Look, we’ve all seen it.
You’re scrolling through your local community group on a Tuesday night. You see a post from someone asking for a reliable plumber or a decent house painter. Before the poor person can even hit 'post', six different blokes have dumped their phone numbers in the comments with a generic 'Give us a buzz' and a link to a website that doesn't work on phones.
It’s desperate. It’s annoying. And honestly? It rarely works.
Most business owners treat Facebook groups like a digital noticeboard where they can just pin their flyer and walk away. But here in Brisbane, or wherever your patch is, people aren't looking for flyers. They’re looking for someone they can trust not to rip them off or show up three hours late.
If you want to actually get more bookings and phone calls from these groups without getting booted by a power-tripping admin, you need a better plan. I’m going to show you exactly how we do it for our clients.
Why most 'community marketing' is a bin fire
I’ll be blunt: most people do this completely wrong. They join 50 groups, post a grainy photo of their truck once a week, and wonder why the phone isn't ringing.
It doesn't work because you’re acting like a salesman in a place where people go to complain about bin day or find lost dogs. You’re crashing the party. If you keep doing that, you’re just burning cash on marketing that doesn't stick.
The secret is being the helpful expert, not the bloke with the megaphone.
The 'Admin' Problem
Local groups are run by volunteers who usually have way too much time on their hands. They love a bit of power. If you start spamming your business every day, they’ll ban you faster than a tradie disappearing on a Friday afternoon.
You need to play the game. That means reading the rules. Some groups only allow business posts on 'Small Business Tuesdays'. Others hate ads but love 'recommendations'. You need to know which is which.
Step 1: Pick your battles (and your suburbs)
You can’t be everywhere. If you try to manage 30 different Facebook groups, you’ll spend all day on your phone and zero hours actually making money.
Pick 3 to 5 groups that are actually active. Look for the ones where people are constantly asking for help. A group with 20,000 members where nobody talks is useless. A group with 2,000 members where everyone is chatting is a goldmine.
Focus on the areas where you actually want to work. If you’re based in Paddington, there’s no point chasing leads in North Lakes unless you love sitting in traffic on the Bruce Highway for fun. You want to show you know your suburb so people feel like you’re just around the corner.
Step 2: Fix your personal profile first
This is the part everyone misses. When you comment on a post, the first thing Mrs. Jones is going to do is click on your name.
If your profile picture is you doing a burnout in a 2005 Hilux and your privacy settings are wide open showing your weekend bender at the Caxton, she’s not going to hire you to fix her toilet.
- Profile Pic: Use a photo of you in your work gear, or at least a decent shot of your face. - Cover Photo: Use a shot of your team, your branded van, or a finished job. - Bio: Put your business name and what you do. "Owner at Dave’s Electrical - Serving Brisbane West." - Link: Put your website or your Facebook business page in your 'About' section.
Make it easy for them to see you’re a professional before they even reply to your comment.
Step 3: The 'Search' trick to find jobs
You don’t need to wait for things to pop up in your feed. Facebook groups have a search bar. Use it.
Every morning, spend five minutes searching for keywords related to your business. If you’re a landscaper, search for: - "Landscaper" - "Retaining wall" - "Mowing" - "Turf" - "Recommendation"
You’ll find posts from three days ago that you missed. If the person hasn't replied to the other comments yet, jump in.
Step 4: How to comment without sounding like a bot
When someone asks for a recommendation, don't just dump your link. It looks cheap.
Instead, offer some actual value first. If someone asks, "Why is my tap leaking?", don't say "Call me 0400 123 456."
Say something like: "Usually that’s just a worn-out washer, but if it’s an older flick-mixer, the whole cartridge might be shot. I’m a plumber based in Ashgrove and I’ve got the parts in the van if you want me to swing by and take a look this afternoon?"
See the difference? You’ve helped them understand the problem, proved you know your stuff, and told them you’re local and available. That wins every time.
Step 5: Get your 'Secret Weapons' involved
The best way to get work in a Facebook group isn't by recommending yourself. It’s by having your past customers do it for you.
If you’ve got a few loyal customers in a certain suburb, ask them nicely: "Hey, if you ever see someone asking for a sparky in the local group, would you mind tagging me?"
When a local resident says, "Dave did my lights last week and was great," it’s worth ten times more than you saying it yourself. It’s basically free local influencer marketing but without the annoying Instagram poses.
What’s a total waste of time?
I’ve seen blokes pay for 'automated posting tools' that blast their ads into 100 groups at once. Don’t do this.
1. You’ll get banned by Facebook. 2. You’ll get banned by the admins. 3. Everyone in the group will think you’re a spammer.
Also, don't get into arguments. If someone complains about your price or says their cousin can do it cheaper, let it go. Being 'right' in a Facebook comment section has never made anyone a cent. It just makes you look difficult to work with.
The 'Small Business Day' Strategy
Most groups have one day a week where you’re allowed to post an ad. Don't just post a generic 'We do aircon' graphic you made in Canva five years ago.
Use a real photo. A photo of you standing in front of your van, smiling. Or a 'Before and After' of a job you just finished in that specific suburb.
Caption it like this: "Hey Paddington locals! Just finished up this deck restoration on Latrobe Terrace. If your outdoor area is looking a bit tired before summer hits, give me a shout. I’m a local dad, based right here in the suburb, and I’ve got two spots left for next week."
It’s personal, it’s local, and it has a reason for them to act now.
How much does this cost?
In terms of actual cash? Zero.
In terms of time? About 15–20 minutes a day.
If you do this right, you should start seeing enquiries within the first week. It’s not a slow burn like SEO. It’s immediate. But it only stays consistent if you keep showing up.
If you’re too busy to do this, that’s a good problem to have. But if your phone isn't ringing and you’re sitting in the truck eating a meat pie wondering where the next job is coming from, get on Facebook and start being helpful.
Let’s wrap this up
Community groups are basically the modern version of chatting over the back fence. If you wouldn't jump over the fence and scream your phone number at your neighbour, don't do it on Facebook.
Be the local expert. Be helpful. Use real photos. And for the love of God, make sure your website works when they click on it.
If you’re sick of chasing leads and want a marketing strategy that actually works without you having to live on your phone, we should probably have a chat. We help local businesses in Brisbane and beyond get more calls and better jobs without the fluff.
Drop us a line at Local Marketing Group and let’s see if we can help you sort it out properly.