How do you guys advertise these days

[grumpygit]

I have had my own small electrical business for just over 20 years. As with all business it was a bit of a slog to start, then in time a momentum kicks in and you start getting word of mouth stuff along with having better contacts, but always keeping dome king of advertising plan going.
Like many sparkys I used Yell(now hibu) and Thompson and had the common love/hate relationship with them.
These days we have the internet, and here is my problem. I have had a few websites and I have had my own google campaign along with with a few other online odds and sods. But I just cannot seem to get a good run going with any of the online advertising you get these days.
Advertising has always been a constant job for many of us, I have mostly had a good run with the occasional cock up. But love it of hate it I think we all have to except that the world wide web is going to be(already is) a big player in business. The one road I will not go down is using some kind of middleman that passes work onto you for a fee, I seem to get calls off these lot at least once a week.
So my question is to the smaller business concerns out there, what is your advertising plan these days.


Grumpy

 

[Amp David]

Google Places and simple website. Have the dree basic listing in yellow pages etc, then as many free listings online.

Also have the van sign written, which so far has got me quite a bit of work.

TBH thoiugh, just coming upto 3 years as self employed and word of mouth is starting to provide the most of my work

 

[markc123]

grumpy, this may not help in the slightest but if you're struggling...stick your contact details on your signature so everytime you post something on here it comes up i mean, it probably lead to nothing but its free and if you're lucky something might happen

 

[RichardMoore]

Every local county council has a trading standards safe traders set up am on there and get a few good leads Lancashire is help direct go to traderregister.org.uk to find yours it's all free and all you need to get in is 3 references of customer there very good!!!

 

[daniel mead]

I've always advertised in my local paper. Not cheap at £38 a week but I get on average 5 calls a week. Along side that I have my website, Facebook and twitter plus my van signed up. By far the best way of getting work is networking with other trades. I picked up with a builder last year and he has put countless jobs my way along with his plumber and joiner asking me to quote on their jobs too.

www.meadelectricalservices.co.uk

 

[Jay Sparks]

Every local county council has a trading standards safe traders set up am on there and get a few good leads Lancashire is help direct go to traderregister.org.uk to find yours it's all free and all you need to get in is 3 references of customer there very good!!!

Ive just had a look on there website and unfortunately for me, they dont have one for Yorkshire!!! Shame really coz we need all the help we can get these days. I advertise in a local trade mag that gets delivered free to over 18,000 letter box's, by royal mail......although it cost £45 p/m for a coloured add, theres no 12 month contract.

 

[grumpygit]

Hi Daniel,

I have always maintained that if the phone rings twice a day with enquiries then Grumpygit is a happy boy, and thats the way it was until a a couple of years ago.
I am not moaning, we have hit a bad patch in the construction industry with things going to get worse before they get better IMO.
But at the moment I can pay all the bills with a little left over, so thats a blessing comapred to many around the UK today (-:

 

[daniel mead]

I think in this climate it's a struggle no matter what trade you are. I've gone 2 weeks in the past without a single thing on and then banged out for a few weeks then dead again. It's a struggle sometimes but like you said, earn enough to pay the bills and have a bit of spending money after. The hard part for me is trying to keep overheads down especially the advertising part. It can really drain your accounts but you have to get your name out there and seen.

www.meadelectricalservices.co.uk

 

[grumpygit]

I think in this climate it's a struggle no matter what trade you are. I've gone 2 weeks in the past without a single thing on and then banged out for a few weeks then dead again. It's a struggle sometimes but like you said, earn enough to pay the bills and have a bit of spending money after. The hard part for me is trying to keep overheads down especially the advertising part. It can really drain your accounts but you have to get your name out there and seen.

Grays Electrician, Essex and Kent Electrician

Thats something I will be looking in to... thanks Richard

 

[gnuuser]

aside from the sign on my truck i made a card dispenser from an old floppy disk case that hangs on a side window
(labelled "business cards")

another dispenser is in the office of the local housing authority and another in the poco's payment centre.

 

[daniel mead]

Now that is a good idea gnuuser!, had a job lot of cards just printed and was thinking of how I could get them out there. Do you get many people take them when you park up?

www.meadelectricalservices.co.uk

 

[gnuuser]

About 25 cards a month on average
I think its a lot easier for them to snag a card instead of hunting for paper to write a phone number down.
I get a lot of calls during blackouts from storms
Daniel you and I have the same surname
We may be related somewhere in the family tree

 

[Poshspark]

Check out this eBay number 121099452923
It is an outside business card holder that sticks to your van or advertising sign outside a job or if you are working in a shop you could put it on the window.
I have a website and have found that it has been working well for me I use to spend about £120 a month on a local advertiser paper but found that i was getting less and less calls from it so I stopped it well zero, I find that people will google everything rather than look through an advertiser especially businesses.