While the title “Master Plumber” indicates that you’ve obtained the highest level of expertise in your field, it doesn’t imply that you’ve also mastered other elements of the plumbing business, like how to promote your services—and that’s okay! Most people who can swap out a water heater in record time or shimmy into a trench box for a burst pipe don’t focus heavily on plumbing advertising ideas.
However, to stand out amongst the competition, attract new leads, and encourage long-term client relationships, all plumbers should understand general best practices when looking to promote their business in 2024. No matter if you’re an advertising novice or a promotional pro, keep reading to learn more about the power of marketing along with the top plumbing advertising ideas for 2024.
Why Marketing and Advertising is Essential for Your Plumbing Business
In a global market where 98% of consumers use the Internet to find information about local businesses in their community, online advertising is no longer negotiable, it is a must. Failing to extend beyond traditional methods like door hangers and mailer promotions can restrict your customer reach in 2024, driving down lower customer acquisition rates and slower revenue growth.
Luckily, there are countless advertisement options available to plumbers that are both cost-effective and can offer a great return on investment (ROI) when you follow industry best practices. With plumbing advertising strategies such as paid ads, search engine optimization, and email marketing, plumbers can give their businesses the visibility they need to attract and retain customers annually.
In fact, digital marketing alone can increase overall brand awareness by 80%, which helps a plumbing business stand out amongst the competition, spark higher interest in prospective clients, and even scale customer referrals. With tons of potential plumbing advertising ideas floating around, a plumbing business of any size or services can leverage digital marketing throughout 2024.
The Top Plumbing Advertising Ideas for 2024
With 2024 just getting started, now is the time to weigh your marketing and advertising efforts to determine which approach (or two) is right for you. Below are our top six plumbing advertising ideas to enhance brand visibility, increase customer leads, and improve profits all year long.
1. Embrace Google Advertising
Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform on the Google Search Network. With 63% of consumers having previously clicked on a paid ad from their Google search results, Google Ads is an excellent option for plumbing companies looking to ramp up their advertising efforts. Each day, countless users spend hours on Google searching for answers to their plumbing questions or to locate a nearby professional who can help.
One of the main reasons why Google Ads are used for promotion is how effectively they can enhance brand awareness and discoverability on search engines. When your target audience Googles a search term you’ve placed a bid on, your plumbing business advertisement will appear on the top of that search engine results page (SERP). By appearing at the top of search results, you give potential customers a shortcut to learn more about your business.
2. Develop Social Media Marketing
Every business owner is familiar with social media for personal use, but have you capitalized on social media for its promotional abilities? Take the professional networking social media platform, LinkedIn, for example. Far from just a platform to source new employees or technicians, LinkedIn allows for both organic posts and paid ads to promote your business to fellow businesses, homeowners, and contractors in your region.
There are also Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram for social media marketing. What’s unique about using these platforms for plumbing promotion is how simply you can target and nurture new leads. For instance, Meta’s Messenger Platform allows business owners to sync paid ads with direct message capabilities, so a customer can request a quote, view appointment availability, and schedule their services without ever having to leave Facebook.
3. Invest in Search Engine Optimization
While Google Ads are beneficial for promoting and pointing traffic to your plumbing business, the majority of all website traffic comes from organic search, or search results that are not linked to an ad. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) for your business website comes into play. When on the hunt for a local plumbing service provider, users will use keywords such as “emergency plumber near me” or “boiler repair” to nail down their search.
With SEO best practices, plumbing businesses can plug their website content, blog posts, and service pages with various relevant keywords to encourage higher placement on SERPs. Keyword research tools, such as Semrush and Ahrefs, can help determine which plumbing-related keywords can drive the most traffic to your business. When your keywords are selected wisely, SEO efforts can drive 1,000% more traffic than organic social media.
4. Automate Google My Business
In addition to website listings, when prospective clients use geographic-based keywords such as “plumbers near me” to locate service providers, various Google Business listings will also appear in their results. To encourage a higher ranking within these results, your plumbing company will need to set up and optimize its Google Business Profile, previously known as Google My Business (GMB).
Providing a detailed services list, ensuring up-to-date contact information, and conducting reputation management by answering customer reviews are all great ways to enhance your listing and promote your business. There’s also a “request a quote” option you can now add to your Google Business Profile, which enables customers to directly request pricing for plumbing projects and allows your business to promptly respond via email or chat.
5. Ramp Up Email Marketing
According to a recent Constant Contact survey, email is considered one of the most effective marketing methods, with 79% of marketers placing it in their top three methods. Email marketing is a cost-effective and easy-to-develop plumbing advertising idea that helps plumbers not only stay connected with existing clients but also encourage prospective clients to check out their business.
From social media outreach to general word of mouth, it’s important to encourage both current and potential clients to sign up for your email list. You can then develop and distribute routine newsletters using solutions such as Mailchimp to highlight any service specials or promotions, as well as relevant news such as new service offerings or testimonials from happy customers.
Don’t Forget to Include Extended Warranties in Your 2024 Promotions
Looking for something extra to power your 2024 plumbing promotions? Look no further than JB Warranties. Our Premium Protection Plans can enhance any plumbing advertising efforts with value-backed benefits like fast claim services, quick labor reimbursements, and affordable pricing that make JB Warranties the top choice for plumbing contractors, homeowners, and manufacturers.
When striving to ramp up your plumbing business, reach out to the experts at JB Warranties.
Matt Cosby
Director of Marketing