Plumbers can get more leads with a professional website and strong social media presence
Over the past five years, plumbers have seen an average industry growth of 2.5 percent, according to IBISWorld, with nearly 120,467 plumbing businesses in the U.S. That’s stiff competition.
The good news is that nearly every person needs the expertise of a plumber at some point—the panicked customer with a burst pipe, the customer researching local plumbing companies for future work, and contractors installing a whole system in a new building.
Learn how to market your plumbing business by starting with the basics. Check out the tips below, broken down by experience level, cost, and pros and cons, so you can decide what’s right for you.
General cost: $$
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Having a website for your plumbing business can improve your visibility, let you showcase tips and tricks of the trade, and help you connect with customers.
You’ll want to constantly update your site with photos, contact information, hours of operation, and testimonials of satisfied customers. You may also want to include an area for a blog or seasonal promotion and a link to your pro page on Angi.
You can create a basic site on Wix, Shopify, or another website builder with no programming or design skills. But you may need help customizing it, keeping it updated, or building something more complex or sophisticated.
Pros
Get more qualified leads
Build credibility
Customers can get information 24/7
Online customer service
Cons
Difficult to manage and update
Increased expenses if a website company manages your site
Risk of spam and viruses
Costs can add up if you hire a marketing expert
General cost: $$
Experience level: Beginner
Generating leads includes both organic and inorganic methods.
Word of mouth and customer referrals are organic results, which are typically free. For instance, creating a pro account on Angi can help you grow your business and increase your exposure to millions of local homeowners looking for contractors just like you.
Inorganic results (aka paid lead generation) are when you buy AdWords on Bing or Google or have a paid account on Angi. Pay-per-click advertising and paid affiliate marketing are inorganic results as well.
Both organic and inorganic are great for generating leads. It’s just a matter of whether you have the budget to invest in paid lead generation or if you prefer to build your internet presence gradually for less cost.
Pros
Get more qualified leads
Focus on jobs and customers rather than sales
You set the budget
Can generate leads for free
Cons
Takes time to increase visitors to your website
More business may mean hiring new employees
Costs can add up if you choose to pay for advertising
General Cost: $ (paid advertising can add to your costs)
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
82 percent of all people in the U.S. use social media in some aspect, which means your plumbing business must too.
Try these social media platforms to see which ones resonate with your target market:
Instagram: Excellent platform to post before and after photos
Pinterest: Great for motivating people with new products and plumbing fixtures
Twitter: Best for small snippets of information to draw customers to your website
Facebook: Receive plumbing inquiries or post promotions through your business page
Pros
Builds brand awareness for your plumbing company
Lets you connect with customers personally
Leads to more jobs
Enhances credibility and customer trust
Cons
Time-consuming
Can take time to build an audience
Challenging to localize your audience
May inadvertently ignore a customer question
General Cost: $$
Experience level: Beginner
Customers like deals. In fact, 92 percent of consumers look for a deal when shopping around and 96 percent of consumers use coupons.
You may think that this is only true for retail, but plumbers who offer discounts and deals can also benefit. Plus, you can drive sales and build customer loyalty without significantly sacrificing your bottom line.
For instance, mail a 10 percent discount coupon to a past customer if they recommend your company to a friend. Or, email a spring promotion discount to people you met at a networking activity. Your customers will appreciate the extra savings and most likely call you again when they need work.
Pros:
Increased customer acquisition
Results are easy to track
Improved customer loyalty
Cons for online retailers:
A possible temporary decline in your margins
Your customers may put off work waiting for the next deal
You may only attract price-driven customers
General Cost: $
Experience level: Beginner
It may take some time, but referrals from previous customers can help grow your plumbing business. One idea that might work well is building a refer-a-friend referral program for past and potential customers.
For example, give anyone who uses your plumbing service a $10 discount on a future job when they refer your company to a friend. The person being referred could also get a $10 discount.
Or, try forming relationships with local builders and contractors who will recommend your company for sub-contracting work on their projects. In return, you do the same.
Pros
Referrals are free
Partnerships and referrals create credibility for your company
A partner can help promote your services, and vice versa
Offers the possibility of more business
Cons
A partnership (with the wrong company) may harm your reputation
May be difficult to control your growth
You might have a hard time increasing your prices
General Cost: $
Experience level: Beginner
Most homeowner’s associations (HOAs) charge nothing to advertise your services, and word-of-mouth advertising is priceless. Local HOA communities are usually tight-knit, so when you provide stellar service to one home, a neighbor is likely to call you as well.
