Being good at your trade doesn’t guarantee your business will be successful.
A few years ago, a paid listing in a local directory and the delivery of a few fliers were usually enough to get the phone ringing.
Not anymore.
In 2025, if you want to fill your diary with work you’re going to need to market your business effectively as a tradesman.
This means embracing online and offline marketing.
We help tradesmen right across the UK build successful businesses with cost-effective marketing strategies.
In this guide, we cover the main forms of marketing and how they can be applied to your trade business.
First up, is offline marketing:
Offline Marketing
What is offline marketing?
Offline marketing is any form of marketing that targets customers when they are offline and not using the web.
This includes traditional channels of advertising such as print, radio and billboards.
Let’s take a closer look at some types of offline marketing.
Leafleting
Delivering leaflets or flyers is a proven way to find new customers, albeit less fruitful than it was before the advent of the web.
All it requires is a professionally designed leaflet and the time or funds to distribute them.
If you choose to use leaflets as part of your marketing strategy then it’s wise to make the content on the leaflet as relevant as possible.
For example, if you are a carpet cleaner working in a street then you could post leaflets that inform the neighbours of your customer that you “have been cleaning the carpets at number_ today.”
This is an effective tactic because of relevancy and it gives the leaflet recipient a nudge to keep up with the Joneses!
Business Cards
Every tradesperson should keep a box of business cards in the van.
They’re so convenient to hand out on the spot and to leave with any businesses you visit.
They are also very cheap to print and despite unlimited information for local businesses being available at the click of a mouse, many people still request a business card if they see a tradesperson working in their street.
Vehicle Signage
Your business vehicle is not just a mode of transport; it is also a mobile form of advertising.
Whether you’re parked at a customer’s house or stuck in traffic on the way home, you have the chance to put your business name in front of hundreds of potential customers every single day.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to a full vehicle wrap in your company branding then at least get your name, logo and contact details added to your van.
Word-Of-Mouth & Referrals
It’s often said that word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing, and it may be true.
It differs from other forms of marketing because you don’t need to convince the customer of your value if you’ve been recommended by a satisfied customer.
And if you think about it, word-of-mouth marketing is also free.
It doesn’t cost you a penny,
It simply requires you to be reliable and do a great job for your customers.
Online Marketing
Online marketing promotes your business through digital channels such as your website, social media channels, Google Ads, and SEO.
Here’s an outline of some of the important channels that might be a good fit for your trade business:
Creating A Website
Whichever online channels you choose to market your business, your website is the cornerstone.
If a web searcher clicks on a Google ad, they will land on your website…
If they are browsing your social media pages, they will often click through to your website…
And even if they’ve picked up a leaflet, they will invariably go to your website to find out more about your business.
It cannot be overstated:
An engaging, professional website is crucial to your ongoing success in business.
Invest wisely and it will pay you back for many years to come.
If you need help creating a website for your trade business, or you’d like to improve your current site, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
What is SEO?
For any trade-related web search, the first page of Google search results will usually display a couple of paid ads, followed by the pack of map listings, and then the organic website search results which are directly related to the SEO work that has been carried on a website.
SEO may be the most important form of online marketing.
While not a strategy that will bring immediate results, it is sustainable and less likely to be subject to fluctuations and should be a constant in any long-term marketing plan.
And in comparison to many other forms of online marketing, it can prove very cost-effective in the long run.
There are many elements and approaches to a successful SEO strategy. But they all work together with one aim in mind:
To rank your website as high as possible in Google for all your relevant keywords and locations.
For example, if you are a carpet cleaning company, you would want your carpet cleaning SEO strategy to rank your website for keywords such as:
- Carpet cleaning Cardiff
- Carpet cleaners in Cardiff
- Carpet cleaning company Cardiff
As it so happens, we carried out SEO work for the top-ranking website for these particular keywords!
Indeed, we have helped many carpet cleaning companies create beautiful websites and get them ranked high on Google.
Google Ads
Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) strategy.
While it can be a profitable form of marketing for tradesmen, unlike an organic website result, each time a searcher clicks on your ad, you will pay for the click – whether they book your services or not.
It is necessary to set a strict monthly budget and to target your ads to a highly specific audience for the best results.
Here’s an example of the Google Ads results for the keyword “carpet cleaning London.”
Google Business Profile
All of our clients have a Google Business profile.
As a tradesman, setting up your Google profile is vital.
Your profile needs contain as much information about your business along with photos and reviews that you obtain from customers.
Keeping it updated with periodic posts and gaining new reviews will help to increase its positioning in your local maps result (the top 3 maps profile results display just under paid ads in many local trade searches!)
The maps profile results are triggered whenever someone searches for your services in your area or your business name.
It is a free form of marketing that can be very effective as your maps positioning improves.
Google Local Services Ads
A relatively new addition to Google in the UK is the Local Services Ads.
Here’s an example of the Local Services Ads for “carpet cleaning London.”
These are different to the standard Google Ads because you don’t pay-per-click. Instead, you only pay for a lead that the ad has generated.
They are proving to be very effective for many of our clients and they enable a business to scale its budget up or down and expand services and locations quickly and easily.
Although the ads are small in size, they are displayed above the standard Google Ads in the search results.
Here’s an example of the Local Services Ads for “carpet cleaning London.”
While you can pay more per lead than you would do for a click, they may provide a greater return than other paid ads depending on your location and competition.
Social Media Marketing
You can market yourself as a tradesperson on social media by updating your pages with free organic posts or via paid social media advertising on channels such as Facebook and Instagram.
Social media marketing differs from marketing your website on Google because people aren’t usually already searching for your services. Instead, you are interrupting them with your marketing message.
Despite this, it can be an effective way to advertise your business and many people spend hours of their time on social media every day, meaning you can potentially attract a lot of local eyeballs to your business.
We always recommend setting up business pages on Facebook and Instagram at the very least, and regularly updating them with posts and photos of your work.
If you do run paid ads on these platforms, be sure to target them carefully to the locations and demographic you serve.
Best marketing strategies for trades businesses
When you’re busy running your business and working at your trade, it can be difficult to know where your money is best spent in order to grow your company.
This is particularly the case in the early days when your budget is limited and customers are thin on the ground.
All the methods of marketing that we’ve covered in this post have merit. Some are essential, while others may not be right for you at this moment in time.
If you need help to understand these strategies and explore how we can help you grow your trades business with an effective marketing strategy, get in touch with us today.