Look, I’ve sat down with a lot of sparkies, chippies, and plumbers across Brisbane over the years.
Most of them tell me the same thing: they’re sick of being held hostage by lead-gen sites. You know the ones. You pay thirty or fifty bucks for a lead, only to find out four other blokes got the same text, and the homeowner is just looking for the cheapest quote to fix a leaky tap.
It’s a race to the bottom. It kills your margins, and honestly, it’s a soul-destroying way to run a business.
You didn’t start your own thing to spend your nights fighting over scraps on an app. You started it to do good work, get paid what you’re worth, and have a bit of freedom.
The good news? You don’t need those sites. You can get the phone ringing on your own terms.
But before we get into how, we need to kill a few myths that are probably costing you money right now.
The Big Lie: "You Need to Be Everywhere"
If I hear one more person say you need to be posting on TikTok four times a day to get plumbing jobs, I’m going to lose it.
You’re a tradie, not an influencer.
Most small business owners get overwhelmed because they think they need to master Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and whatever else is trendy this week. You don’t.
Think about it: When someone’s toilet is overflowing at 9 PM on a Tuesday, are they scrolling Instagram looking for a funny video of a plumber? No. They’re going to Google and searching for "emergency plumber near me."
If you want more high-value jobs, you need to be where people are actually looking when they have a problem. Everything else is just noise.
Your Google Business Profile is Your Best Friend
If you do nothing else after reading this, go and check your Google Business Profile (that’s the little map listing that pops up when people search for your service).
It is, hands down, the most powerful tool you have for getting free leads. And yet, most tradies set it up once and forget about it.
Google loves local businesses that are active. You don’t need to write essays. Just do these three things:
1. Upload photos of your actual work. Not stock photos. People want to see your truck, your face, and the neat job you did on that deck in Coorparoo. It builds trust before they even call you. 2. Get reviews. I know, asking for reviews feels awkward. But it’s the difference between getting the call and being ignored. Make it a habit. Send a text as soon as the job is done: "Hey, glad we could help. If you've got a second, could you leave us a quick review? It helps us out a ton." 3. Answer the damn phone. Google tracks how often people click that "Call" button and whether the call connects. If you’re constantly missing calls, Google will eventually stop showing you to people.
Why Your Website is Probably Costing You Money
Most tradie websites are rubbish. There, I said it.
Usually, they’re either a DIY job that looks like it was made in 2005, or they’re a fancy "award-winning" design that doesn't actually tell the customer what they need to know.
If a customer lands on your site and can’t find your phone number within three seconds, they’re gone. They’ve clicked back to Google and called the next bloke.
Your website has one job: to make the phone ring.
It doesn't need to be a masterpiece. It just needs to load fast, work on phones, and clearly state what you do and where you do it. If you’re wondering why your website isn't ringing, it’s usually because you’ve made it too hard for people to hire you.
Stop talking about "our mission" and start talking about "we fix your roof leaks today."
The Myth of the "Cheap" Lead
I see this all the time with fencing contractors and landscapers. They get lured in by these lead-selling platforms because the leads are "only $20."
But let’s do the math.
If you buy 10 leads at $20 each, that’s $200. If 5 of them don't answer the phone, you're down to 5. If 3 of those are just "price shopping" and want the cheapest quote possible, you're down to 2. If you win one of those jobs, that job actually cost you $200 in marketing alone—not to mention the hours you spent driving around giving free quotes to people who were never going to hire you.
Instead of chasing cheap leads, you’re much better off spending that time and energy on stuff you actually own.
When you build your own presence, you aren't paying for the lead. You're paying for the system that generates them for free, forever.
How to Win the "High-Value" Jobs
If you want the big renovations, the full rewires, or the commercial contracts, you have to look the part.
High-paying customers aren't just looking for a bloke with a toolbelt. They’re looking for someone who isn't going to disappear halfway through the job.
This is where most tradies fail. They might be the best at what they do, but their online presence looks dodgy.
- Do you have a professional email address? (name@yourbusiness.com.au looks a lot better than bazzas_plumbing69@hotmail.com) - Does your website show you’re licensed and insured? - Do you have photos of big, finished projects?
It’s about lowering the risk for the customer. If they’re going to drop $20k on a project, they want to feel safe. If you look like a pro, you can charge like a pro.
Stop Competing on Price
When you rely on lead-gen sites, you are a commodity. You’re just one of five quotes.
When a customer finds you through your own website or a recommendation, the dynamic changes. They’ve chosen you.
I’ve seen guys double their business without doing a single extra hour of work, simply because they stopped taking the bottom-of-the-barrel leads and started positioning themselves as the local experts.
You don't need to be the cheapest. In fact, being the cheapest is a great way to go broke. You just need to be the most reliable and the easiest to deal with.
The "Slow and Steady" Trap
I’ll be honest with you—building your own lead machine takes longer than buying a lead on an app.
You can buy a lead today and have a job tomorrow. Building a website that ranks on Google and a profile that gets reviews takes a few months.
But here’s the thing: in six months, the bloke buying leads will still be paying $50 every time he wants to talk to a customer. You’ll be sitting back watching the enquiries hit your inbox for free while you’re on the job.
It’s the difference between renting your business and owning it.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling a bit stuck, here is the order I’d do things in:
1. Claim your Google Business Profile. It’s free. Put your actual address (or service area) in there. Add ten photos today. 2. Fix your website. Make sure your phone number is at the top of every page. If it doesn't work on a phone, fix it. Now. 3. Stop paying for shared leads. Seriously. Take that money and put it into a simple Google Ads campaign that sends people directly to your site, not a middleman's. 4. Ask every single customer for a review. Make it part of your invoice process.
My Honest Take
Marketing isn't magic. It’s just about being where your customers are and looking like someone they can trust.
Most agencies will try to sell you complicated "funnels" or "brand strategies." You don't need that. You need a phone that rings with people who actually want to pay you.
At Local Marketing Group, we don't do the fluff. We just help local legends get more work without the headache.
If you're tired of fighting for leads and want to start building something you actually own, let's have a chat. We’ll look at what you’re doing now and tell you straight if we can help you make more money.
No jargon. No rubbish. Just more jobs.
Ready to sort it out? Get in touch with us here.