VolumeWhen do Facebook ads beat search for tradies?
Facebook ads work when you need volume and your sales process is strong. They reach people who aren’t searching yet, so the audience is colder and your follow-up has to do more of the work. Get that right and it’s the channel that scales furthest.
TrustCan referrals and word of mouth be scaled?
No. You can’t switch a referral on or predict when one will come. Referrals suit smaller towns and close well, but they stop at the people who already know you. Keep asking every happy customer for an introduction anyway, because following one up costs almost nothing.
Considered buysHow do solar installers use layered channels?
Solar is a considered purchase, so one channel rarely carries it. Facebook ads attract early interest, search catches buyers ready to compare, and the appointment gets booked by phone. Each channel covers a different stage of the decision, which is why we often layer two or three.
Are trade directories and shared marketplaces such as hipages worth it?
Are shared marketplaces such as hipages worth the cost?
Rarely, in our experience. On a shared marketplace like hipages, you pay for a job lead that several other tradies also receive, so the customer collects quotes and picks the cheapest. Compare what you spend per booked job against your own channels before you commit. Cost per lead hides how many you lose on price.
Where do trade directories and the Housing Industry Association fit?
Treat trade directories as a supporting listing, not your main source of work. A Housing Industry Association listing is a useful credibility signal, and a few genuine reviews beside it help a cautious buyer trust you. Your own channels come first. Marketplaces and directories are the backup.
Are your leads poor, or is the handling leaking jobs?
When a tradie tells us the leads are rubbish, we ask one thing first: what’s your close rate on a booked quote? Usually nobody knows, and follow-up means a voicemail. Once we track the numbers, the leads are often fine and the handling is where the jobs drain away.
We also send booked-job data back to Google Ads through offline conversion tracking, so the platform chases jobs that close rather than raw volume.
What signs show a lead source is not the problem?
- You can’t say what percentage of quote requests become paid jobs
- Nobody tracks cost per lead against cost per job
- Your team has no shared definition of a qualified customer
Working with a digital marketing expert on an all-in-one system
Most tradies don’t want to manage ads, a website and follow-up as three separate jobs. We build and run it as one system, so you can stay on the tools.
What should a marketing agency actually deliver?
A marketing agency worth hiring handles the digital marketing that wins you work, then reports on booked jobs instead of clicks. That means:
- A Google Business Profile, Google Ads and SEO plan matched to how fast you need work
- A website built to turn visitors into enquiries
- Call tracking, instant text and email confirmations, and a clear cost per booked job
Put together, that’s an all-in-one lead generation and marketing system for Australian tradies.
