• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
  • ENGINEERS
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • CONTRACTORS
  • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
  • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
  • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • WATER TREATMENT
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
  • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
  • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
  • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
  • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
  • CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
  • FIRE PROTECTION
  • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
  • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
  • PME COLUMNS
  • PME COLUMNS
  • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
  • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
  • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
  • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
  • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
  • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
  • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
  • CODES
  • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
  • PROJECT PROFILES
  • COLUMNS
  • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • COLUMNS
  • Codes Corner
  • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
  • Guest Editorial
  • MEDIA
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
  • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
  • DIRECTORIES
  • EBOOKS
  • PM BOOKSTORE
  • CE CENTER
  • MARKET RESEARCH
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
  • EMAGAZINE
  • ARCHIVE ISSUES
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!

Seven ways to market at low cost or no cost — Part 1

By Al Levi
Al Levi
March 24, 2014

Here’s an understatement, “Marketing is a whole lot easier if you’ve got a lot of money to spend.” Here’s another enlightened observation: “It’s also a great way to go broke if you don’t have a plan and don’t know what you’re doing.”

This was very true back in the good old days of 2005 when you could take out a double truck ad in the Yellow Pages and either get really rich or really poor. It just depended on how many books you needed to be in and how many competitors were also trying to get to the front of those categories in the same books.

Today, the goal has changed and now it’s about making it to the top of the search list or at least the first page of the search. This approach is called Search Engine Optimization or SEO. There are tons of ways to improve your SEO ranking with money spent on things like PPC (Pay Per Click)]. This, too, is a way to get really rich or really broke if you don’t know what you’re doing or hiring the wrong people to manage this.

Example:

Your business is in Phoenix and you don’t have it set up to repel people clicking through from Philadelphia where you don’t service customers.

Since many contractors I talk to have both the problem of not enough calls and not enough money to spend on marketing, I recommend they get really good at either low-cost marketing or no-cost marketing.

 

7 ways to go about low-cost or no-cost marketing these days

1.  Yard Signs are a way to get your name out in front of the neighbors of the customer you’re working for. People like to hire the plumbing, heating, cooling or whatever other trade you’re in that’s already serving their immediate neighborhood.

When you engage the use of yard signs, I recommend you set a goal for the company about how many yard signs you’ll seek to get out there every month and every year and engage your whole team.

I like it when the Big Ticket Sales Person who sells the job asks permission from the customer to display a yard sign at the time of installation and for the ability to leave it up for an additional two weeks. In return, the salesperson offers the customer an incentive that if the sign is up when they come back to retrieve it — which by the way is the perfect time to ask for a testimonial! — you will give them a $25 refund, as an example.

 

2.  Cloverleafing is leaving doorknob hangers in the nearby homes of the customer you have just provided service. This should be done year round but at the very least during your slow season, It helps to increase your customer base by referencing satisfied customers in their neighborhood who already used your services and can testify to the benefits of doing so.

The best way to get this done on a call is to have an apprentice, if you have an apprentice program, or the Tech reach the four to six neighbors that are not already your customers. I recommend you keep in mind what the great George Brazil once told me, “Don’t expect what you’re unwilling to inspect.” So, you must spot-check to verify compliance.

 

3.  Public Relations and Media Relationsis setting up an ongoing campaign to reach out to the local media with good information that will interest their readership if they’re a newspaper, listeners if they’re a radio station and viewers if they’re a TV station. You want to establish yourself as their go-to person on the trades you do. Sending out press releases and pressing the flesh is the best way to let them know you’re out there as their expert. Not only can this be free exposure, it can be leveraged into third party endorsement of what makes you different from your many competitors in a way that money can’t buy.

 

4.  Testimonial-based direct-mailpostcards is a great vehicle that allows you to do what I call “turn it on and turn it off”. It starts with a photo of a happy customer coupled with their full name and the town in which they live. Potential customers will see this as coming from a real person who they perceive is just like them.

When it’s laser-focused, the mailing goes out to a finely tuned mailing list based on where the customer who gave you the great testimonial lives. Good online databases like www.infousa.com or www.coleneighborhoods.com are two examples. There is some cost, but typically it’s not prohibitive.

For this campaign to be effective, these direct-mail pieces need to be assembled and ready to go when things will be slowing down. Waiting till there’s little or no work is too late to put together a campaign. Also, you’re wasting your money, in my opinion, if you don’t mail the piece out three times over a six-week period so there are enough touches to judge the effectiveness of the campaign.

 

Stay tuned to next month for Part 2!

 

Is a State of Chaos the State You Live In?...

Here’s what just one client from Canada had to say:

“What I see straight ahead thanks to Planning Power! is how to be more focused. I’m well on my way to creating systems and procedures through Operating Power! We’re becoming a company on the road to harmony. And that’s a road I’m truly looking forward to traveling on. It’s funny to say but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and yes…it’s not a freight train headed my way!

I had an epiphany the other day while working with Al. His coaching had finally started to sink in when I realized that I can’t expect my staff to do what I want them to do if I haven’t first made it clear to them what it is I want them to do. And the only right way to do that is through documented systems paired with ongoing training and good communications.

If you find yourself in a constant state of chaos, now is the time to contact Al to get your company headed in the direction you want it to go.”

 

Kevin Dyer

High Point Plumbing & Heating

Cranbrook, British Columbia

 

Go to www.appleseedbusiness.com and get started by getting your free 30 minute call today!

 


HELPFUL LINKS:

  • www.60SecondContractorSolution.com
  • Contact Us
  • Follow PM on Twitter!
  • Find PM on Facebook!
  • Join PM on LinkedIn! 
KEYWORDS: apprenticeship testimonials

Share This Story

200x200 7power blog

Al Levi teaches contractors how to run their businesses with less stress and more success with operating manuals. To get control of your business and grow the right way, check out the "7-Power Contractor Signature Operating Manuals System," at 7powercontractor.com/manuals. Also check out Zoom Franchise Co. at zoomdrainfranchise.com. It’s a living example of the power of manuals and more in action.

Recent Comments

Very informative post

Experience matters even if it's not yours

Importance Of Making Employees Aware About Company Policies And Procedures

This is key for any business in my...

[No title]

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Rovanco fire.jpg

Fire breaks out at Rovanco Piping Systems' Joliet manufacturing facility

Underfloor heating installation with drain sewer hole in bathroom close up on water floor heating.

Using hydronics to leverage time-of-use electrical rates

Close-up of a man holding a blue helmet. Construction worker with office and people in background. Close-up of a construction worker's hand holding a working helmet.

Enhancing workplace safety through challenges

PMCE Home-X April 29 Free Webinar: From Legacy to Leadership: Preparing Your Home Services Business for the Next Generation

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

May 15, 2025

From Legacy to Leadership: Preparing Your Home Services Business for the Next Generation

Whether you're passing the torch to a family member or grooming current employees for leadership, preparing the next generation of leaders is key.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!