Developing effective market strategy is a crucial aspect of any business. Without advertising businesses cannot survive. Professional painters are no exception to this rule. If a painting company fails in marketing their business, there is a strong chance the business owner will suffer! How can a painting businesses reach more customers?

In this article, we’re going to teach you exactly what that looks like, and some great ways you can get started in marketing your own painting company.

What about a new business?

Ultimately, this depends on how far along you are. If you haven’t yet started, your business I recommend checking out this article [How to Start a Business]

Keep in mind, that there are many forms of low cost or free advertising when you’re looking for your first painting project. And there are a few things you’ll want to consider…

When you’re first starting, not as many people will know about you in your local community. Many painting contractors have the flawed belief that they’ll be able to start quickly just through friends and family. Generally, this isn’t enough.

You’ll need to use these methods to increase your potential customers so you can land your first few paint jobs.

Here are Some Common Questions we’ll be Answering in this Article..

How can I promote my painting business?

How can I advertise my painting business on social media?

How do paint shops attract customers?

Is starting a painting business a good idea?

How do you advertise a painting?

How do I write an advertisement for a painting?

How do I advertise my painting business on Facebook?

How do I advertise my painting company?

How do I market my painting business?

How do painters get clients?

How do I get customers for my painting business?

Where can I post my painting business?

How do painters get customers?

How do I find contracts for paintings?

How can I get free paint leads?

How can I grow my painting business?

What makes painting business thrive?

What are the most effective painting contractor marketing ideas?

Should I use Google My Business?

Online Marketing Ideas for Painting Contractors

There are many benefits of online marketing for house painting contractors. One of the main benefits is that online marketing, when done correctly, is cost effective. When it comes to contractor marketing ideas, this is probably has the most flexibility in how you can market your painting services.

Many companies shy away from online marketing because of the initial investment. Although it can be scary, online marketing may be the easiest way to reach your customers.

Contractors can reach a large number of potential customers through online marketing channels, such as social media and email marketing, for a relatively low cost. Additionally, online marketing allows contractors to target their advertising to specific customers, based on demographic information and interests. This allows contractors to reach the most relevant customers with their advertising messages.

It’s essential that you establish strong social media presence, develop measurable advertising campaigns and implement a strong marketing plan. Online marketing has many applications. It is impossible to create a single formula. This is why various marketing strategies are required for a different businesses, and some are more effective depends on your size and income.

Low Cost Online Marketing

Here are some great examples of easy to start, low cost online marketing. When used correctly, the results from these techniques can allow you to acquire new painting customers cheaply.

These marketing efforts do take time, and most importantly consistency… but they can create and amazing stream of new business – and are especially powerful for local businesses. Again, it’s incredibly important that you post regularly to take advantage of these tools to get more leads.

Painters face competitive challenges in the marketing of their work as if their businesses are just another business. Internet marketing exists for the majority of the population, it’s almost compulsory.

Facebook Posts

Facebook posts are a great way to get in front of potential customers for your painting company. Posting pictures of your work, or reviews from happy customers, or even design ideas are a great way to drive new business. You’ll want to set up a facebook business profile for your business and post there regularly. You can promote your painting company simply by sharing photos from your most recent painting projects.

Instagram Posts

Similar to facebook posts, instagram posts are a great way to drive business. You’ll want to do some keyword research (if you’re not sure, ask a teenager) to increase your chances of being seen a prospective customer. Instagram is also a great place for your painting business to share photos or reviews from your recent projects. Try to get your customers social media handles so you can tag them if you post their before and after pictures.

Google My Business Posts

Google My Business is awesome because google more highly rewards content on its own platform. When people search for a specific term, they’re more likely to find your business page if you’ve been posting regularly with google. Use similar best practices to facebook and instagram. Your painting company should be posting regularly, and sharing pictures.

Email Marketing

Email is a great low cost marketing strategy for painting companies. Often times, a prospective client may decide to wait before starting their paint job. Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with those people, and make sure they remember you when the time comes to complete the job.

Email marketing is also great because you can encourage past customers to begin referring clients or leave positive reviews.

Company Website

Having your own website is another low cost tool. We recommend using a company like BlueHost to host your website. Having a website will help with so many aspects of your business. People can see your painting website after visiting your “Google My Business” Business page.

It’s important that your website lets your customers know what you do – your website should quickly let your customers know that you run a painting business, and make it easy for them to book a consultation.

Paid Online Marketing

It’s essential that you establish strong social media presence, develop measurable advertising campaigns and implement a strong marketing plan. Online marketing has many applications. It is impossible to create a single formula. This is why various marketing strategies are required for a different business type.

Paid Ads

Online ads are going to be one of the most effective way of generating consistent painting leads. Unlike organic marketing, these painting leads can be created on demand. Your ability to get in front of your target audience means more consistency, especially with residential clients. When you’re able to generate consistent leads for your business online, it makes growing your painting business significantly easier. One of the biggest advantages to this strategy is that it makes it much easier to go after a specific target market.

Paid ads can be done through a facebook page, through search engines, or any number of other social media platforms. You can promote your painting business on any number of platforms to bring your painting company new business.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you’re going to be generating leads through paid ads, you’ll likely need to create more assets. For example, you’ll generally want to take someone to a custom landing pages that is tied to your painting website.

You need to make sure that your landing pages are optimized so that your clients provide details of their painting job as well as provide correct contact information. It’s hard to contact a lead with no phone number.

When it comes to designing this process for yourself, we recommend reaching out to a graphic designer to help you create landing pages that will convert. They can help your painting company make this marketing strategy more effective, which means you get more customers from your online ads.

