Why Most Brisbane Businesses are Being Ignored (And How to Fix It)
I was sitting down with a bloke named Dave a few months ago. Dave runs a mid-sized landscaping business out in the Redlands. He’s a hard worker, his team does incredible work, and his prices are fair.
But Dave had a problem. He was spending three grand a month on Facebook ads and Google, and while he was getting clicks, his phone wasn't ringing. When people did call, they were just price-shopping. They didn't care about Dave; they just wanted the cheapest quote for a retaining wall.
"I’m shouting into the wind," Dave told me. "I look just like every other landscaper on the internet."
He was right. His website said: "We provide quality landscaping services in Brisbane. 20 years experience. Free quotes."
Boring. Forgettable. And worst of all, it didn't give anyone a reason to choose him over the guy down the road who was $200 cheaper.
What Dave was missing wasn't more ad spend or a 'better algorithm.' He was missing a story.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to stop talking like a brochure and start talking like a human being that people actually want to hire. We’re going to look at why your current marketing probably isn't working and how to use simple 'story frameworks' to turn total strangers into loyal customers who don't even bother asking for a discount.
The "Hero" Mistake: You Aren't the Star of the Show
If you take one thing away from this entire 5,000-word guide, let it be this: Your business is not the hero of the story.
Most business owners in Brisbane—from accountants in the CBD to sparkies in Chermside—make the same mistake. They make their marketing all about them.
"We’ve been open since 1984." "We have five trucks." "We won a local business award."
Here’s the blunt truth: Your customers don't care about you. They care about their own problems.
In a good story, the customer is the hero. They have a problem (a leaking roof, a tax audit, a messy garden). You are the guide. You are the person who shows up with the map and the tools to help them win the day.
Think about Star Wars. Luke Skywalker is the hero. Obi-Wan Kenobi is the guide. If Obi-Wan spent the whole movie talking about his own lightsaber collection and how many years he spent at the Jedi Academy, Luke would have stayed on that farm and the movie would have been rubbish.
When you tell a story that sells, you position yourself as the expert who understands the customer's pain and has a clear plan to fix it.
The Three-Act Structure for Your Business
You don't need to be a Hollywood screenwriter to do this. You just need to follow a simple three-step process that works for every service business I've ever worked with.
1. The Problem (The Villain)
Every good story needs a villain. In business, the villain isn't a person; it's the frustration your customer is feeling.If you’re a pest controller, the villain isn't just a cockroach. The villain is the embarrassment of having a cockroach run across the floor when you have guests over for a BBQ. It’s the worry that your kids are sleeping in a house with pests.
2. The Solution (The Weapon)
This is where you introduce your service, but not as a list of features. You introduce it as the solution to the villain. You don't sell 'pest spraying'; you sell 'peace of mind' and a 'home you can be proud of.'3. The Happy Ending (The Victory)
What does the customer's life look like after they hire you? Do they have more time on the weekends? Is their house the envy of the street? Do they finally stop worrying about their tax return? You need to describe this victory clearly.Case Study: The Plumber Who Stopped Competing on Price
Let’s look at a real-world example. We worked with a plumber in Morningside. Let’s call him Steve.
Steve was struggling because everyone kept telling him, "The other guy said he’d do it for $50 less." Steve was tired of losing work to cowboys who did a dodgy job.
We changed his entire approach. Instead of saying "Best local plumber," we told a story about The Midnight Flood.
We put a story on his website about a local family who woke up at 2 AM to a burst pipe. They called three 'big' companies who didn't answer. Then they called Steve. Steve showed up in 30 minutes, fixed the leak, and even helped them mop up the hallway so their floorboards wouldn't warp.
The Result: Steve stopped getting calls from people looking for the cheapest price. He started getting calls from people who said, "I saw that story on your site. I want someone reliable like you."
By focusing on the stress of an emergency (the villain) and his reliability (the solution), he made the price irrelevant. People pay for the outcome, not the hourly rate.
Why Most "Content" is a Waste of Money
I see a lot of Brisbane business owners paying 'content agencies' $500 a month to post generic rubbish on their Facebook pages. You know the stuff: "Happy Monday!" or a picture of a coffee cup with a quote about success.
This is a total waste of money. It doesn't get more phone calls, and it doesn't build trust.
If you're going to spend time or money on content, it has to serve the story. If it’s not showing a customer winning or you solving a specific problem, don't post it.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is local businesses using generic advice written by someone in the US. The way we talk in South East Queensland is different. If your website sounds like a corporate robot from California, a bloke in Ipswich is going to sniff that out in a heartbeat. Avoiding the US content gap is vital if you want to sound like a local expert people can trust.
How to Build Your Story Framework (Step-by-Step)
If you want to do this yourself, here is the exact framework we use at Local Marketing Group when we sit down with a new client.
Step 1: Identify the Internal Problem
Most businesses only talk about external problems. External problem: "My air con is broken." Internal problem: "I'm hot, I'm cranky, and I'm worried my kids won't be able to sleep tonight."You sell to the
internal* problem. Your marketing should say: "Don't suffer through another sleepless night. We’ll have your air con icy cold by dinner time."Step 2: Give Them a Plan
Customers are often nervous about hiring someone because they don't know what happens next. They're afraid of being ripped off or left with a mess.You need to give them a 3-step plan to ease their mind: 1. Book a 10-minute chat (Easy, no pressure). 2. We give you a fixed-price quote (No hidden surprises). 3. Enjoy your perfect home (The victory).
Step 3: Show, Don't Just Tell
Don't just say you're the best. Show it. Use photos of your actual team, your actual trucks, and your actual work.I once worked with a builder in Bulimba who had no photos of his work on his site. He used stock photos of American houses. I told him, "Mate, people aren't stupid. They know that’s not a house in Brisbane." We spent half a day taking photos of his real projects, and his enquiry numbers jumped almost immediately because people finally trusted he was the real deal.
The Cost of Getting This Wrong
What happens if you don't do this?
You stay a commodity. You stay the business that people only call when they want to compare prices. You’ll keep spending money on ads that don't work, and you’ll keep wondering why your competitors—who might not even be as good as you—are busier than you are.
Building a brand story isn't about being 'fancy.' It’s about being clear. In a world where everyone is shouting, the person who speaks most clearly to the customer's needs is the one who wins the job.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re ready to change how you talk to your customers, don't try to rewrite your whole website today. Just do these three things:
1. Change your website headline: Stop it from being about you. Make it about the customer's victory. (Instead of "ABC Accounting," try "Get Your Tax Done Right So You Can Focus on Your Business.") 2. Add a 'How it Works' section: Give people three simple steps to hiring you. 3. Get a real photo of yourself on the home page: People buy from people, especially in Brisbane. We want to see who we’re inviting into our homes or businesses.
Is This a Quick Fix?
No. Telling a better story takes a bit of thought. You won't see 100 new calls tomorrow morning. But over the next 3 to 6 months, you’ll notice a shift. The people who call you will be more pleasant. They’ll ask about price less. They’ll feel like they already know you.
That’s the power of a story. It builds a bridge between you and the customer before you’ve even picked up the phone.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses find their story and put it in front of the right people. We don't care about 'brand awareness' or 'social media engagement'—we care about making your phone ring with the right kind of customers.
If you’re tired of being the best-kept secret in your industry, let’s have a chat. We can help you stop being ignored and start being the first choice for your local customers.
Ready to grow your business? Contact us at Local Marketing Group and let’s get to work.