So you have finally set up your trade business – great! How do you tell people about it? Where do you go to gain business or even grow your existing one? Here I have outlined our guide for non-digital & digital marketing for trades.Â
1. Website
I may be biased here, but how else are you going to market yourself effectively online without a website? A trades website design gives you the freedom to display all of your services, work, company information, testimonials and streamlines how customers get in touch giving you the freedom to work uninterrupted. Most importantly, a professional looking website gives your business credibility and potential customers the confidence to pick you and your services!
2. SEO
Now you have your website, how do you show it off to your potential customers? One of the best long term marketing strategies is search engine optimisation. SEO for trades is the process of optimising your webpages to appear in search results. 90% of users do not bother going past page 1, so being on it should be your target. SEO is made up of technical, content and outreach, more information can be found on our SEO for trades pages.
3. Socials
Want to do your own marketing for trades? Social media is an effective way of displaying your services and building connections to build your business. My advice here is to pick one, and do it well. Stretching yourself too thin can impact your content or will take up most of your time. For building contacts or clients, I recommend making yourself active on LinkedIn. The best self marketing for trades, will be connecting with your ideal clients or trades in a similar business creating opportunities, especially if you’re starting out.
4. Networking
Whether in-person, or digitally, networking is great for building relations within your area and marketing your trade. You can find local network events simply searching for them on google or via social media. Turn up, have a coffee, wonder around and chat to local business. Alternatively trade shows are great for engaging with suppliers and national business – just remember your business card.
5. Business Cards
Despite the number of free pens and notepads you’ll inevitably get from these networking events, it makes for a much smoother interaction if you can give all of your details on a little piece of cardboard. Business cards can be easily made online, and usually sites such as Canva provide free templates to help you get started in case your designs aren’t up to scratch. You’ll be the envy of all your colleagues…
6. Google My Business
Google my business is a great way to get listed online in your local area and start marketing for your trade. It’s free and simple to do, and provides a space to upload photos of your work, services and collect customer reviews. Google my business is local SEO, so customers searching for your trade will be able to find you within their area.
7. Portfolio
Telling potential customers about your services is good, but showing them your standard of work is much better. Having a portfolio for your completed jobs will demonstrate your skills and provide your customers with the confidence to pick you for their project. Any service based business should be proud of their work, even our digital marketing for trades has a portfolio of our work for our trade web designs.
8. Directories
I think it’s safe to say the days of the yellow pages are dwindling and customers are switching to online search engines to find their services. Listing your business on as many directories as possible is great for passive outreach and should be part of your plan for marketing your trade. Many customers are using digital directories such as yell or a local business directory to find a trade service. Not only can you list your business, but link to your website to help it rank.
9. Testimonials
Word of mouth for the web, testimonials and reviews are essential for business growth and you should be capturing them wherever possible. Anytime you complete a job, follow up and ask for a review. Testimonials are so important Amazon even has a shop dedicated to products with 4 or more star reviews. Even if your customers are from many years prior to you launching your services online, get a review from them. How often do you skip past companies online with 0 reviews?
10. Email
Once you have your customers’ attention, try to keep it. It takes seconds for potential customers to drop off your website, so having an email capture method with an incentive for them to leave an email is important. Once captured you have a list of interested clients you can include in email marketing for trades, such as offers, services and updates.
