Over my 15 years of helping companies generate exclusive plumbing leads through various marketing channels, I’ve learned that adaptability is one of the primary characteristics of sustained lead generation.
Platforms that were once the golden ticket to high-quality plumbing leads have grown obsolete and have been replaced by digital channels that use algorithms to determine a plumber’s reputation and visibility.
In recent years, evolution within the digital realm has increased, and methods once considered commonplace have been overtaken by cutting-edge techniques used only by the most tech-savvy plumbing businesses.
In the following post, I’ll outline 15 cutting-edge techniques to get plumbing leads in 2024.
- Google Business Profile
- Company Website
- DataPins
- Facebook Ads
- Google Ads
- Retargeting
- YouTube
- NextDoor
- Truck Wraps
- Promotions
- Email Marketing
- Referrals
- Podcasts
- E-E-A-T
- Local Sponsorships
Pro Tip: Learn How to Get Free Plumbing Leads in 2024
1) Google Business Profile
The most cost-effective lead-generation tactic is Google Business Profile, often called Google My Business. Plumbers can create a free business profile and begin to rank on local search results for relevant keywords.
Plumbers must optimize the profile with photos, a website URL, and accurate contact information. The highest-rated profiles typically possess dozens of reviews, so it helps to find ways to get more reviews from your customers.
2) Company Website
Your plumbing website should serve as your company’s central hub. Your site will represent your brand and be a central hub for your online presence.
Ideally, a robust plumbing website ranks for various keywords and features multiple content pages, including individual service pages.
Don’t forget about user experience; making users feel comfortable on your site increases conversion rates.
3) DataPins
I invested millions in creating software called DataPins, which helps plumbers generate leads online. The tool meets Google’s new guidelines for helpful content and boosts and manages a plumber’s online reputation.
The tool empowers plumbers to perform jobsite pins, which they then publish to the corresponding webpage with embedded schema markup. This increases visibility for your website and helps convert visitors.
DataPins also sends automated review requests to your customers through text and email to boost your reputation and convert more online users.
4) Facebook Advertising
Facebook Ads for plumbers can generate quality leads directly from the Facebook platform. Contractors with Facebook business accounts can run targeted ads on Facebook and even include a lead form to generate leads from the user’s profile information.
Maximizing Facebook Ads requires understanding budget, targeting, and ad copy. Like Google Ads, Facebook Ads can drain your budget quickly, but the key is maximizing your ad spend for new clients.
5) Google Ads
When you buy leads from 3rd party websites, they often utilize Google Ads to generate those leads. Why not skip the middleman and get the leads from Google yourself?
While PPC advertising is expensive, it can yield quality leads, particularly when advertisers understand which keywords produce the best types of prospects.
Ensure you target commercial-intent keywords like plumbing repair near me. Informational-intent terms like plumbing repair tips will drain your ad budget and result in wasted clicks.
6) Retargeting/Remarketing
Consumers are more likely to buy from companies they’ve previously interacted with online. If users visit your website but fail to complete a call to action, you can market them as they browse other websites.
Browsers store cookies so advertisers can remarket their services through banner ads and different platforms.
Retargeting consumers is a branding method that establishes long-term credibility and expands your presence over time.
7) YouTube Promotion
Studies show that video content engages users for longer periods. Plumbers who produce interactive videos of their team conducting jobs or answering questions can help generate leads for the business.
While some users may find your videos on the YouTube platform, others can discover them through HTML embeds of your YouTube video on your website.
Google sometimes ranks YouTube videos directly on search results, so always target keywords.
8) NextDoor Advertising
Word of mouth has gone digital on platforms like NextDoor, which unite neighborhood communities online. Advertising on NextDoor can spread your plumbing company’s brand through nearby communities.
As you become popular, more neighbors will mention your company online and offline. People trust neighbors more than the average internet user, so you can really expand your trust quickly by promoting your business on Nextdoor.
9) Truck Wraps
Not all plumbing marketing occurs online, though it helps generate online interest in the real world. For example, printing your website URL onto your truck wrap creates a mobile billboard for your online brand.
As more users search for your website or directly visit it on their browser, the more Google acknowledges your brand as an entity. Furthermore, locals who grow accustomed to your logo will recall your brand and form an intuitive trust in your service.
10) Discounts/Promotions
Running seasonal discounts and promotions can create urgency for potential customers. Ensure your deals appear prominently across all of your marketing platforms, including your website, Google Business Profile, and social media profiles.
You can even run live webinars to get consumers to sign up on the spot. Don’t forget to include promotions within your email campaigns.
11) Email Marketing
Building an email list can pay off for plumbing contractors. With new email marketing tools available to everyone, personalized email blasts often inspire action.
Email marketing is particularly effective for existing customers, who are likely to use your service again if they can recall your brand and its authority.
Email helps remind prospects of your business while creating urgency for action. Remember to offer a lead magnet on your website to gain new subscribers.
12) Referral Partnerships
Referrals make marketing for plumbing contractors more effortless than ever. Building relationships with referral partners like real estate companies, plumbing suppliers, and other local contractors can help your company avoid the heaviest lifting.
When you combine referrals with a robust online presence, your brand begins to multiply its authority online. In some cases, referrals may lead to link-building opportunities.
13) Podcasts
Podcasting is an untapped lead generation channel in the plumbing industry. 38% of the population tunes into a podcast at least once per month, representing a significant portion of your target customer base.
While starting a podcast may seem laborious, its ROI is greater than traditional social media channels, which have become overstated by plumbing companies in the last 5-10 years.
While hosting a podcast certainly takes more work and better equipment than posting random blog posts on your Facebook page, the chance to connect with high-quality plumbing leads is far greater.
Pro Tip: Volunteer to be a guest on a local podcast or plumbing podcast
14) E-E-A-T
While most of your competitors are flooding Google’s index with boring blog posts like “5 ways to know if your plumbing pipe is broken,” you could quickly overtake them by demonstrating something called E-E-A-T.
In Google, E-E-A-T stands for Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness. While it is not an official ranking factor, quality raters use it to evaluate existing website pages.
Plumbing companies can easily showcase E-E-A-T by publishing award badges and photos of recent plumbing projects on their websites, resulting in more leads.
15) Local Sponsorships
Sponsoring a local Little League team or church is a great way to generate plumbing leads indirectly. This differs from referral partnerships, which call for the partnership to create a direct line of lead sharing.
Regarding sponsorships, the goal is brand building, which ultimately results in more leads and conversions. Some companies that are desperate for customers may dismiss this technique because it does not produce a quick turnaround.
However, intelligent business owners will love this idea because it yields a massive long-term payoff through sustainable lead generation.
Next Steps for Plumbing Lead Generation
I have given you 15 ideas for plumbing lead generation, but you can’t do all of them simultaneously. It’s important to prioritize these methods based on your budget, location, and market opportunity.
For newer plumbing companies desperate for customers, I recommend creating a free Google Business Profile and investing in Google Ads (if necessary) to earn some quick wins.
For more established plumbers, I recommend investing in your website and purchasing DataPins to solidify your long-term and sustainable lead source.