10 free ways plumbing installers can promote their business in 2021

Whether you are an experienced plumbing installer, just setting up your plumbing installation business or considering changing careers, finding effective and affordable ways to market your business can feel a daunting task. But customer awareness is vital for any plumbing company, and while paid advertising and leaflets can undoubtedly attract new business, there are plenty of other more innovative options available. Not only do these other options work, but they are also free.

There are many ways you can get your brand name out to potential customers, from social media campaigns to including your brand and logo on uniforms and company vehicles. Here are 10 examples of how plumbing installers can promote their business in 2021.

1. Create strong branding and logo

Before any advertising or promotion campaign can begin, you need to have a brand to promote. Choosing an eye-catching logo, name, and strapline will help to ensure your business gets immediate recognition. By creating a positive and memorable image, there’s a better chance that people will think of you whenever they need a plumbing installer. You can use your logo and branding across uniforms, vehicles, your website, social media, business cards, invoices and anything else you use for your business. Everything you choose to brand up should be clear and accurate and include your website address, phone number and email. You can also create a free custom QR code that links to your website and add it to all your branding.

2. Build a website

As the world becomes increasingly digital, you must make sure your plumbing installation business is too. Websites are no longer expensive or exclusive to set up; it’s now possible to get free or very low-cost web space and create your own business website with a few pages of essential information.

Your website can include your logo and branding, contact information, details of the services you provide and testimonials from satisfied customers. A website can also help to establish a feeling of trust and familiarity between potential customers and your business, while also highlighting your work. Just make sure you keep your website content regularly updated and include relevant search terms related to plumbing installation and the area you work in.

3. Social media

Social media is not just about connecting with friends and families. It is also a savvy way to promote your plumbing installer business and generate new business leads for free. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can help you access a wealth of potential customers in your area. Instagram is similar to Facebook and Twitter but with more emphasis on visual content offering you a great way to show off your work, increase engagement and strengthen your brand.

While using social media to promote your business might be free, you need to invest your time posting interesting content and engaging with other users. Use social media to promote your website blog posts, post examples of your work and answer plumbing installation questions. You need to make sure that you don’t simply use it to promote your business but get involved. If you can, aim for around three posts a week and include engaging videos, images and gifs to make sure your content catches people’s eyes.

4. Publish a newsletter or regular email

Email marketing is easy and free. A newsletter is a great way to regularly remind your customers about your business, so you will always spring to mind when they next need a plumbing installer. There are free email marketing tools such as mailerlite.com that will help you keep your customers engaged.

Your articles don’t have to be overly long or detailed. Your goal is to keep your customers updated with what’s happening in your business and give them tips and information to help them with their plumbing and water-related issues at home. You can also use the emails as an opportunity to send out links to your blog posts and other relevant information on your website. Make sure you have customers permission to email them before making contact to stay compliant with GDPR regulations.

5. Word of mouth

There’s nothing more valuable to a plumbing installation business than word-of-mouth recommendations. When you do a good job for a customer, chances are they will repay you several times over by recommending you to their friends and family.

Word of mouth is one of the most effective and affordable marketing tools a business has. It requires very little work on your part. Your customers essentially do most of it for you. If a customer is pleased with your work, ask them to recommend your business to their friends, ask them for a testimonial and give them business cards to pass around.

6. Use review sites and local directories

Listing your business on the various trade sites now available can help ensure your customers are only a click away from finding out about your services, reading your reviews and getting in touch.

There’s nothing quite like a good referral for boosting your business. So, when you complete a plumbing installation job, ask the customer to leave a review for you. Getting a good customer referral and review can come down to simple things like being helpful and friendly to the customer, cleaning up after you’ve finished, returning calls promptly and going above and beyond what customers expect.

7. Partner up with other local tradespeople

Network with other tradespeople in your area and collaborate with them to offer special deals to customers. A combined offer will help to encourage people to take up both services, so make sure who you choose to partner up with is a reputable business with a good reputation and standards of service.

Pairing up together is not only more attractive for customers but can also cut some of your marketing costs in half. Alternatively, the agreement can be as simple as recommending each other’s businesses to customers should the need arise. For instance, if you partner with a local electrician, they can recommend your business to their clients and vice versa.

8. Get involved in the local community

Joining local groups and becoming an active member of your local community will help get yourself and your plumbing installer business better known in the area and lead to new opportunities for networking. Find ways to help by doing small jobs for local groups and charity organisations for free. Even if those tasks aren’t directly relevant to your business, it gets your name out there, shows you care and can be someone people rely on.

9. Create a Google business profile

Billions of people use Google every day to search for all manner of things, including plumbing installers. This is what makes a Google My Business account a great way to promote your business. Google My Business is a free online service that is more than just a business listing but lets you connect with customers. It’s free and easy to set up. Simply head to google.com/business and click ‘manage now’. You’ll then be asked to enter your business name and location and tick the ‘I deliver goods and services to my customers’ box. Next, select the appropriate business category and then enter your contact number and website URL. Then you’ll be asked to verify your entry.

You can then add photos and even special offers to your profile to help your business stand out. It’s a great way to boost your chances of showing up in search results while helping potential customers find you quickly.

10. Don’t be afraid to hustle!

Always be ready to make the most out of every opportunity you come across to promote your business. Whether it’s promoting your business online, handing out business cards at a local event, branding up your business vehicle, or working towards getting more positive online reviews. Don’t be afraid to try everything. If you find something that isn’t immediately successful, it may just not be the right time, and you can revisit it later.

As a plumbing installer, there are plenty of ways to promote your business in 2021. Make sure you know your unique selling points (USPs) and use your business acumen and work ethic to ensure your business stands out from the rest.