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35K views 74 replies 22 participants last post by  3DDesign 
#1 ·
Ok so if you have read some of my other posts you'll know I'm a new contractor in the business. Just wondering how and where you guys advertise and where you find most successful?

We are in a generation of technology and obviously the web is a good place to start. I know I'll have to get a website built.

Elevator ads? I always stare at those when I'm in buildings Downtown. Any sujjestions?
 
#2 ·
Never sign any contracts for any advertising if you cannot pay them in full for the ad then don't do it.

If they will not bill you so you can write a check then don't do it.


Never give them your credit card #'s they will lock you in and it is a real PITA to get them off your card.

Build your own web site there are a lot of tools on line that will help you do it.
 
#3 ·
For me.. it has always been the side of my van..

When people see the same design for many years.. they will think of you when the times comes..

If you are one of the guys bidding on the job.. you have a better chance because the customer already "knows you" and that is better than a stranger.. :thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
B4T said:
For me.. it has always been the side of my van..

When people see the same design for many years.. they will think of you when the times comes..

If you are one of the guys bidding on the job.. you have a better chance because the customer already "knows you" and that is better than a stranger.. :thumbsup:
I don't have anything on my can yet, but I know that works well from what friends have told me.

For me, the only active advertising I do at all is Criagslist. A bunch of guys here think CL is no good, but I've gotten a ton of work and many repeat clients. One of the more recent jobs was a $10,000 all cash project. Considering it's free, and it's something you can do in your down time, it's silly not to. You just have to be good at discerning which calls are legit and which are people just looking for the lowest price.

A lot of people say CL is just for bottom feeders looking for the cheapest trunkslammer. However, where else can you go to find electricians? Nothing as large scale, expansive, and free.
 
#18 ·
I use Craigslist too only because it's free but is by far the worst site to get new customers. Most people that contact me from there are bottomfeeders and just want the cheapest price possible and are delusional at what electricians charge. I'd say 1 out 30 contacts I get from Craigslist is a legit contact. I get idiots that text me at 11:30 at night that say "yo dude i need electrical how much do dat cost":rolleyes:

How else do people find electricians? Ever hear of google?:laughing: Google up "california electrician"
 
#5 ·
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy. What works for one EC in one market will fail miserably for another elsewhere.

Don't try something and expect overnight miracles. For instance, if you have a Yellow Pages ad come out, don't think it's an automatic failure just because your phone isn't constantly ringing with people saying, "Hey, I just saw your ad in the phone book........."

Commit to a method for at least six months. Track where your customers are coming from. If a method doesn't produce, drop it and try something else. I tried YP for 4 years, and only had one verified customer from it. So it's no longer an option for me.

90% of my work comes from WOM. The rest comes from truck vinyl. YMMV.
 
#6 ·
Word of mouth is huge forsure. My uncle runs a one man service company repairing appliances in Seattle. He has to turn work down constantly and the only advertising he does is word of
Mouth. He said when he first started though he was paying 3000/mnth for advertising. Back when people used yellow page books a half page ad apparently Costed big money.

Any idea what it costs google to have your ad come up first. People generally goto google I assume and type in "electrician Vancouver".
 
#7 ·
...........Any idea what it costs google to have your ad come up first. People generally goto google I assume and type in "electrician Vancouver".
It costs Google exactly $0.00. Canadian, of course.

Now, how much would it cost YOU to have your ad come up first? Exactly $0.00. Google doesn't accept payment for SEO rankings. And it's a guessing game on how they do it.
 
#10 ·
You can look into it, but Google is rather quiet about how they rank search results. If you manage to crack that nut, you need to forget about your service truck because you'll be able to buy and sell Bill Gates several times over by tomorrow morning.
 
#14 ·
knowshorts said:
My advertising budget for the past 6 years = $0.00. It's all been word of mouth.

