It’s the age-old question for any painting business: Where and how can you advertise your company to score new customers? Unlike the olden days when painters were limited to taking out newspaper ads, you now have dozens of advertising tactics to pick from. But with so many choices, determining the best places to advertise a painting business can be tough.
Below, we’ll discuss some of the best online and offline places to advertise your painting business.
Online Advertising Strategies
According to one study, 21% of people use the internet to find local businesses every day, and only 1% say they don’t look for businesses online.
If your painting business has been ignoring online advertising so far, you could be missing out on a ton of customers. Here are the best places to advertise a painting business online.
Google Business Profile
Have you set up your Google Business Profile yet? This powerful tool allows you to:
- Add essential information about your business that shows up in search results
- Show off your business’s personality with pictures of your work
- Display your latest offers
- Post answers to frequently asked questions
- Respond to direct messages
- Reply to reviewers
Best of all, it’s free! If you’re looking for a budget-friendly advertising tactic, you can’t go wrong with setting up your Google Business Profile.
Craigslist
Craigslist has been around for nearly 30 years and is still one of the first places people go when seeking out local businesses. It’s a great choice for advertising your company because the site organizes offerings by city and state.
Craigslist only charges $5 per post to advertise your business, which is far less than other advertising platforms.
Angi
Formerly Angie’s List, Angi is a lead generation service that connects customers with local businesses they’re interested in. On Angi, you can:
- Showcase your past work
- Manage your online reputation
- Request feedback from customers
- Build and send quotes
- Get instant notifications when new leads come through
You’ll need to pass a license and criminal background check to advertise on Angi. You’ll also need to keep your average rating at three stars or higher. Angi could kick you off the platform if you get too many bad reviews.
One drawback of Angi is that its prices aren’t transparent because they’re customized to each business. However, its leads are highly qualified, and you’ll get better results than you would by relying on organic traffic alone.
With nearly three billion active users in 2023, Facebook is one of the best places to advertise a painting business online. Facebook Pages for businesses are free to set up, too, so it costs you nothing to try.
On your Facebook Page, you can:
- Post details about discounts and special offers
- Provide information about your business, such as your hours and phone number
- Collect feedback
- Engage with customers
If you’re willing to shell out some cash, you could also try Facebook Ads. You set your budget, so you can pay as little or as much as you like.
With Facebook Ads, you can:
- Target specific demographics
- Generate qualified leads
- Drive traffic to your website
- Boost engagement with customers
Yelp
More than 80 million people use Yelp monthly to find local businesses, including painting companies like yours. Similar to Facebook, Yelp offers both free and paid options for businesses.
It takes just minutes to set up your free Yelp listing. Once you’ve done that, you can:
- Update your business information
- Add photos to showcase your work
- Respond to reviews
Yelp Ads run on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which simply means you pay whenever someone clicks your ads. This is a wallet-friendly choice because you can set a budget as low as $5 per day.
Houzz
Houzz bills itself as the number-one platform for home design and remodeling. Every year, thousands of people use Houzz to find home professionals, such as carpenters, electricians, and painters.
Houzz offers a free account that allows you to share basic details about your business. It also has a paid program that can deliver qualified leads to you. These leads are highly targeted to your business, which means there’s a good chance they’ll convert.
Other advertising options on Houzz include:
- Sponsored articles
- Local advertising
- Native display advertising that seamlessly integrates your photos into the Houzz platform
- Dedicated email marketing
- Sponsored newsletters (twice per week)
Your Newsletter
If your painting business doesn’t have a newsletter, you should consider making one. A newsletter lets your business stay top of mind for customers so they don’t forget you. That means when they need painting services, guess who they’re going to call? You!
But that’s not all newsletters can do for you. You can also use your newsletter to advertise a referral program to bring in more customers for your business.
Referral programs work by rewarding loyal customers when they send new clients your way. You could offer rewards like gift cards, upgraded painting packages, and discounts on future projects.
For the best chance of success with this method, tell program members about the type of customer you’re looking for, such as:
- People who are considering selling their homes
- People with old houses that could use a fresh coat of paint
- Elderly people who would like to repaint their homes but can’t do it themselves
Offline Advertising Strategies
Sometimes, the best way to draw in new customers is to advertise your business the old-fashioned way. Try combining these strategies with a few online advertising tactics and get ready for the customers to come flooding in.
Door-to-Door Marketing
Many painting companies shy away from door-to-door marketing because they think it doesn’t work. By taking advantage of this strategy, their loss can be your gain!
It’s true that plenty of people won’t open their doors to you, and those who do are likely to say “no” to your offer. Keep in mind, though, that door-to-door marketing focuses on quality over quantity. All you need is a handful of people to say “yes” for your efforts to be worth it.
Typically, you’ll nab about one or two leads an hour by going door to door. If you target the right neighborhood, the number of leads you win could be even higher.
This strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. When someone answers the door, say something like, “I noticed some of your house’s paint is peeling a bit. I’m a painter, and I was wondering if you would be interested in a free estimate.”
Yard Signs
Setting up yard signs can be a cost-effective way to advertise your painting business. Depending on the size and colors you choose, you could pay as little as $1 per sign.
Of course, yard signs tend to be rather small, so you’re limited as to what you can put on one. Stick to your company logo, phone number, and a short offer, like “Call us for a free estimate.”
Try asking customers whether you can set up your signs while working on a project. This is a great way to let potential clients see your painting team in action.
Some customers might also be willing to leave your signs up for a month or two after a project. If they’re reluctant, consider offering a discount in exchange for being able to put up a sign.
Local Schools
Local schools regularly host events and activities for families, giving you the perfect opportunity to spread the word about your business.
A few advertising tactics to try with community schools include:
- Giving away branded merchandise in a raffle
- Pitching in with local school projects, such as donating supplies or repainting houses for low-income homeowners
- Chipping in for dunk tanks, bounce houses, and other equipment for school parties
- Handing out your business card to parents at school events
Cross-Promotions With Other Businesses
Cross-promotion involves partnering with other local businesses to spread the word about your services. Not only does it help you build worthwhile connections, but it also allows you to cut down on advertising costs by sharing the load with others.
Try reaching out to:
- Landscapers
- House cleaners
- Interior designers
- Real estate agents
Wondering how to cross-promote successfully? Here are a few tips:
- Agree to set up signs advertising another business in your office if they do the same for you.
- Split the cost of an expensive piece of advertising, such as a billboard, with another business.
- Offer a joint reward program that gives customers points when they visit your business or your partner’s.
- Share collaborative posts on different social media platforms.
Score New Business With Google Ads for Painting Contractors
Now that you know all about the best places to advertise a painting business, we welcome you to call Painter Marketing Pros for even more great ideas! Our team is well-versed in direct mail marketing, content marketing, and social media. We’re also experts when it comes to setting up Google Ads for painting contractors.
To learn more, book a free strategy call or reach out to us at (800) 813-4385.
