Choose and measure your local marketing in five steps
In short
Start with a clear service offer, genuine examples of your work, referrals and an accurate Google Business Profile if eligible. Give customers a simple way to contact you and request a quote. Then test one additional channel at a time, recording cash spend, marketing and quoting time, suitable enquiries and completed jobs. Choose your next investment from those results; no channel guarantees leads or profitable work.
Step 1
Choose a channel you can maintain
The comparison below is a planning guide, not a price survey or a ranking. Your time is a cost even when there is no listing or advertising fee. A website can support referrals and paid campaigns, so record where the customer first heard of you as well as how they contacted you.
Local marketing channel decision table
| Channel and when it fits | Setup cost, time and what to measure |
|---|---|
| Referrals: you have past customers or trade contacts who know your work. | An ordinary referral request needs no ad purchase. Allow time for personal conversations and keeping contacts informed. Record who referred each enquiry, suitable jobs and completed work. |
| Google Business Profile: eligible businesses that meet customers in person, including tradies who visit properties. | Google does not charge to add or claim a profile. Allow setup and verification time, then maintain details and respond to reviews. Track enquiries customers attribute to Google and the jobs they become; profile views alone do not show sales. |
| Your website: customers need service details, work examples and a clear contact route. | Budget for the domain, hosting, creation and upkeep; obtain quotes rather than assuming a national price. Check enquiry forms and phone links regularly. Track enquiries by source and completed jobs, alongside traffic. |
| Local community groups: a relevant group permits business posts or recommendations. | Check each group’s rules and any fees. Allow time to contribute and reply without repeatedly posting ads. Count enquiries mentioning the group, their fit and resulting jobs rather than likes. |
| Paid search or social ads: you have a defined offer, contact route and capacity to respond. | Allow for ad spend, setup or management fees and monitoring time. Check current billing and budget controls with the provider. Measure suitable enquiries and acquisition cost for completed jobs. |
| Paid lead marketplaces: their job types and locations match your capacity. | Check current subscriptions, lead charges, cancellation and refund terms before buying. Include time spent reviewing and quoting unsuccessful leads. Track paid leads, suitable enquiries, wins and costs separately. |
Step 2
Name the work, area and next action
Pick the work you want more of and the suburbs you can realistically reach. Check travel, crew capacity and the size of job that makes quoting worthwhile before advertising a large area. Choose one practical goal, such as five suitable enquiries in a month, and define suitable: the right service, location, timing and scope. This is your test target, not a forecast.
An illustrative offer might be: “Interior repainting for occupied homes in Geelong and nearby suburbs. Send the rooms, approximate sizes and photos to request a site visit and written quote.” Use only services and locations your business can actually cover. Show a contact method you monitor and tell customers when to expect a response.
Build a simple page or profile with your business identity, service details and consented photos of your own work. Remove identifying property details where needed. Keep qualifications, availability and price claims accurate: the ACCC says advertised claims must be supported. Check your trade regulator’s advertising requirements, including any licence-number requirements.
Step 3
Make your details and customer proof trustworthy
If you visit customers and do not serve them at your business address, Google says to remove that address from your public Business Profile and use a service area. Keep the business name, services, contact details and hours accurate. Follow Google’s eligibility and verification process; creating a profile does not promise a particular search position.
Ask customers for honest feedback after completed work. For example: “Thanks for choosing us. If you would like to share your experience, here is our review link.” Google prohibits incentives for posting, changing or removing reviews, so do not offer discounts or gifts in exchange. The ACCC also warns against fake and misleading reviews. Never write a review on a customer’s behalf.
For referrals, tell past customers and complementary trades what work and area you cover, and ask them to pass on your contact details when relevant. In local groups, follow the posting rules, identify yourself as the business and use a real job example rather than posing as a customer recommending yourself.
Step 4
Set a test limit and track every enquiry
Choose one additional channel, a review date and a cash limit you can afford to lose. An illustrative test could run for four weeks with a $300 cash limit and two hours a week for administration. Those are planning assumptions, not recommended market prices. Check the provider’s billing terms and how to stop spending before starting.
Ask “How did you hear about us?” at first contact. Use one row per enquiry and update it through quoting, acceptance and completion. Keep source unknown when the customer cannot say; do not assign it to the campaign just because an ad was running.
Sample tracking sheet: one row per enquiry
| Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Enquiry date and source | 12 October; local community group, customer reported |
| Fit and response | Bedroom repaint, within service area; replied the same afternoon |
| Quote time and outcome | 45 minutes including travel; quote sent; accepted; completion pending |
| Completed job result | Enter actual revenue and direct job costs after completion; keep pending work separate |
| Channel totals for the period | Record cash spend and marketing hours separately; allocate shared costs consistently |
Step 5
Compare job results before increasing spend
Illustrative calculation: a channel costs $300 and produces 12 enquiries, of which eight fit your service, area and capacity. Three become completed jobs. Cash cost per suitable enquiry is $300 ÷ 8 = $37.50; cash acquisition cost per completed job is $300 ÷ 3 = $100. These are invented figures, not industry benchmarks.
If marketing and quoting take six hours and you value that time at $60 an hour, another $360 brings the combined cost to $660, or $220 per completed job. Compare this with each job’s revenue less direct delivery costs, then consider overheads and your required profit. Use consistent GST treatment throughout; do not count hypothetical repeat work as revenue already earned.
A month with a few enquiries gives limited evidence, especially for longer projects. Keep accepted but unfinished work visible and review again after completion. If enquiries are unsuitable, narrow the offer or area; if suitable quotes are not winning, ask what customers needed before buying more traffic. Stop or adjust a test when it reaches its limit.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- business.gov.au: develop your marketing plan
Goals, budget, marketing activities and evaluation. Channel assessments and worked numbers here are editorial planning examples.
- Google: add or claim your Business Profile
Eligibility, verification and no charge to add or claim a profile; checked 6 October 2026.
- Google: manage service areas
Service-area businesses and public address handling; checked 6 October 2026.
- Google: tips to get more reviews
Genuine reviews and prohibition on review incentives; checked 6 October 2026.
- ACCC: false or misleading claims
Supportable claims in advertising, websites, social media and testimonials.
- ACCC: online reviews for products and services
Fake or misleading reviews and review manipulation.
