Why Most Brisbane Business Owners Are Frustrated with Their Marketing
I hear it all the time from tradies in Chermside and shop owners in Paddington: "I've been posting on Facebook for months, and I haven't seen a single dollar from it."
Look, I get it. You’re busy running a business. You don't have time to be a full-time 'content creator'. You were told that if you just put yourself out there, the customers would follow. But the reality is that most of what you’ve been told about marketing is rubbish.
The biggest myth in small business marketing is that all 'content' is created equal. Most people think that as long as they are posting something, they are doing their job.
That’s like a builder showing up to a site with plenty of timber but no nails, no blueprints, and no roof tiles, and then wondering why the house isn't finished. You need different materials for different stages of the build. Marketing is exactly the same.
If you want to stop shouting into the void and actually start getting more phone calls, you need to understand that your customers go through a journey. They don't just wake up and hand over $5,000 to a stranger. They need to be led there.
Myth #1: "I Just Need to Get My Name Out There"
This is the most expensive mistake you can make. "Brand awareness" is a luxury for companies like Coca-Cola or Nike. For a local plumber, accountant, or landscaper, "getting your name out there" is a fast way to go broke.
You don't need people to know your name; you need people to call you when they have a problem you can solve.
When someone is just starting to realise they have a problem—maybe their electricity bill is too high, or their backyard looks like a jungle—they aren't looking for a specific business yet. They are looking for information.
If you only post "Hire me, I'm the best," you are ignoring the 90% of people who aren't ready to pull the trigger today. You are effectively losing customers not ready to buy right this second, and that is money left on the table.
What to do instead:
Instead of shouting "Hire me!", help them understand their problem. The Landscaper: Post a video about "3 signs your retaining wall is about to fail." The Accountant: Write a quick post on "Why your BAS is higher than you expected this quarter." The Mechanic: Share "That weird clicking sound in your car—what it actually means."The Result: You aren't a pushy salesperson. You are the helpful expert. When they realize they
do need to spend money, who do you think they’re going to call? The person who helped them for free.Myth #2: "If They Liked My Post, They’ll Buy From Me"
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane businesses get thousands of 'likes' on a funny meme or a photo of their office dog, only to have their slowest month of sales ever.
Likes don't pay the mortgage. Enquiries do.
Once a person knows they have a problem, they enter the "comparison" stage. This is where they are looking at you, your competitor down the road, and the big franchise they saw on TV.
At this stage, they don't need more 'helpful tips'. They need to know if you are the right fit for them. They are looking for proof that you know what you're doing and that you won't rip them off.
What to do instead:
Show, don't just tell. This is the perfect time to use photos and videos from your actual jobs. Show a 'Before and After' of a kitchen renovation in Indooroopilly. Share a testimonial from a client who was stressed out before they hired you. Explain how you do things differently. Do you clean up after yourself? Do you show up on time? Say it.This moves the conversation away from being a 'commodity' where the only thing that matters is price. When you show your expertise, you can actually get paid more because the customer trusts you more than the cheap guy who doesn't show his work.
Myth #3: "The Website Does the Selling For Me"
Your website is a tool, not a magic wand. If someone is ready to buy—they’ve got their credit card out or their phone in their hand—the last thing they want is to read a 1,000-word blog post about the history of plumbing.
They want to know: 1. Can you do the job? 2. Are you available? 3. How do I start?
Most small business websites are too cluttered. They make the customer work too hard. If a visitor has to click three times to find your phone number, they are going to hit the 'back' button and call the next guy on Google.
What to do instead:
At the 'decision' stage, your content needs to be incredibly direct. Clear Call to Action: "Call now for a free quote" or "Book your inspection online." Guarantees: "Fixed price or we pay the difference." Urgency/Availability: "Same-day service for all Brisbane Northside suburbs."This isn't about being fancy. It’s about removing every single hurdle between the customer and your bank account.
The Three Stages Every Business Owner Needs to Master
To make this simple, think of your marketing as a funnel.
1. The "Help Me" Stage (Awareness)
Goal: Get their attention by being useful. Cost: Low (just your time or a small budget for ads). Timeframe: This is a long-game strategy. It builds your reputation over months. Example: A blog post titled "How to tell if your roof needs a repair after a Brisbane hailstorm."2. The "Why You?" Stage (Consideration)
Goal: Build trust and show you’re the expert. Cost: Medium (requires good photos, videos, or case studies). Timeframe: Weeks to months. Example: A video walk-through of a completed project in Coorparoo with a happy client.3. The "Let’s Do This" Stage (Decision)
Goal: Close the deal and get the booking. Cost: This is where you spend your ad money to get immediate results. Timeframe: Days to hours. Example: A Google Ad that leads to a simple booking page with your phone number front and centre.Where Most People Waste Money
I’ll be blunt: Most Brisbane businesses spend way too much time on the "Help Me" stage (posting random tips on Instagram) and not enough on the "Let's Do This" stage.
If you are struggling for cash flow right now, stop writing 'helpful' tips. Stop trying to find the perfect 'aesthetic' for your Instagram grid. Focus all your energy on the Decision stage. Make it incredibly easy for people who already want what you sell to find you and hire you.
Once the phone is ringing and the bills are paid,
then* you can start investing time in the earlier stages to build a pipeline for next year.How Long Until You See Results?
If you focus on the Decision stage (fixing your website, making your "Hire Me" offer clear), you can see more phone calls within 7 to 14 days.
If you focus on the Awareness stage (helpful blogs, social media tips), it usually takes 3 to 6 months before that turns into a steady stream of leads.
Both are important, but you have to know which one you’re doing and why. Don't write a blog post and expect the phone to ring ten minutes later. That's not how it works.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here is the 3-step plan I’d give to a mate:
1. Check your website on your phone. Can you find the "Call Now" button in less than 2 seconds without scrolling? If not, fix that today. That is your 'Decision' content. 2. Take 5 photos of your next job. One of you arriving, three of the work in progress, and one of the finished result. Post these with a caption about what you did and where you were (e.g., "Fixing a burst pipe in Carindale this morning"). This is your 'Consideration' content. 3. Think of the top 3 questions customers ask you. Write down the answers. Post one a week. This is your 'Awareness' content.
Stop Overthinking It
You don't need a marketing degree to grow your business. You just need to realize that a person looking for a 'quick fix' needs different information than someone planning a $50,000 renovation for next year.
Talk to them where they are at, be honest, show your work, and make it easy for them to pay you.
Most of your competitors are doing this wrong. They are either being too pushy too early, or they are being too 'helpful' and never actually asking for the sale. If you can balance these three stages, you’ll own the Brisbane market in your niche.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about 'likes'—we care about your bottom line. We help Brisbane businesses build marketing systems that actually turn strangers into loyal customers.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let's get your phone ringing.