As any tradie knows, it’s vital to have a steady stream of work coming through your business. Finding the time to attract new customers can be a challenge for busy business owners. From ‘old school’ tactics to the latest digital strategies, we’ve put together ideas to help you get more work.
If your business doesn’t have a social media presence, now is the time to get one up and running.
Facebook and Instagram give you plenty of ways to reach homeowners looking to build or renovate. If you have a Facebook business page, set up Messenger (it’s free!) so prospective customers can quickly and easily get in touch with you. Just make sure you respond quickly!
If you’re heavy on visual work, Instagram is perfect as it has a strong focus on ‘inspo’ images.
Using paid features on Instagram and Facebook will help you get the best results from social media and drive potential leads.
You can pay to ‘boost’ or ‘promote’ your posts to people (including homeowners and small business/commercial customers) in the suburbs you service.
You can set your preferred budget and monitor the results, for example how many people clicked on your post, visited your website, or called your number.
Not every business is eligible to become a Dulux Accredited Painter, so be sure to register your interest.
The Dulux Accredited Painter Program is Australia’s leading membership program for professional painters, the program helps members to win work and stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Accredited painters tell us regularly that being a part of the program drives a huge number of enquiries and new business for them consistently.
Members also benefit from leads generated via our Find a Painter tool on our website.
You’ve likely used Google before to find the answer to a question or find how to solve a problem. Google offers both free and paid advertising options for businesses that can help you.
A Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is free and lets you list your business on Google. These are the boxes with a map that you’ll see on the top right when you search for say a Dulux Trade Centre in Melbourne. Each of these results are a business profile that can be edited.
You can create a Google Business profile and add your business location, website, contact details and operating hours. Having a Google Business Profile also means your business can be seen by those searching for your services using Google Maps. Don’t forget to ask your satisfied customers to review you on Google!
If you pay for Google Ads you can pay to have your business appear at (or near) the top of search results when customers are looking for a local trade painter.
Have you updated your vehicles and signage lately? Sprucing these up can help prospective customers take notice.
Make sure your business name and mobile number are clearly displayed on the side and back of your vehicle. A shortlist of your top services can capture the attention of drivers, pedestrians, and your customer’s neighbours.
Always put your sandwich board out in front of the home you’re working on. And don’t forget to clean your van regularly, to make your business image shine.
Have an eye-catching flyer printed up and take your marketing to the streets surrounding your current job. While your van is parked in their street every day, why not offer nearby residents an incentive to book your services within a certain timeframe to receive a special discount?
Of course, encourage your customers to spread the word with their neighbours too. There’s no better recommendation than an enthusiastic customer sharing a glowing review of your fantastic work!
Do you have friends with businesses in other trades? Take a proactive approach by asking them to recommend your services to their customers. Painting services are often the final step in jobs that also involve electricians, roofers, bricklayers, plumbers and builders.
If you are happy to return the favour and work together, you could build up a steady flow of referrals.
Is your local football club, surf club, scout hall or community centre in need of a re-paint? Offering your services free of charge can be a great way to showcase your business and workmanship to homeowners in your local community.
If you can, negotiate for some ‘in kind’ support in exchange for your work. An ad or even a ‘thank you’ message in the footy club’s newsletter is the ideal way to make sure members remember your business.
