Why Your "How-To" Content Is Failing Your Business
I see it every single day in Brisbane. A local electrician, a landscaper in Chermside, or a family lawyer in the CBD spends hours writing a "helpful" guide for their website, only for it to sit there and do absolutely nothing. No phone calls, no new enquiries, and certainly no money in the bank.
Look, I get it. You’ve been told that "content is king" and that you need to be an authority in your field. So, you sit down and write a 500-word piece on "How to Maintain Your Air Conditioner" or "How to Prepare for a Property Settlement."
But here is the blunt truth: most of what you’ve been told about writing for your business is rubbish. If your helpful advice doesn't lead to a booking, you aren't marketing; you’re running a free charity for people who have no intention of ever paying you.
At Local Marketing Group, we work with business owners who don't have time to play at being journalists. They need results. If you want to stop wasting hours on writing and start seeing your phone light up, you need to avoid these common mistakes that are killing your profit.
Mistake 1: Helping People Who Will Never Hire You
This is the biggest trap for tradies and service providers. You write a guide that is too good at teaching someone how to do the job themselves.
If you are a plumber in Morningside and you write a 2,000-word masterclass on "How to Fix a Leaking Underground Pipe with Basic Tools from Bunnings," you have just successfully talked yourself out of a job. The person reading that is a DIY enthusiast who wants to save money by not calling you.
The Fix: Your how-to content should explain the complexity and the risks, not provide a step-by-step manual for a cheapskate.
Instead of teaching them how to do the whole job, teach them how to identify the problem or how to choose the right professional. Show them what can go wrong if they do it themselves. You want to attract the customer who says, "Wow, this is more complicated than I thought—I'd better call a pro."
Mistake 2: Writing for Your Peers, Not Your Customers
I’ve seen builders write articles filled with technical jargon about structural integrity and load-bearing specs that only another builder would understand. Unless you are trying to get hired by other builders, this is a total waste of money.
Your customers in the real world don't care about the technical names of the tools you use or the industry acronyms. They care about: 1. Will this fix my problem? 2. How much will it cost? 3. Can I trust this person?
If your website reads like a textbook, people will leave in seconds. They want plain English. They want to know that you understand their frustration—like a blocked drain on a Sunday night or a tax audit hanging over their head. When you track your real profit from your online efforts, you'll quickly see that jargon-heavy posts never lead to sales.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the "Call Me" Part
It sounds stupidly simple, but most business owners forget to actually ask for the work. They write a great piece of advice and then just... stop.
Imagine a customer walks into your shop, asks for advice, you give it to them, and then you just stare at them until they walk out. That’s what you’re doing online.
Every single piece of content on your site needs a clear next step. Do you want them to call you? Fill out a form? Book an inspection? Tell them exactly what to do. Use big buttons. Make your phone number clickable so people on their mobiles can reach you with one tap.
Mistake 4: Making It Hard to Read on a Phone
Most of your customers in Brisbane are looking for you while they’re on the go. They’re at a cafe, on the train, or sitting on the couch at night. If your "how-to" guide is one giant wall of text, they won't read it.
Your website needs to work perfectly on phones. This means: Short sentences. Short paragraphs (2-3 lines max). Lots of headings so people can scan. Bullet points and lists.
In fact, using numbered lists to win jobs is one of the most effective ways to keep a busy person's attention long enough to make them trust you.
Mistake 5: Not Proving You’ve Done the Work Before
People don't just want advice; they want proof that you know what you’re talking about in the local area. If you’re a roofer, don't just write about "How to Spot a Roof Leak." Write about "How We Spotted a Hidden Leak for a Homeowner in Coorparoo and Saved Them $10,000."
Mentioning local Brisbane suburbs and real-life scenarios you’ve encountered makes you real. It’s not just a generic article; it’s a story of a local expert solving a local problem. This builds massive trust. When you show off your successful projects, you are essentially letting your customers do your marketing for you by proving your worth through results.
Mistake 6: Giving Up Too Soon
I’ll be honest with you: writing one article won't make you a millionaire by Friday. Marketing is a bit like going to the gym. You can't go once, look in the mirror, and wonder why you don't have a six-pack.
Google likes to see that a business is active and helpful. It takes time for your pages to start showing up when people search for help. Usually, you’re looking at 3 to 6 months of consistent effort before the phone starts ringing regularly from your blog posts.
If you want a shortcut, don't write 50 thin, crappy posts. Write five really deep, helpful, and high-quality ones. Focus on the questions your customers ask you every single day. If five different people have asked you the same question this week, that is exactly what you should write about.
How Much Does This Cost?
If you do it yourself, it costs your time. And as a business owner, your time is your most expensive resource. If you spend 4 hours writing a post and your hourly rate is $150, that post just cost you $600.
If you hire an agency like us to do it, you’re paying for expertise. You’re paying to ensure the content actually shows up on Google and actually converts a visitor into a lead. A good local marketing strategy usually starts around $1,500 to $3,000 a month depending on how fast you want to grow.
Is it worth it? Well, if one good article brings in two new $5,000 jobs every month for the next three years, the math is pretty simple. It's a massive win.
What Should You Do First?
Don't go out and try to write a novel today. Start here:
1. List 5 questions customers ask you constantly. (e.g., "Why is my power bill so high?" or "How long does a kitchen renovation take?") 2. Answer those questions in plain English. Write it like you’re talking to a mate over a beer. 3. Tell them why it’s risky to do it themselves. Highlight the mistakes you’ve seen people make. 4. Put a big "Call Now" button at the end. 5. Check it on your phone. If it’s hard to read, fix it.
Stop Wasting Money on "Content" and Start Investing in Sales
Most "content marketing" is just noise. It’s business owners shouting into the void, hoping someone hears them. You don't need more content; you need more customers.
If you stop trying to be an educator and start focusing on being the helpful local expert who solves problems, your marketing will finally start paying for itself.
We’ve seen this work for dozens of Brisbane businesses, from pest controllers to accountants. The ones who win are the ones who stop overcomplicating things and start focusing on what the customer actually wants to know before they pull out their credit card.
Ready to get your phone ringing?
If you’re tired of trying to figure this out on your own and you want a team that focuses on your profit, not just "likes" or "traffic," let’s have a chat. We help Brisbane businesses grow by doing the marketing that actually works.
Contact Local Marketing Group today: https://lmgroup.au/contact