Advertising for tradespeople: where UK trades should spend

Key takeaways

Advertising for tradespeople works best when it follows the job. A signed van, reviews, photos of finished work on social media and leaflets to nearby streets all build on the trust created by one good job, and cost far less than regional media.

• Van lettering costs about £200 to £600 and lasts for years.
• Reviews and a Google Business Profile cost nothing.
• Paid social in your postcodes starts at £300–£500 a month.
• Leaflets cost roughly 6p to 15p per household.

What is different about advertising a trade?

Trades and construction firms sell trust inside someone's home, within a limited travelling distance. Buyers look for proof and for a recommendation, and they often need someone quickly. Advertising has to make you findable at that moment and credible when checked.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• Social media for trades and construction businesses

Which channels come first?

Start with what you own and what is free, then add paid channels.

• 1. Van signwriting with current details.
• 2. Google Business Profile and a steady flow of reviews.
• 3. Social media posts of finished jobs, with the area named.
• 4. Leaflets to streets around each job.
• 5. Paid social in your best postcodes.
• 6. One vetted directory, if it pays.

• Van signwriting and shop signs: the advertising you own
• Directory listings vs social media: where buyers look now

How should a trade use social media?

Use social media as a public portfolio. Post before and after photos, short clips of work in progress and customer comments, each naming the town. Homeowners who are comparing quotes look for exactly this. Reply to messages within a working day.

• Before and after posts: proof that attracts buyers
• Reaching homeowners on social media in the UK

Are leaflets still worth it for trades?

Often, yes. A leaflet to the 200 homes around a finished job, saying 'we have just worked at number 14', uses the strongest proof you have. JICMAIL data shows door drops stay in the home for 5.6 days on average. Add a code or a dedicated number.

• Leaflets vs social media ads: which wins local customers?
• How to track offline advertising: six methods that work

What does it all cost?

As indicative ranges, van lettering costs £200 to £600, a leaflet drop 6p to 15p per household and paid social a floor of £300–£500 a month. Most UK SMEs using an agency pay £950–£2,500 a month for managed social media. Directory memberships vary, so ask for the full yearly cost.

• How much does advertising cost a UK small business?
• Social media costs for trades and construction firms

What rules should trades know?

Claims must be accurate and provable, including accreditations such as Gas Safe registration. Contractors in the Construction Industry Scheme have their own tax duties, which do not change how you advertise. Consumers who agree a contract at home or at a distance generally have a 14-day cancellation period, so mention terms clearly.

• Offline advertising rules in the UK: what small firms must know

Which channels usually disappoint?

Regional newspapers, regional radio and broad online adverts usually disappoint, because most of the audience lives outside your travelling distance. Pay-per-lead platforms can disappoint when the same lead is sold to several firms and you cannot reply within the hour.

• Targeted vs mass advertising: paying only for likely buyers
• Social media vs radio advertising for local businesses

How do you know what is working?

Ask every caller where they first heard of you and write it on the job sheet. After a quarter, count jobs by source and divide each channel's cost by its jobs. Most trades find three sources supply nearly all the work.

• 'How did you hear about us?' Asking the question properly
• Cost per lead by channel: comparing social media and offline

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with busy trades: work comes from recommendation and the van, and advertising is only considered in a quiet month, when it is too late to help. A light, steady habit of posting jobs and asking for reviews through the busy months is what fills the next quiet one.

• Word of mouth vs social media: can referrals be scaled?
• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

A 90-day plan for a trade

• Month 1: fix van details, complete listings, ask for ten reviews.
• Month 2: post two jobs a week and leaflet around each job.
• Month 3: add a small paid social test and review sources.

Next step

Check the phone number and web address on your van today. Then ask your last five customers for a review.