Pros
It’s free
Homeowners can recommend your services to neighbors
Less travel time between jobs
If homes are similar, you can save time by stocking plumbing fixtures and other materials
Cons
Complaints of shoddy quality work also travel fast
The HOA board may choose which businesses to use
General Cost: $
Experience level: Beginner
Networking in your local area is vital for any small business. If you’re new to the area or been around for years, this is one sure way to get your name out there.
Talk to your local chamber of commerce about presenting at their next meeting. (You may need to be a member in order to do this.) Create a 30-second video that showcases your expertise to introduce your business or give a quick verbal presentation of your experience and values.
Pros
Other than making a presentation video, it’s free
Meet people and get the word out about your business
Opportunity to hand out business cards
Cons
Can be tiring after a long day
Good communication skills are important
If you're presenting, you’ll likely need a video or handout
General Cost: $$ (but outsourcing campaigns to an agency can really add up)
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
Email is one of the best ways to communicate with current customers and win new business. These stats, according to Hubspot, provide the proof:
73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email.
80% of business professionals believe that email marketing increases customer retention.
Not sure how to create an email that motivates potential customers to call you for their plumbing needs? Here are a few examples to try out.
To ask for feedback or a referral:
Subject line: How did we do?
Hello [Customer’s first name],
Thank you for choosing us to meet your plumbing needs. We appreciate your trust in us and value your business.
If you are happy with our services, please take a moment to leave a review on Angi.
It would mean the world to us.
Until next time,
[Your name]
To offer a special:
Subject line: Spring into action with our ‘no fee service call’ special
Hello [Customer’s first name],
If you’ve been waiting to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom sink fixtures or install a new water heater or dishwasher, spring is the perfect time.
That’s because from April through the end of May, we will come out to your home and discuss your plumbing needs for free.
It’s our “no fee service call” special, and it only happens once a year. Don’t wait. Call [company phone number] today.
Thank you for choosing [your company]
We appreciate your business.
[Your name]
Pros
Personalize emails to gain trust
Build brand identity
Strengthen customer relationships
Boost sales with discount codes
Increase traffic to your website
Cons
Overcrowded inboxes
Challenging to get customers to open your emails
Email formatting can be inconsistent
Email marketing campaigns can be time-consuming
Cold leads can end up in spam folders
General Cost: $$$
Experience level: Intermediate to advanced
Before the internet, one of the most successful ways to market your business was with postcards or flyers mailed to potential customers. Although postage has jumped to .36 cents for a standard-size postcard and to between .75 cents to $1.20 for a flyer, it’s still an affordable option for your plumbing business.
Printing prices also range, but if you design your own flyer or postcard, you can print these out reasonably at a printing store near you.
Thinking of sending mailers to customers? Try these tips:
Mail a handwritten thank you note to recent customers
Send a flyer to the neighbors of a current customer one week after the service date
Buy a mailing list and send flyers or a postcard to people moving into your local area. (Mailing list prices range from .7 cents to .15 cents per name.)
Send out a holiday card to past customers
Mail a flyer offering a one-time special discount
Send out a three-fold newsletter with color photos and new product or service information
Pros
Builds brand identity
Print is engaging
Easy way to offer a special or discount coupon
Can help increase traffic to your website
Print provides information with no pressure
You can often target specific markets
Cons
More and more people get their information online
Print advertising can be expensive
Risk of print ad never being read
Postage for mailing campaigns can add up
General Cost: $$$ (Can add up if you hire a videographer)
Experience level: Intermediate
You can have a presence on multiple social media sites, but it might also be beneficial to pick one (where your target market hangs out), and focus on it solely.
YouTube could be just the place for you to do this. The popular video site has more than 2 billion monthly users.
When added to your marketing plan, YouTube helps boost SEO results, mainly because Google prefers YouTube content, and provides your business with a large audience searching for plumbing-related content.
Maybe you have a “how-to” tutorial that you put together showing a shower and tub faucet upgrade, complete with the tools and other materials needed to complete the job. Or maybe it’s just a simple video showing how to solder a copper pipe.
Generally, you can shoot your own YouTube videos, or you can hire a professional if you want a more polished feel. Either way, make sure you have your business name on your YouTube channel so your customers can find you.
Pros
Uploading your videos to YouTube is free
YouTube is engaging
Creates a buzz for your company
Can help increase traffic to your website
You're in control of the content
Cons
Getting noticed can be difficult
Can be expensive if you hire a professional
Takes time to produce videos
Difficult to target a local market
Whether it’s social media or lead generation, getting the hang of marketing basics is a must for any plumbing business owner. But not all marketing ideas work for all businesses. So it’s a good idea to choose several options (or just one) and run with it.
Angi is a great way to get your business in front of homeowners who are actively looking for plumbing services. Sign up for a pro account on Angi today and book more jobs.