Your results may vary.
My uncles too. Nothing is more powerful than word of mouth. When starting though my uncle was paying $36000/yr for advertising. Now he's a one man service guy making $170,000 pay. Not over the top rich but very comfortable and no staff to worry about. Not bad for a guy who does $0 in advertising now.
 
#28 ·
dronai said:
How much was the pay on the oil rigs, per week ? was it too physical ?
It's not so much an oil rig. Here in Canada we have oil sands. We pull oil out of the dirt in the ground.

Physical?? Haha I do nothing all day. Literally. It's a very slow, well paying gig. It's actually a dream job if I wasn't away from family half the year. Plus working around idiots 24/7 and spending half your life in a dorm room gets tiring. I'm ready for a challenge. It was an interesting 2 years.
 
#31 ·
benski said:
I use Craigslist too only because it's free but is by far the worst site to get new customers. Most people that contact me from there are bottomfeeders and just want the cheapest price possible and are delusional at what electricians charge. I'd say 1 out 30 contacts I get from Craigslist is a legit contact. I get idiots that text me at 11:30 at night that say "yo dude i need electrical how much do dat cost":rolleyes:

How else do people find electricians? Ever hear of google?:laughing: Google up "california electrician"
Some of my best clients are from craigslist. Works very well for me, not for you. I also just got my first job from angies list on Monday. One day job, cost me $738.19 for materials, labor, an permit. Bid the job @ $2505. $125 / hr is what I charge, and this job came in at $220 / hr. I paid zero to be on angies list, and now I've got a new client from it, and will have a positive review on angies list as well as my Facebook page. It worked for me:)
 
#33 ·
Some of my best clients are from craigslist. Works very well for me, not for you. I also just got my first job from angies list on Monday. One day job, cost me $738.19 for materials, labor, an permit. Bid the job @ $2505. $125 / hr is what I charge, and this job came in at $220 / hr. I paid zero to be on angies list, and now I've got a new client from it, and will have a positive review on angies list as well as my Facebook page. It worked for me:)
Craigslist doesn't work for lots of contractors not just me and not just electricians every trade. The legit people on craigslist are a diamond in the rough you just happen to be the few that find the diamonds.

Craigslist is a flea market type site and that's why people go there to buy things dirt cheap that same mentality transfers over to the skilled trades section. It's a one stop shop for all things cheap.
 
#35 ·
I have a local paper called the Penny Power classifieds all things for sale, rent, and business. It reaches 80,000+ people door steps every week and costs me $25 to place an ad. They are also put in every post office in 4 counties to pick up for free. The best advertising money I spend.
 
#48 ·
Anyone tried advertisments with a letter in the mail. Heard they are quite useful in finding work.
I have sent flyers to real estate offices ,fire/water restoration companies,and property management companies. What I would do is call and introduce my company and ask for a mailing address to send more info. I then would follow up with an in person visit. We have landed several jobs from it.
 
#49 ·
I also use "bandit" signs on the side of the road and get lots of calls from them. I have one at the end of my driveway that is on a major road that hundreds of thousands of people travel on a week.
 
#50 ·
I also use "bandit" signs on the side of the road and get lots of calls from them. I have one at the end of my driveway that is on a major road that hundreds of thousands of people travel on a week.
top of mind:thumbsup: I put these little magnet stickers everywere the more they are seen the better chance I will be the one they call
 
#51 ·
I also thought about getting a deal with a gas station to offer $1 a gallon gas. Have a huge banner put up over the gas station sign that says "$1 gas courtesy of my electrical company" Then give a call to the local news stations to have them do a story about it. Park your company truck in the gas station too so the news can get it on video.:thumbsup:
 
#52 ·
I also thought about getting a deal with a gas station to offer $1 a gallon gas. Have a huge banner put up over the gas station sign that says "$1 gas courtesy of my electrical company" Then give a call to the local news stations to have them do a story about it. Park your company truck in the gas station too so the news can get it on video.:thumbsup:
that could get expensive for the potential return. Maybe offer a ten dollar gas card from a local station with a smoke detector check/inspection.
 
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