Top 11 plumbing marketing ideas

Use these traditional and digital marketing ideas to increase your brand awareness and reach more homeowners. These tips will generate more plumbing leads, convert plumbing leads into new customers and nurture first-time customers into lifelong, loyal customers.

How to get plumbing customers: The 11 most effective ways to reach your target market, generate plumbing leads and drive conversions

Round out your plumbing marketing plan with these top marketing methods for plumbers.

1. Build a plumbing website

According to Google, four out of five consumers use local search engines to find local information. Of those who search for local information on their smartphones, 50% visit a local business within a day. That’s why one of the most effective marketing strategies for reaching your customer base is to create an online presence for your plumbing business.

Be sure your plumbing website includes the following:

• Details about your plumbing services and pricing
• A map of your service area and hours of operation
• A way for potential customers to request free quotes and book a service directly online
• Your contact information, such as your phone number and links to your business listings on social media platforms
• Online reviews so homeowners can learn more about the customer experience you provide

2. Add lead generation forms to your website landing pages

Add lead generation forms to your plumbing website, so you can connect with your website visitors after they leave. Encourage visitors to:

• Request a free quote or estimate
• Schedule one of your plumbing services
• Receive email or SMS marketing campaigns and newsletters

3. Get even more plumbing leads with Web Chat

Add a live chat box to every landing page on your website to convert visitors into plumbing leads and potential customers. You can use live chat to:

• Offer real-time customer service
• Collect customer contact information
• Initiate new work orders
• Answer frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Seventy-nine percent of business owners say live chat helps increase customer loyalty, revenue and sales.

4. Do keyword research and build a content marketing strategy to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO)

Did you know that the number one way potential customers find local business websites is through local search? Organic search generates 50% of website traffic for small businesses.

Investing in your plumbing website’s SEO is one of the first marketing ideas you should put in motion.

• Do your keyword research — find out what plumbing services homeowners are looking for and the phrases potential customers use to find plumbers online
• Post helpful DIY articles and videos on your website — if they’re well-researched and related to search terms customers are looking for, these can help improve your local SEO rankings and demonstrate your expertise

Check out Broadly’s guide to plumbing SEO for even more search engine marketing tips.

5. Expand your online presence by creating business listings on popular social media platforms

Most likely, more than half of your target audience is using social media to learn about small businesses like yours. A solid 55% of consumers say they do and 78% say they’re willing to spend money with companies after a positive social media interaction.

Spend some time thinking about your social media marketing plan. For some channels, like LinkedIn, it may be enough to simply create a business page. For others, like Instagram and Facebook, you may need to develop an ongoing content marketing strategy to engage with the local community.

To get started, check out Broadly’s guides on creating a business account on Instagram, how to use Instagram to attract more customers for your service area business and how to make a business Facebook page.

6. Get more online reviews for your plumbing business

Word-of-mouth referrals from online reviews — particularly positive reviews — influence nearly all consumers (93%).

Check out your existing online reviews and see what customers are saying about your plumbing business on platforms like Yelp, social media and Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) — these are the reviews that show up on Google Search and Google Maps.

To get more online reviews and attract plumbing leads searching for businesses like yours on review websites:

• Claim or create business listings for your plumbing company across key platforms, including local directories
• Respond to homeowners’ online reviews, both positive and negative
• Ask existing customers to write online reviews for your plumbing business after providing services and via email marketing and SMS marketing campaigns

7. Nurture relationships with homeowners via email marketing

Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing strategies. On average, for every $1 business owners spend on email marketing campaigns, they get a return of $36.

Check out Broadly’s guide to plumber email marketing for top email marketing tips to keep in touch with plumbing marketing leads and encourage folks to book a first-time or repeat service.

8. Keep the conversation going over SMS

You can also follow up with plumbing marketing leads and customers over SMS, a marketing channel that boasts an unmatched open rate of 98%. Check out this guide to SMS marketing campaigns for best practices using this digital marketing channel.

9. Create a customer referral program

One of the best ways to get more referrals for your small business? Encourage satisfied customers to recommend your plumbing business to their friends and family. You can incentivize referrals by offering special promotions for anyone who refers your company to their network and for new customers who find out about your business through word-of-mouth.

Tip: How to Set up a Customer Referral Program

10. Use business cards

Give this old-school marketing tactic a reboot by modernizing your business cards — add a QR code that links to your plumbing website and online presence on social media. Hand out your cards when you’re at networking events in your local community.

You can also partner with other local service providers who reach your same target audience, such as realtors, inspectors, general contractors and electricians. Take turns sending business each other’s way.

11. Advertise your plumbing services

Whether you’re launching a new business or business is slower than you’d like, consider adding paid marketing strategies to your marketing mix to generate more plumbing leads faster than organic channels.

There are a range of advertising channels to consider, including:

• Pay-per-click ads (PPC ads): Available on platforms like Facebook, Google Ads and LinkedIn, these help raise brand awareness and showcase your business to a wider target audience. You, as the advertiser, pay every time someone clicks on your ad.

• Pay-per-lead ads (PPL ads): Available via Facebook, Linkedin, Google Local services ads and other channels, these ads help generate leads. As the advertiser, you only pay for referrals who share their contact information.

Grow your plumbing business with Broadly

Broadly offers the online marketing tools you need to get the most out of your plumbing marketing strategies. See how Broadly’s platform helps small businesses like yours gain and retain more customers.

• Campaigns: Build and send SMS and email marketing campaigns that deliver results
• Reviews: Generate more online reviews and customer referrals
• Website: Create an SEO-optimized website that converts visitors into plumbing leads
• Web Chat: Instantly engage with your website visitors