Why Being the 'Local Expert' Wins You More Business
If you’re a business owner in Brisbane, you’ve probably felt the squeeze of the "price war." Whether you’re a builder in Coorparoo or an accountant in the CBD, there is always someone willing to do the job a few dollars cheaper.
When customers see you as just another service provider, they shop on price. But when they see you as the authority—the person who actually knows what they’re talking about—the conversation changes. They stop asking "How much?" and start asking "When can you start?"
In marketing circles, people call this "thought leadership." I hate that term. It sounds like something a corporate executive says in a boardroom while looking at a PowerPoint deck. For a small business owner, it’s much simpler: it’s about proving you’re the expert so people trust you enough to hand over their hard-earned money.
Most Business Blogs Are a Waste of Space
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane business websites that have a "blog" section filled with generic, boring articles like "5 Tips for Spring Cleaning" or "Why You Need a Plumber."
Nobody reads that rubbish. It doesn’t get you more phone calls, and it certainly doesn’t make you look like an expert. It makes you look like you hired a cheap writer who knows nothing about your trade.
If you want to actually grow your business, you need to share your opinions, your experiences, and your solutions to real problems your customers have. You need to tell a story that sells by showing, not just telling, that you are the best at what you do.
The Strategy: Answer the Questions That Cost You Money
Every day, you answer the same five or ten questions from customers. These questions are usually the hurdles standing between you and a sale.
- "Why is this quote more expensive than the other guy?" - "How long will this renovation actually take?" - "What happens if the council rejects my application?"
When you take these questions and turn them into helpful, blunt, and honest articles or videos, you’re doing two things. First, you’re saving yourself time. Second, you’re building a massive amount of trust before you even pick up the phone.
I worked with a landscaper on the Northside who was sick of losing jobs to "cowboys" who did cheap, dodgy work. We stopped writing generic posts about "pretty gardens" and started writing about "The 3 Mistakes That Will Rot Your Retaining Wall in Two Years."
By calling out the bad practices in his industry, he positioned himself as the honest expert. He didn't just get more enquiries; he got better enquiries from people who were happy to pay a premium for quality.
Stop Chasing the Wrong People
One of the biggest mistakes I see is business owners trying to be everything to everyone. You don't need the whole of Queensland to know who you are. You just need the people who are ready to buy your specific service to trust you.
Many owners think they need to start a YouTube channel or a podcast to be seen as an authority. Most of the time, you should not waste money on a podcast that nobody listens to. It takes too much time and rarely results in a direct deposit into your bank account.
Instead, focus on content that helps you stop losing customers who are still in the research phase. If someone is thinking about a kitchen renovation but isn't ready to book a quote yet, they are looking for information. If you provide that information, you’re the one they’ll call when they finally have the cash ready.
How to Write Like an Expert (Without Being a Writer)
You don’t need a degree in English to do this. In fact, the more you write like you speak, the better. Here is the framework I tell my mates to use:
1. Pick a real problem: Think of a mess you recently cleaned up that was caused by a competitor or a DIY attempt gone wrong. 2. Explain why it happened: Don't use technical jargon. Explain it like you're talking to a friend over a beer at the pub. 3. Give the solution: Tell them exactly what needs to be done to fix it or avoid it. 4. Be opinionated: Don't say "some people prefer X, others prefer Y." Say "In my 15 years of doing this in Brisbane, X is a waste of money and Y is the only way to do it right."
People respect honesty. They want to be told what to do by someone who knows more than they do. When you take a stand, you might annoy the people looking for the cheapest price, but you will attract the people who value your expertise.
The Cost and the Timeline
Let’s talk turkey. How much does this cost and when do you see results?
If you do this yourself, it costs you time—probably 2-3 hours a week to write one solid piece of content or record a few videos. If you hire an agency like ours to do it, you’re looking at a monthly investment, but the quality and consistency will be much higher.
This is not a "turn it on today, get 10 calls tomorrow" strategy. That’s what Google Ads are for. Proving your expertise is a long-term play.
- Months 1-3: You’ll start seeing people mention your articles when they call you. "I read that thing you wrote about termites, and it really made sense." - Months 6+: You’ll find that your "closing rate" goes up. You spend less time convincing people to hire you because they’ve already decided you’re the expert before they called. - 1 Year+: You can likely raise your prices because your reputation in your local Brisbane suburb or industry niche is solid.
What’s a Waste of Money?
- Buying "PLR" or canned content: If you buy articles that are sold to 500 other plumbers, Google will ignore you and your customers will see right through it. It’s useless. - Over-production: You don't need a film crew. A decent smartphone and a quiet room are enough to show you know your stuff. - Being "Professional" but boring: If your content sounds like a legal contract, nobody will read it. Be a human. Use your own voice.
What You Should Do First
Start small. Look at your sent folder in your email. Find a long explanation you sent to a client recently about how something works or why a certain product is better than another.
Clean that up, remove the client's name, and put it on your website. Congratulations, you’ve just created your first piece of expert content.
If you’re too busy running your business to spend your weekends writing, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses find the stories that actually make people buy and turn them into a system that brings in customers.
Stop being just another name in the phone book. Start being the expert that people are willing to wait for and pay more for.
Ready to grow? Contact us at Local Marketing Group and let’s get more people calling your business.