The Stages of Marketing for Plumbing Companies: A Blueprint for Growth
Marketing is one of those things every plumbing company knows they need, but few know where to begin or how to allocate their resources wisely. I’ve seen too many businesses spend good money on strategies that aren’t right for their stage of growth, only to wonder why they’re not seeing results. Today, I’m here to change that by breaking down the stages of marketing that every new plumbing business should go through. This roadmap will help you grow a strong marketing presence while avoiding costly mistakes. Let’s dive into it.
Stage 1: Get Your House in Order
Before you spend a single dollar on ads or other marketing tactics, you need to make sure your business is googleable. That doesn’t mean ranking number one for “plumber near me” (we’ll get to that later); it means that if I search for your business name, you should pop up immediately.
To make that happen, you need a few basics:
• A simple, functional website
• A Google Business listing
• Social media accounts (I recommend starting with Facebook and Instagram, but TikTok and Nextdoor are also great, depending on your demographic)
These elements don’t have to be perfect right away, but they need to exist. If your business doesn’t show up online, then all the marketing in the world won’t help you—because you’re invisible. Step one is ensuring your business can be found, even in the most basic way.
Stage 2: Gather Reviews
Once you’ve got the basics down, you need to start collecting reviews. This is absolutely critical for building credibility and trust. Reviews not only help your Google rankings, but they also influence potential customers’ decisions. If you don’t have reviews, it’s harder to gain new clients—plain and simple.
Ask every customer to leave a review—paid or unpaid. Don’t be shy about asking friends and family who have used your services to leave reviews, too. The goal is to get at least 10 solid reviews as quickly as possible. And don’t stop there—continue asking for reviews after every job to keep building that social proof.
Stage 3: Activate Google Local Service Ads (LSAs)
Now that you’ve got a foundation, it’s time to set up Google Local Service Ads (LSAs). These ads appear at the very top of search results with a “Google Guaranteed” badge, giving them a prime spot in front of potential customers. This is usually where we start with paid ads because it’s relatively budget-friendly and brings in some of the highest-quality leads.
Yes, LSAs will cost you money, but the investment is worth it because the leads are typically closer to converting into paying customers. Plus, Google has a dispute process that can help you avoid paying for bad leads.
Stage 4: Grassroots and Guerrilla Marketing
When your budget is tight, and you’re still building momentum, grassroots marketing is the way to go. You need to get eyeballs on your business without spending a lot of money. Here are some tried-and-true tactics:
• Join local Facebook groups and start participating in conversations.
• Get your van wrapped with your branding and park it at community events.
• Knock on doors and introduce yourself to neighbors.
• Call up electricians, drywall installers, and realtors—anyone who might refer you to homeowners in need of plumbing services.
At this stage, you’re doing everything you can to get attention, build connections, and create visibility in your community.
Stage 5: Social Media Ads and Building Influence
Once you’ve got a little bit of traction, it’s time to start leveraging social media ads. Facebook and Instagram are great platforms for plumbing companies because you can target specific neighborhoods and demographics (like women aged 30-60, who often make household decisions).
Start small—$1,000 in ad spend can reach 5,000-10,000 people, depending on how often you want your ad to appear. This isn’t lead generation yet; it’s about building influence and trust. Show off your reviews in your ads to let potential customers know why they should choose you.
Stage 6: Retargeting with Display Ads
By this point, people will have started visiting your website and engaging with your social media. Now it’s time to retarget them with display ads that follow them around the internet—on YouTube, news sites, recipe blogs, and more. This keeps your business top-of-mind, so when they finally need a plumber, they’ll remember your name.
Stage 7: PPC vs. SEO
Here’s where it gets tricky: deciding between pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine optimization (SEO). PPC gives you instant results but can be expensive—sometimes $40 per click in competitive markets. On the other hand, SEO is a long-term play that can take months (or even years) to show results, especially in a crowded market.
My advice? Start with PPC if you need immediate results, but always plan to invest in SEO down the road. You need to be strategic about when to invest in each.
Stage 8: Analyze and Expand
By now, you should have enough data to make informed decisions about where to take your marketing next. This is where you start analyzing your results and asking questions like:
• Should I invest more in social media ads?
• Should I branch out into direct mail or sponsorships?
• Is it time to hire someone to manage my marketing full-time?
At this stage, you’ll also need to re-evaluate your marketing budget and see if you can expand into new areas without overstretching yourself.
Final Thoughts
Remember, marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. You can’t do everything at once, and you shouldn’t try. Focus on saturating each stage before moving on to the next. The most important thing is to get eyeballs on your business—through reviews, grassroots efforts, and social media ads—before diving into more complex (and expensive) tactics like SEO and PPC.
If you’re not sure where to start or need help fine-tuning your strategy, head over to TylerWilliams.net and schedule a consultation. We’ll help you create a roadmap to grow your business without wasting money on the wrong strategies.
Until next time, keep growing, keep learning, and let’s get those pipes flowing!
