Why Most Brisbane Business Owners are Wasting Their Time Online
I’m going to be blunt: most of the time you spend posting on Facebook or Instagram is a complete waste of your life.
I’ve sat down with hundreds of business owners from Chermside to Logan, and they all tell me the same thing. They spend hours every week trying to come up with 'content.' They take photos of their jobs, they write captions, and they hit post. Then... nothing. A couple of likes from their mum and maybe a 'nice work' from a bloke they went to school with.
But does the phone ring? Usually, it doesn’t.
Social media platforms are designed to keep people scrolling, not to help you sell a $5,000 bathroom renovation or a $2,000 legal service. If you want more phone calls and actual money in the bank, you need to stop thinking about 'likes' and start thinking about how to get your expertise in front of people who are actually looking to spend money.
In this guide, I’m going to show you exactly how we helped a local service business stop chasing likes and start generating real enquiries by putting their information where it actually matters.
Case Study: The Plumber Who Stopped Posting and Started Profiting
Let’s look at a real example. We worked with a plumbing business based in Coorparoo. Like most tradies, the owner was told he 'had to be on social media.' He was spending about five hours a week posting photos of blocked drains and new hot water systems.
When we looked at his numbers, the results were depressing: Time spent: 20 hours a month. Cost of his time: Roughly $2,000 (based on what he charges for labour). Leads generated: Zero.
He was effectively paying $2,000 a month to entertain his existing friends. We changed his strategy entirely. We took the knowledge in his head and put it in places where people actually go when they have a problem.
Within three months, he wasn't just getting 'likes'—he was getting three to five high-value enquiries every single week from people who had already decided he was the expert they needed. Here is how we did it, and how you can do it too.
1. Use Your Knowledge to Answer the Phone Before It Rings
When someone has a problem, they don't go to Instagram to find a solution. They go to Google. They type in things like 'why is my water bill so high?' or 'how much does it cost to move a kitchen sink?'
Most business owners make the mistake of thinking their website is just a digital business card. It’s not. It’s your best salesperson. If you provide the answers to those questions on your website, Google will show your business to those people for free.
However, just writing a list of services isn't enough. You need to tell a story that makes them trust you. We’ve seen that how your story wins is often the difference between someone clicking away or picking up the phone.
The Result: Our plumber wrote three simple articles about common Brisbane plumbing issues (like tree roots in old pipes in older suburbs). Because he answered the questions people were actually asking, his website started showing up when people searched for those problems.
Cost: $0 (just a few hours of time). Timeline: 2-4 months to see consistent traffic from Google.
2. Leverage Local Partnerships (The 'Old School' Way Made New)
One of the fastest ways to get more customers is to get in front of someone else's customers. This is what I call 'borrowed trust.'
If you are a mortgage broker, you should be talking to real estate agents. If you are a dog groomer, you should be talking to the local vet. But don't just ask them for referrals—give them something valuable to share with their clients.
Our plumbing client reached out to a local property management agency in Stones Corner. Instead of asking for work, he gave them a 'Property Manager’s Guide to Avoiding Emergency Weekend Callouts.' The agency emailed this guide to all their landlords.
Suddenly, he wasn't just another plumber; he was the expert that their trusted property manager recommended. This is a classic example of how teaming up with partners can bypass the need for expensive advertising.
The Result: Two new strata contracts within the first month. Cost: The price of a few coffees and a couple of hours writing a helpful PDF. Timeline: Immediate results once the email is sent.
3. Stop Losing the Customers Who Aren't Ready Yet
Most people who visit your website or hear about you aren't ready to buy today*. They are just researching. If you don't have a way to stay in touch with them, they will forget you exist by tomorrow morning.
Social media is terrible for this because the 'algorithm' decides if they ever see you again. Email, however, is direct.
We set up a simple 'Price Guide' on our plumber's website. To get the guide, people had to enter their email address. Now, he has a list of 400+ local homeowners. Once a month, he sends a helpful tip—like how to check your toilet for leaks.
When those 400 people eventually have a plumbing emergency, who are they going to call? The guy who has been helping them for six months, or a random name on Google?
You have to stop losing customers just because they didn't book an appointment on their first visit. Keeping your name in their inbox is the cheapest insurance policy against a slow month.
The Result: A steady stream of 'repeat' business and referrals from people who hadn't even hired him yet. Cost: About $30/month for a simple email tool. Timeline: Builds over 6-12 months into a massive asset.
4. Why Most 'Content' is a Waste of Money
I see businesses hiring 'content creators' to make pretty videos for TikTok. If you are a fashion brand in Sydney, maybe that works. If you are a pest controller in Ipswich, it’s a waste of money.
Content only makes money if it solves a problem for a customer who has money in their hand. If your content is just 'behind the scenes' or 'funny office videos,' you are acting like an entertainer, not a business owner.
Stop making content for other business owners to look at. Make content for your customers. Ask your receptionist or your sales team: "What are the top 5 questions people ask before they buy?" Answer those questions in a video or an article. That is the only content that actually drives sales.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don't try to do everything at once. Here is the 'Brisbane Small Biz' priority list:
1. Fix your website: Make sure it actually answers the questions your customers are asking. Ensure your phone number is easy to find and it works perfectly on a mobile phone. 2. Build your list: Start collecting email addresses today. Even if you don't send anything for three months, start building that list. 3. Find a partner: Identify one local business that serves the same customers as you but isn't a competitor. Call them and offer to provide a helpful article or guide for their newsletter.
The Reality Check
This isn't an overnight fix. If someone tells you that you'll be flooded with calls tomorrow, they’re lying to you.
Building a system that brings in customers without you having to 'dance' on social media takes time. It usually takes about 90 days to see the needle move, and about 6 to 12 months before it becomes a reliable 'machine' that runs without you.
But the alternative is worse: continuing to post on Facebook for the rest of your life, hoping that this time, the 'algorithm' will finally be nice to you.
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about your follower count. We care about your bank balance. If you want to stop wasting time on things that don't work and start building a marketing system that actually grows your Brisbane business, we should talk.
Ready to get off the social media hamster wheel? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s look at what will actually make your phone ring.