Have you ever wondered how some of your competition manages to get a ton of new customers?
Generating More Plumbing Leads Can Be Tough. Or is it?
Learning how your fellow plumbers get new business is a perfect strategy to get some leads of your own.
We tell you what we do for our plumbing clients (we do not spill all tactics, sorry guys) and we provide you tips that you can practice right now that will get you new customers fast.
Plumbers Use Social Media
You heard this right, plumbers are using social media more and more. This is a growing trend that keeps on growing. Using the power of social media and its advertising capabilities is paramount to the growth of your plumbing business.
Let us talk about Facebook. One of the largest social platforms known to date currently and people love using it. Did you know that Facebook has the power to target people that are interested in Plumbing services, and locally!
The targeting power of social media advertising is insanely accurate and it can be very easy to grab some new customers that are in need of your expertise. Boasting demographics targeting, age targeting, buyer intention targeting and much more. Now you see why plumbers use social media marketing as the strategy to gain more leads.
A Plumber's Website is Their Best friend
Your website will be the first interaction homeowners and property managers have with your company. With that being said, you need to have your site running optimally and showcasing your work and services, just like on social media.
This is how it is done:
It needs to have fast loading time: plumbing customers expect your website to load in under three seconds.
Easy to navigate: Your visitors and customers need to have a clickable action as soon as they enter your site. That means clear navigation, a list of services, helpful shortcuts, and it never hurts to have a chatbox.
Mobile-friendly experience: 50-70 percent of online searches for plumbing services happen on a mobile device. That number is growing!
Click-to-call buttons: let's face it, a lot of plumbing services are sometimes needed fast. Having a button on your website that allows your customer to instantly call you is a sure-fire way to increase leads.
Lead-generating hub: Sometimes your customers will not be so fast on purchasing your plumbing services, especially if a plumbing problem isn’t an emergency. If you want your website to generate quality plumbing leads have calls to action buttons and displays, contact forms that have auto-fill enabled, your contact information easily accessible, and any coupon codes visible.
It needs to be secure: 82 percent of people won’t browse an unsecured site. That means it needs to be HTTPS. If you have not done this already, we highly suggest you convert your site.
Plumbing Related Coupons
As stated above, turning your website into a lead generation tool by introducing offers in exchange for customer details (e.g., email addresses, interests). In the example below, a plumber uses discounts as an incentive. This will allow you to stay in touch with your plumbing leads, and keep them as a long-lasting customer.
You can use this same type of coupon when generating your leads. Have a section on your website just for coupons and upcoming offers. Use this content as an opportunity to build trust with your clientele that needs your plumbing services.
Discover Your Unique Selling Proposition
Just like a coupon that gives your customer an incentive to buy your plumbing services, you need to also have a selling proposition that differentiates you. Your unique selling proposition (USP) could be in any aspect of the business. Some plumbing business UPS examples are:
Reliability guarantee
A qualified local plumbing expert
Outstanding customer service
5 star rated plumbing company
Gas safe registered
Discount for elderly or military (or whatever your favored group is)
1 hour maximum response time
Specialists in kitchen and bathroom fitting
Drainage specialist
No call out charge
Free consultation
Estimate 12-month guarantee on all work
All jobs are taken
Once you’ve established your unique selling points you can focus your marketing around your plumbing business.
Reviews Drive Leads
Reviews have always been and will continue to be the most reliable sources of leads for plumbers. The best review platforms that allow your browsing customers to view you are places like Nextdoor, Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other similar sites.
Online reviews are vital for the success of your plumbing business, and or any business. 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations and 90 percent of consumers say that their purchases are influenced by online reviews.
Just make sure to keep your reviews coming—85 percent of consumers don’t trust reviews more than three months old, and 40 percent only look at reviews from the last three weeks.
If you want more plumbing leads, you need to develop a review generation strategy. Here are some ideas:
Ask your customers that you know will give you a good review (if they do not respond, give them a reward).
Create a Google My Business account
Send a follow-up email after each job requesting a review
Add a custom Google review link to your website
Add calls to action on your website and social media platforms asking for reviews
Pay-per-Click Advertising For Plumbing
Another strategy we use to increase leads fast is to test PPC search ads. They’re a great way to get new leads FAST. Pay per click search advertising (PPC) could put plumbers on the first page of Google for their top keywords. Using the right techniques you could not break the bank and still get quality leads using Google and Bing's advertising services. Make sure you know how to run quality PPC management.
The two biggest benefits of PPC advertising are controlled visibility and relevance. Traditional plumber advertising interrupts people, such as door to door or putting business cards on cars. Using Google ads and Microsoft ads allow you to be in the eyes of people who are actively searching for you.
Blog About Plumbing
Plumbing jobs can be hard and draining, the last thing you want to do is write an article... we get it. However, what if we told you that your blog can be a great lead generator.
Small businesses with blogs get 126 percent more lead growth than small businesses without and adding a blog to your website can increase search engine ranking by over 400 percent!
People search keywords such as:
"How can I fix a leak from a pipe"
"Drain is clogged"
"How to unclog a pipe"
"How to install a toilet"
"Hiring the right plumber"
Join A Referral Network
Think about all the people and businesses that are in contact with your ideal customer.
Insurance companies
Realtors
Construction companies
Roofers
Electricians
Everyday handyman
These companies and individuals constantly come into contact with people who need plumbing services. This can also be called "word of mouth" advertising, which has been practiced since the dawn of time. By joining a referral network, you can increase the number of leads coming into your plumbing business.
Having Trouble Generating Plumbing Leads?
We understand that doing some of the above steps are overwhelming or you do not have enough time to do it. We also did not mention a few other tactics we use that have generated our client's leads!
Do not hesitate to contact us, we can discuss the best options for your plumbing services and how to increase your lead count in no time.