leaving the hard work up to the experts ensures that the strategy in place will be beneficial to you — and you can focus on your own strengths. There are many companies offering plumbing marketing services and plumbing internet marketing, so make sure you have an in-depth conversation and understand their strategies when marketing a plumbing company to find the right fit for your needs.
Here is a list of the top 5 marketing agencies that have worked with plumbing businesses in the past and have experience with plumbing company marketing:
- Plumber Marketing agency says it right in their name. If you’re in Canada or not, Plumber Marketing is dedicated to marketing plumbing businesses only and does a pretty good job of it.
- Plumber Marketing Firm also has the proof of their niche right in the name. They’ve developed strong and useful tools geared towards growing plumbing businesses.
- Hook Agency, located in Minneapolis, has a large online presence and multiple reviews for its excellent marketing strategies for plumbing businesses.
- Ryno Strategic Solutions in Pheonix has also developed a strong and reliable reputation for its ability to grow plumbing businesses with digital marketing techniques.
- Plumbing HVAC 360 is a well-known marketing firm that works only with plumbers and businesses within the HVAC industry. They will provide you will a customized marketing toolbox that will increase your overall marketing results.
How to advertise a plumbing business
There are a few ways you can start advertising your plumbing business to attract customers and establish a presence both online and off. Let’s take a look at five proven ideas you can try to start seeing immediate plumbing business advertising success.
Local online business directories
Adding your business to local online directories is another helpful way to attract new customers. This will be one of the first places most people will look when they are needing to find a plumber. There are numerous business directories to add to, such as Google, Yahoo, and Yelp.
Social media
Social media can become your best friend for sharing past clients, success stories, and a great tool for online marketing for plumbers. Some promotional ideas for plumbers is to advertise on social media by offering coupons or contests to your followers, suggesting for them to share with their own networks for the chance to win.
Blogs
Write your own blog or ask an expert to write one for you on topics relating to plumbing that uses keywords that your target customers are searching for on Google. This will help you to receive more shares and comments on social media and will, over time, rank you higher in search engines.
A strong logo
Coming up with the perfect logo for your business is one of the first steps to start advertising because it instantly puts an image to your brand. A logo is something that you will use no matter the type of marketing being used and should be consistent across every strategy.
Google My Business (GMB) Optimization
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to boost local search visibility.
Online Reviews
Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, and Angie’s List.
Content Marketing
Share informative articles, videos, or infographics about plumbing tips and solutions to showcase expertise.
Email Marketing
Build an email list to send newsletters, promotions, and updates to existing and potential customers.
Networking
Attend local business events, join networking groups, and build relationships with other local businesses.
Flyer Distribution
Create eye-catching flyers and distribute them in local neighborhoods or partner with other businesses for cross-promotion.
Vehicle print
You’re a plumber, which means that you’re going to be visiting your clients in person. Putting a print ad or logo on your van or truck that includes your business name and contact information is a great start to advertising your services. You’ll be surprised at home many people approach you based on your signage alone.
Offer Discounts and Promotions
Attract new customers by offering discounts for first-time services or seasonal promotions.
Referral Program
Implement a referral program to encourage satisfied customers to refer friends and family.
Google Ads
Invest in targeted Google Ads campaigns to appear at the top of relevant search results.
Responsive Customer Service
Provide excellent customer service to encourage word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat business.
Maintain your online presence
Since internet marketing for plumbers is such an important part of your business’s success, you are going to want to make sure you are using the right options available that are geared towards the success of a plumbing business. Listed here are 5 of the top plumbing marketing trends that work for plumbers (read more about them in this piece).
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Web design
Having a website is a definite need for any business. It’s a home base for potential customers to find you and will often be visited far more often than your brick-and-mortar location. Your website is a great way to build up your online presence and will help you to look more professional to prospective customers. If designing your own website doesn’t seem like something you can do, it would be a good idea to hire a web designer to handle it for you.
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Local SEO
SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization, which works by adding keywords to your website’s content. This way, when someone searches for keywords in plumbing, Google will pop up your website in the list of search results. Because you are likely dealing with local customers, using keywords related to your city or local demographics is going to boost your visibility to customers in your region.
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PPC
PPC, short for pay-per-click, is a style of online marketing that involves the advertiser paying a fee every time their ad is clicked on in search results and across the internet. This can be a great option since you will only pay for your ad if someone clicks on it, so your initial price is lower.
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Social media
Using social media marketing is a significant way to build up your brand and your online presence. Make sure you’re using platforms where your customers can be found. If you find not many people are searching for plumbers on Twitter, don’t use it. The followers you gain on social media are more likely to contact you first if they are in need of a plumber. Keep consistent with your posting, but try not to post more than once a day, so your followers can continue to engage with you.
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Email marketing
Using email marketing as part of your strategy can be very helpful in enlarging your customer base. It can be a great way to generate new leads and establish relationships with existing customers. Asking for email information from previous and potential clients will also increase the amount of data you collect, giving you valuable insight into customer behavior and buying decisions.
Interested in working with an plumbing software that can provide your customers with a great way to book appointments with your plumbing company? Workiz offers tailored marketing solutions, partnered with agencies such as SearchKings, and integrated with Thumbtack, Angi, and Google’s Local Services Ads. Reach out for a conversation with a member of our team today.