Purchasing Painting Leads – Lead Providers

Lead providers are businesses who provide lead generation services in the specific industry you’re working on. When it comes to painting marketing, this marketing strategy can be one of the fastest out there. Here’s how it works. A prospective client submits a request online and you receive their data as well as their project details.

“Barbara Johnsons number for painting is (XXX) XXX XXXX, she needs her interior repainted.”

Although the initial investment maybe higher than trying to do it yourself, this is a much faster way to get painting leads. It doesn’t require you to create your own custom landing pages, because the company has all of the landing pages, ads and copy already set up.

Often times when people search online, its these large companies who’s websites will come up.

We employ different lead providers to find both residential and commercial clients. Many local businesses use these services instead of online ads in the beginning. Remember, with lead providers yoou pay on a per lead basis. So if you intend to use this for one of your marketing ideas, you’ll need to budget for multiple leads.

Search Engine Optimization

The idea behind search engine optimization is that your content becomes google (or another engines) go to answer when someone searches for a particular phrase. For example, if a customer types in “painting service” or “painting industry” then your company would come up first.

It’s common for contractors to get multiple calls each week asking if you want your profile listed on Google. They’re promising top spots in Google for painting services. They tell you about all of their satisfied customers, and how they now have more leads than they have time for. I would like you to be cautious of those claiming to get you to the first page. Often times, they’re simply posting to Google My Business twice a week.

SEO is complex and it takes some time to rise to the peak. Nobody knows where your destination is except the Google. There are thousands of companies competing for those same search results. SEO is a good long term strategy, but please don’t expect to be at the top of the search results when you’re first starting. Google Search is far too competitive for that to be realistic.

Directories

The use of online directories is very good… they can be free or paid, depending on the level of service. We recommend avoiding the paid options, especially in the beginning. List your website and relevant information on every directory you can. This will help you come up more in google search. Make sure to include your business address, phone number and a good bio. T

Offline Lead Generation

Lawn signs

Lawn signage is a great investment in a painter. When you paint a home, ask your customer whether if they’d be willing to let you put a lawn sign in the yard. It’s one the most efficient way to get referrals, and the more simple marketing ideas to implement

We use this marketing idea regularly because it allows neighbors to start conversations, which regularly leads to referrals. Local print shops can help you with both the design, and the ordering lawn signs.

Make sure to include a phone number, your business name, and the specific painting services you provide on your lawn sign.

You can also include “free estimate” on the lawn sign to encourage neighbors to reach out.

Flyer drops

Flyer drops is another one of the low cost painting contractor marketing ideas we recommend for beginners. This is a great option for beginners looking for paint jobs because its relatively low cost, and you can do it without any experience.

Make sure to include your company, name, address and phone number. The information will be similar to the lawn signs, and we recommend putting these flyers on the homes surrounding where your lawn sign has recently been!

There are several kinds of flyers that you can use, we recommend getting door hangers because they can stay on the door knob without the use of tape. If you ask a paint shop, they can usually help you with the design… if not, consider using fiverr – there are plenty of low cost graphic designers there to help you with your flyers.

We recommend choosing neighborhoods for this process that are the types of customers that you truly want to work with as a painting contractor.

Door-to-door marketing

Door to door is very similar to flyers or door hangers, but involves you actually waiting to speak to the homeowners. Make sure to be polite, and have business cards when you’re meeting potential customers.

It’s imperative that you come across with a professional manner when doing this. We recommend wearing shirts and hats with your company name.

One of the advantages to these two systems is it all painting contractors have preferred demographics. It’s easier to work one large job typically than multiple little jobs, especially when you’re first starting out. This type of marketing lets you be selective with who you’re marketing to based on the neighborhood.

Lead groups

If you’re a painting contractor, there are lots of types of work you’ll turn away. Its good to join a lead group so that you have reliable sources to pass these opportunities on to. Try to join a lead group that has specific businesses that compliment the services you offer.

If you begin referring business to your lead group, they’ll refer business to you next time they need a painting contractor.

Typically with lead groups, members from a variety of industry sectors meet once a week and exchange leads and recommendations. this can be an easy way to get 1-2 painting jobs a month.

Word of mouth

Word of mouth is the most tried and true marketing tool for a painting contractor because most people trust the recommendation of their peers more than an online advertisement or flyer.

Make sure that when you complete jobs you’re getting positive reviews from your customers. This is one of the best ways to help your word of mouth marketing. These days, even word of mouth clients will often check for positive reviews online.

Referrals

Implementing a referral program is a great way to get new customers… and has some huge benefits. First, it’s generally cheaper than online marketing or advertising.

We recommend having a referral program that rewards the referrer for bringing you business. We recommend giving a nice gift card to a local restaurant, or a discount on their services (if its not yet completed).

Other Painting Business Marketing Ideas

Free Guides and Resources

Creating free resources to help your customers can be a great way of getting more business. If they use your guide, it will establish you as an expert. It’s also a great way for them to find your business online.

Local Events

You can either volunteer at, sponsor, or even help to host local events. Volunteering is a great way to get involved for next to nothing, and often times they’ll let you put cards out, or in goody bags. It’s also a great way to become known and connected with your community.

Local News

It’s not uncommon for local news outlets to do pieces on new businesses, especially if you reach out to them. Giving to your community, or hosting events is a great way to increase the likelihood of a local news network doing a piece on your business.

Summary

If you want new clients for your painting business, there is no shortage of options. Painting contractor marketing ideas can be easy to implement, so long as you have a system. Remember, some of these options are more expensive than others so it’s important to consistently review your campaigns and strategies to make sure they’re working!

When you’re growing your painting business, you have to remember it’s a marathon not a sprint. Not every tool will work perfectly, and some will take continued practice to implement correctly.

If you have any questions, please email support@cabinetstartup.com and we’d love to help!