Why Most Brisbane Business Owners are Wasting Their Time Online
I’m going to be blunt: if you are spending hours every week filming TikToks or stressing over Instagram captions for your local business, you’re probably flushing money down the toilet.
I’ve sat down with builders in Chermside, accountants in Milton, and cafe owners in Bulimba who all say the same thing: "I'm posting every day, but the phone isn't ringing."
Here is the cold, hard truth: Social media is a playground. Most people are there to be entertained, not to hire a plumber or find a lawyer. If you want more phone calls and more bookings, you need to get your message in front of people where they actually make buying decisions.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to move beyond the "post and pray" method. We’re going to look at how to get your expertise in front of the right people, how to borrow other people’s audiences, and how to ensure that when someone needs what you sell, your name is the only one they see.
The Problem With "Going Viral"
You don’t need a million views. You need ten good leads.
I recently spoke to a landscaper who was obsessed with getting his videos to go viral. He finally had a video hit 100,000 views. Do you know how many jobs he got from it? Zero. Why? Because 99,000 of those viewers lived in America or the UK, and the other 1,000 weren't looking for a new retaining wall this week.
Most social media posts don't sell because they reach the wrong people at the wrong time. We need to shift your focus to "Distribution"—which is just a fancy way of saying "getting your stuff seen by people who will actually pay you."
1. Borrow Other People’s Trust (The Quickest Way to Sales)
If you started a business today, you have zero trust in the market. If you try to build that trust one Facebook follower at a time, you’ll be broke before you succeed.
The fastest way to grow is to find someone who already has the attention of your ideal customer and get them to introduce you.
Local Partnerships that Actually Work
Let’s say you’re a mortgage broker in Indooroopilly. You could spend $2,000 on Facebook ads, or you could spend a morning talking to the three best real estate agents in the area. If they send an email to their list of buyers saying, "This is the only guy we trust to get your finance sorted," you will get more high-quality phone calls in 24 hours than a year of posting on LinkedIn.You should borrow other people’s customers whenever possible. It’s the ultimate shortcut.
What to do first: 1. List 5 businesses in Brisbane that serve your customers but don't compete with you. 2. Offer to write a helpful article for their newsletter or do a joint "local experts" night. 3. Make sure the advice you give makes you look like the expert you are.
2. Stop Being a Commodity (How to Charge More)
If people think you’re "just another sparky" or "just another bookkeeper," they will choose the cheapest price every time. You’ll end up working harder for less money, and that’s a one-way ticket to burnout.
You need to position yourself as the authority. When you share helpful information—like a guide on "5 Things Your Electrician Won't Tell You About Solar Safety"—you aren't just selling a service; you're selling your brain.
When you get paid for your expertise, your profit margins go up. People stop asking for discounts and start asking when you’re available.
3. Email: The Unsexy Money Maker
Everyone thinks email is dead. They are wrong.
If Google changes its rules tomorrow, your website might disappear from the top page. If Facebook decides to charge you to reach your own followers (which they already do), you lose your audience.
But your email list is yours. You own it.
For a small business in Brisbane, an email list of 500 local people who have bought from you or enquired before is worth more than 50,000 random followers on Instagram.
The Strategy: Don't just send "Buy my stuff" emails. Send "Here is how to solve a problem" emails. - A mechanic sending a reminder about "Preparing your car for the QLD summer heat." - A florist sending a "Don't forget Mother's Day is in 3 days" reminder. - A lawyer explaining a recent change in property law in plain English.
Cost: Practically free (using tools like MailerLite or Mailchimp). Results: Usually seen within 1-2 hours of hitting 'send'.
4. Why You Should Probably Skip the Podcast
I see so many business owners spending thousands on microphones and editing software to start a podcast.
Unless you have a massive audience already, or you’re doing it specifically to network with guests, you will likely waste your money on a podcast that nobody listens to.
Your time is better spent being a guest on someone else's established show or creating short, helpful videos that answer the exact questions your customers ask you every day.
5. The Power of "Helpful Lists"
People love lists. When someone is searching for a solution, they want the "Top 10" or the "5 Best."
If you are a local business, you can use list articles to get bookings by being the person who provides the helpful guide.
Example: "The 7 Most Common Plumbing Emergencies in Old Brisbane Homes (and how to avoid them)."
This works because it targets people who have a specific problem right now. They aren't scrolling for memes; they are looking for help. If your article helps them, they’ll call you to fix the problem.
6. Real World Distribution (The Old School Stuff Still Works)
We live in a digital world, but we live in physical Brisbane. Don't ignore the physical ways to get your content seen:
- QR Codes on Invoices: Don't just send a bill. Send a link to a video on how to maintain the work you just did. - Local Community Boards: A printed-out "Guide to Fire Safety" with your logo on it in a local library or community centre still works. - Strategic Snail Mail: A physical, helpful booklet sent to 100 high-value prospects in your suburb will get more attention than 1,000 emails.
How Long Until You See Results?
- Partnerships: Can result in sales this week. - Emailing your list: Results in sales today. - Helpful articles (SEO): Usually takes 3-6 months to start bringing in consistent phone calls from Google. - Physical distribution: 1-2 weeks depending on your speed.
What Should You Do First?
1. Stop the madness: Stop spending more than 30 minutes a day on social media posts that don't result in sales. 2. Mine your data: Get your list of past customers and send them one helpful email this week. Not a sales pitch—just something useful. 3. Identify one partner: Find one local business owner you can help, so they can help you in return.
Marketing doesn't have to be complicated or "techy." It's just about being the most helpful person in Brisbane for the specific problem you solve.
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about "likes" or "engagement." We care about your phone ringing. We help Brisbane businesses get in front of the right people without wasting time on fluff.
Ready to get more customers and stop shouting into the social media void?
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s talk about a plan that actually makes you money.