By Craig Lourens, ActionCOACH, Business Coach

Do you have business related questions? Coach Craig is a professional business coach who is keen to answer your queries. Email your business questions to megan@interactmedia.co.za, with the subject line ‘Ask Coach Craig’

Craig Lourens, Business Coach

Craig Lourens, Business Coach © Plumbing Africa

Let’s get straight to it.

A lot of plumbing businesses don’t have a marketing problem – they have a visibility problem. If your business is living off of word-of- mouth and referrals, then you are on a rollercoaster: busy one month, dry the next. That’s not a strategy. That’s hope. And hope is not a business plan.

Here are five no-nonsense marketing strategies that Brad Sugars, CEO of ActionCOACH would tell every plumber to put in place – yesterday.

  1. Build a website that actually works – not just a digital brochure. Your website should:

  • Tell people exactly what you do and where.
  • Offer an easy way to book or request a quote.
  • Show off your reviews and recent projects.
  • Capture leads – even after hours.

If your site doesn’t help convert visitors into leads while you’re sleeping, it’s just an online business card.

 

  1. Leverage Google business like a pro – when someone searches “plumber near me”, will you show up?

If you haven’t claimed and optimised your Google Business Profile, you’re invisible. Add:

  • Clear service area details.
  • Updated photos.
  • Customer reviews (aim for at least 50).
  • Include posts with promotions or job updates.

You want to dominate the local map pack – make sure you are not sitting on page two.

 

  1. Run paid ads that target your ideal jobs – stop spraying and praying. Use Facebook or Google Ads to:

  • Target suburbs where you know your ideal customers are located.
  • Promote emergency services or weekend availability.
  • Highlight seasonal offers (e.g., geyser checks before winter).

Paid ads let you go fishing where the fish are – and use the right bait.

  1. Show, don’t tell – use social proof. “People buy from people they trust”, so show them how you are trusted by your existing customers:

  • Before-and-after pics.
  • Short testimonial videos from happy clients.
  • “Day in the life” posts from your team.

You’re not just marketing plumbing – you’re marketing credibility, reliability and speed.

 

  1. Build a repeat and referral engine – Referrals are great, but waiting for them isn’t.

Create systems including:

  • Offer a referral reward (for example, R200 off for every new client sent).
  • Set up an email campaign to stay in touch with past clients.
  • Follow up after a job and ask for a review and a referral.

This turns a once-off job into a lifelong customer – and a pipeline of steady work.

Final word

Marketing isn’t just for big businesses — it’s how small ones get big. If you don’t control your lead flow, you don’t control your future. Take these five strategies, action one each week, and within a month you’ll see the difference. The pipeline doesn’t fill itself.

You’ve got to turn the tap.

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