“What’s the best thing to do for my business right now?” Most owners end up asking some version of this. The honest answer is that no single channel is best for everyone. What works depends on what you sell, who buys it, how fast they decide, and what you can afford to test. But there is a sensible order to work through.
Start with your customer, not the channel
Answer these before you spend anything:
- How do people look for you? Someone with a burst pipe searches right away. Someone planning a kitchen may spend months browsing photos.
- Who do you serve best? Name a type of customer and a place. “Homeowners in Dallas needing roof repairs” is much easier to reach than “everyone”.
- What is a new customer worth? Knowing this tells you what you can afford to pay to win one.
- Why should they choose you? Speed, price, specialty or guarantee: pick one you can really stand behind.
Compare your options
| Channel | Best when | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | You serve a local area | Needs ongoing reviews and updates |
| Referrals | You already have happy customers | Hard to scale unless you ask consistently |
| Email and text to past customers | You have repeat or seasonal work | Needs consent and a clean list |
| Google search ads | People search when they need you | Clicks can be costly in competitive trades |
| Local Services Ads | You’re an eligible local service provider | Requires Google’s screening |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Your work looks good in pictures or suits an offer | People aren’t actively searching, so quick follow-up matters |
| SEO and articles | You can invest for the longer term | Often takes months to show results |
| Social media posts | You’ll show up regularly | Builds trust slowly and rarely brings quick leads |
The order we’d suggest for most local businesses
- Make sure you can handle leads. Answer quickly, and follow up. Otherwise, you’re paying for customers to call somebody else.
- Get the free basics right. Your Google profile, reviews and a clear website.
- Work your existing relationships. Past customers, old quotes and referral partners.
- Test one paid channel. Use a fixed budget and judge it by customers won, not by clicks.
- Build for the long term. Add useful articles and regular content once the rest is steady.
The best way to advertise a business on a small budget
A small budget goes further when you stay narrow. Advertise one service, in one area, with one clear offer. Send people to a page about that service rather than your homepage. Then give the test long enough to learn something. Spreading a little money over five channels usually tells you nothing.
Wondering about Facebook specifically? Read what Meta ads management includes and what it should cost.
What to do when business is slow
If things are quiet right now, start with whatever can bring in work fastest:
- Follow up every open quote from the last six months
- Message past customers about a timely, useful service
- Ask your best customers for referrals and reviews
- Call your referral partners and find out what they’re seeing
- Check your own phone and form to make sure enquiries actually reach you
This costs little, and you could hear back within days. More ideas are in how to get more leads for your small business.
How to tell whether your marketing is working
Keep a simple monthly record for each channel: money spent, leads, booked jobs and revenue. Cut what doesn’t pay off and put more into what does. Likes and website visits are nice to see, but they don’t pay the bills.
If you’d like a second opinion, a free 30-minute call with us is a good place to start. We’ll look at how your business runs today and suggest where to begin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to promote my business for free?
Set up your Google Business Profile, ask for reviews, ask for referrals, contact past customers and share useful advice in local groups. Free doesn’t mean effortless, so choose a couple and keep them up.
How much should a small business spend on marketing?
There’s no universal figure. Start from what a new customer is worth and what you can afford to lose while testing. Set a fixed test budget, measure customers won, and increase it when the numbers work.
Is social media enough to market my business?
It’s rarely enough on its own for a local service business, since most people look for a provider when they have a need. It works better alongside your Google profile, reviews and a clear website.