Marketing For Plumbers: Proven Strategies To Grow Your Business
One of the advantages of being a plumber is that your services are required in homes and businesses, which means anyone can be your client. However, you are also competing with hundreds of thousands of other plumbers. Consequently, it’s vital to know the best ways to stand out.
Marketing your business by building a strong presence online using your website and social media pages is integral to being noticed by customers. The right marketing strategies can help customers find you when searching for plumbing services.
Proven Marketing Strategies For Plumbers
As a plumber, you need to be well-informed about the needs of your clients, how users search for plumbers and the competitive advantages of other plumbers to identify the approaches that can help catch the attention of clients. Below are eight proven marketing strategies for plumbers:
Local SEO Optimization
Focusing on local search engine optimization (SEO) can help you grow your plumbing business, as it allows you to increase your brand awareness among people who are more likely to hire you.
One of the ways to optimize local SEO is by having a Google Business Profile (GBP). With a GBP, you can rank higher on search engine result pages (SERPs) and Google Maps. Your GBP should have your business’s accurate name, address, and phone number (NAP). You can also add a brief sentence informing users about your specific services and service areas. And don’t forget to add high-quality photos of your business premises and projects.
Another strategy for local marketing for plumbers is using location-specific keywords on your website and social media pages. A keyword like “emergency plumber near you” is crucial in ranking higher on search engines, as many users usually use phrases such as “plumber near you” or “plumber in (city/neighborhood)” when looking for a plumber online.
Improving your business’s visibility on Google Maps can help you catch the attention of clients substantially. Besides having an accurate and completed GBP, ensure your business appears in local map searches by creating a business page on YellowPages, Yelp, Angi, TrustPilot, and Checkatrade, among other online platforms that list businesses. It can also be beneficial to list your business on Apple Maps and Bing Places.
PPC Advertising
With pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, plumbers pay publishers when a user clicks their ads. When a user clicks a plumber’s ad published on a search engine, such as Google or Bing, they will be directed to the plumber’s website, app, or social media page. The plumber will then pay the publisher a set amount.
Typically, businesses bid on keywords. For example, you may bid on “emergency plumbing services in (city).” When a user searches this term, the respective search engine will launch an auction, a real-time bidding system, to determine which ads appear on the results page and how to rank them. Several factors are considered when determining whether an ad should be displayed on top. These include the bid (the maximum amount you are willing to pay when a user clicks your ad), the quality of your ad, and the search context.
You need to invest in Google and Bing ads to reach your targeted audience. Create quality ads and ensure your landing pages meet the expectations a user has upon seeing your ad.
The PPC model allows businesses to pinpoint their target audience by specifying vital characteristics, including demographics, behaviors, and interests. This means your ads will be shown to people who are actively searching for plumbers.
You should also consider using ad extensions — extra information or features you add to your PPC ad, such as a click-to-call feature, links, and location. Extensions drive immediate action, a quality users appreciate.
A PPC ad can appear on search results (search ads), websites in the form of a banner, image, or text (display ad), or social media sites or apps (social media ad).
CTV Advertising With Geofencing
Connected TV (CTV) advertising allows plumbers to show their ads on smart TVs and streaming services like Hulu, Roku, and YouTube TV. Your CTV ad will be shown when a user is watching a movie, TV show, or any other content.
With geofencing, you can specify your ads to be displayed to users in a particular location. For instance, your service areas only. In this case, information related to location on a user’s device, such as zip code or IP address, is used to create virtual boundaries for your ad. A user whose device meets your specified location will see your ad.
You should create appealing CTV ads to grab a user’s attention within a few minutes before returning to their entertainment. An eye-catching CTV ad has appealing visuals, great audio, informative content (how your business can benefit the user), a sense of urgency, and a compelling call to action.
Ready to grow your plumbing business? Start with these strategies today.
Social Media Marketing
Many people use social media to find businesses to work with, including plumbing services. Thus, it’s critical for a plumber to have a strong online presence. Have pages on several social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
On your pages, post before-and-after photos and videos of your plumbing projects to showcase the quality of your services, as a user can see what you started with and how your services were employed in the project.
Offer seasonal offers to clients on your social media pages. For example, a percentage off on inspection of plumbing systems before winter hits, discounted prices for repairing frozen pipes, or a discount for cleaning and inspecting plumbing systems during spring. Moreover, you can use your social media platforms to inform users that you offer emergency services and how they can get them.
Social media marketing for plumbers also involves engaging with the local community through groups or targeted paid social campaigns. You can have a group where you discuss and promote charities that provide clean water, saving the world, or you can offer plumbing-related tips to help the community save water or avoid costly issues.
Encourage Online Reviews
Plumbing is technical, which means most clients can’t easily spot a mistake when receiving a service. Thus, most people heavily rely on reviews to find a plumber whose work is praised. That’s why online reviews are crucial for a plumber.
It’s important to encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your website and other platforms, like Yelp, Google, and Angi. With positive reviews, you will have a positive online reputation, which can translate to more clients.
It’s essential to respond to all your reviews politely and promptly. If you receive a negative review, apologize for the customer’s experience and inform them of the solution you will implement. Responding to your reviews can help you build trust and credibility.
Content Marketing
The most effective way to showcase your expertise in plumbing is through content marketing. This is because content allows you to educate users while marketing your business.
People usually search for the plumbing problem they are experiencing on search engines before even looking for a business to work with. For example, one may search “How to prepare your plumbing systems for winter” or “How to unclog the main sewer line.”
If you have blogs or videos answering such questions, you may be the first website a user comes across. Therefore, you need to research common plumbing issues and publish informative content about them.
Besides long-form blogs and videos, you can also share frequently asked questions (FAQ). FAQ pages are recommended because they offer valuable content that directly answers a user’s questions.
How-to guides also address problems directly, thereby helping to position you as an expert in the industry. Unlike FAQs, they give detailed step-by-step instructions on completing a particular task.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a profitable approach for plumbers, as they can directly interact with their customers and send them crucial information. They can send reminders for maintenance services, promote existing and new services, send seasonal promotions, and share maintenance tips.
You can gather emails by having a sign-up form on your website. Customers who want to be part of your email list will use the form to opt in. You can also request new customers to provide their email when booking a service. After that, you can send them a link to the page with the opt-in form.
Running contests on social media that require contenders to provide their email addresses is another way to request more people to join your newsletter. For example, you can post a plumbing part and ask users to guess it by sending an email. Whoever provides the correct answer will get a prize, such as a discount on any plumbing service they need.
Consider using email automation to make your work more manageable. You can automate follow-ups for past customers or reminders for maintenance services.
Website Optimization
Your website should be easy to navigate. Users should be able to find any information they need without waiting for a slow-loading page to open or experiencing difficulties finding what they need.
Your website should have clear service pages with informative content and compelling calls to action, such as “Schedule a service now,” “Call now for a free quote,” “Schedule your drain cleaning service today,” or “Get a 24-hour emergency service.”
You should also create a fast, mobile-friendly website so that users can access your website from anywhere. Your website’s booking form can help customers get the services they want without having to go through several steps.
Additionally, a live chat can increase customer satisfaction since it provides immediate customer support. Accordingly, a user’s concerns can be handled quickly, increasing their chances of converting into a client.
Grow Your Business Today With Levy Online
Levy Online is skilled in services concerning marketing for plumbers, including SEO services, local SEO, social media marketing services, PPC, and many more. We help plumbers catch the attention of potential customers. Our team will learn more about your business and goals to help you determine the strategies that will meet your needs.
