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Janierucker's avatar
Janierucker
Contributor 4
23 days ago

What marketing tool has given you the best return on investment?

Hi everyone! 👋

As a newer business owner, I'm trying to be intentional about where I invest my time and money. There are so many marketing tools available—from social media and Google Business Profile to vehicle wraps, yard signs, email marketing, referrals, and automation—that it can be hard to know what really works.

If you could recommend just one marketing tool or strategy that has brought in the most customers for your business, what would it be and why?

I'd love to hear what has worked for you and what you would recommend to someone just getting started. Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

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8 Replies

  • judithvirag's avatar
    judithvirag
    Verified Community Coach
    22 days ago

    Definitely Google Ads.  70% of our leads come through this channel.  

    • Janierucker's avatar
      Janierucker
      Contributor 4
      21 days ago

      Thank you for sharing, Judith! That's really impressive that 70% of your leads come from Google Ads. As a newer business owner, it's helpful to hear what's working for others. If you don't mind me asking, did you start managing your Google Ads yourself, or did you hire someone to help? I'd love to learn more about what worked best for you. 😊

      • judithvirag's avatar
        judithvirag
        Verified Community Coach
        21 days ago

        Janierucker​ I have hired a marketing agency to do all my google ads.  I do have to say that website, google reviews, social media all combined direct traffic to google.  It is a mix of paid ads and organic leads. 

  • travisshepherd's avatar
    travisshepherd
    Verified Community Coach
    21 days ago

    For a local service business, the single best marketing tool with the highest return on investment is a Google Business Profile (GBP) paired with a disciplined before-and-after photo strategy.

    ​It is 100% free, targets customers with immediate buying intent, and builds trust automatically.

    ​1. The Core Tool: Google Business Profile (GBP)

    ​When people need local services, they don't browse social media; they search "pressure washing near me" on Google. Ranking in the top 3 local map results is the fastest way to get inbound calls.

    • ​The Review Loop: Don't just ask for a review via email later. Before you pack up, ask the customer on-site: ​"I'm trying to grow my local business. If I text you a direct link, would you mind taking 30 seconds to drop a quick rating? If you let me attach a before-and-after photo of the work I did today, it helps my local ranking even more."

    ​"I'm trying to grow my local business. If I text you a direct link, would you mind taking 30 seconds to drop a quick rating? If you let me attach a before-and-after photo of the work I did today, it helps my local ranking even more."

     

      • ​The Visual Proof: Link a clean Instagram account to your GBP. Use Instagram exclusively as a visual before-and-after portfolio so prospects can instantly verify your attention to detail.

    ​2. The Best Physical Tool: Yard Signs + The "5-Around"

    ​The highest-ROI physical tool is a high-contrast yard sign placed strategically where you are already working.

      • ​Active Job Sites: With the client's permission, place a sign in their yard while you work and leave it for a few days after.
      • ​The "5-Around" Knock: Briefly knock on or leave a flyer at the doors of the 5 closest neighbors (two on each side, three across the street).
      • ​The Pitch: Let them know you're working next door, apologize in advance for any noise/equipment, and offer a quick, no-pressure estimate since you're already on their street.

    ​Summary Action Plan

      • ​Claim & Complete Your GBP: Fill out every section, specify your exact service area, and upload clean photos of your equipment.
      • ​Make Reviews Mandatory: Never leave a job site without asking for a Google review.
      • ​Use Yard Signs: Turn every single job site into a local billboard. 
      • Good luck out there, you got this!!!
    • Janierucker's avatar
      Janierucker
      Contributor 4
      20 days ago

      Thanks for taking the time to share all of this! I really appreciate how you broke everything down into actionable steps. As a newer business owner, it's helpful to hear what has actually worked for someone with experience.

      I especially like your point about asking for Google reviews while you're still at the job site and using before-and-after photos to build trust. The "5-Around" strategy is something I hadn't thought about either, but it makes a lot of sense since you're already working in the neighborhood.

      Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and encouraging others. I'm definitely taking notes and look forward to putting these ideas into practice as I continue growing my business!

  • ameliahinds's avatar
    ameliahinds
    Contributor 2
    22 days ago

    Our best (and cost-effective) is Google Business Profile (GBP) because it consistently yields the highest return on investment. It captures local customers exactly when they are searching for your services and allows you to collect reviews, which builds immediate trust before they ever contact you.

    • GBP: Unlike paid ads, it is entirely organic(free) to set up and maintain. It places your business on Google Maps and Local Search results and allows you to update with posts. 

    Another HUGE point for GBP is that it also acts as the official, structured data source of truth that feeds directly into AI search tools and Large Language Models (LLMs) like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

    Traditional search relies on crawling links, but AI search relies on structured data to give instant, conversational answers and if your GBP is not fully optimized, AI search engines will often overlook your business because they prioritize data sets they can easily verify.

    • Janierucker's avatar
      Janierucker
      Contributor 4
      20 days ago

      Thank you for sharing this! I learned something new from your explanation about how Google Business Profile can help with AI search tools like Gemini and ChatGPT. I knew GBP was important for local visibility and reviews, but I hadn't thought about how it can also help AI find and verify business information.

      As a newer business owner, conversations like this remind me how important it is to build a strong online presence from the beginning. I appreciate you taking the time to explain not only the "what," but also the "why" behind it. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!