Does Influencer Marketing Really Get More Jobs for Local Trades?
If you own a painting, landscaping, roofing, or handyman business, you have probably heard about influencer marketing.
People claim you need to pay local celebrities or Instagram personalities to say good things about you online.
The truth is most service businesses do not actually get more real customers from these influencer posts.
Sure, you might get a few extra likes or some attention on social media, but those do not pay your bills.
You need real leads from people in your area who want to hire someone for actual projects, not just someone scrolling past your name online.
Impressions vs. Actual Leads: What Matters for Service Businesses
Social media impressions tell you how many times your name popped up in someone’s feed.
That sounds nice, but if those people do not need a deck built or their kitchen painted, it does not change anything.
You need to focus on work that leads to booked jobs and growing your business instead of chasing after popularity statistics.
That means being clear about what you do, showing your real work in your local market, and making it easy for people to find and trust you.
Time and Money: Where Is Your Effort Best Spent?
Busy contractors and service pros rarely have time to watch influencers, let alone track results from influencer posts they pay for.
Most influencers charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single post, and there is often zero guarantee you will see any real leads.
If an influencer files your before-and-after photos under #ad or mentions you once in a video, you usually cannot track which, if any, customers came from that post.
A lot of small businesses go this route because others in their industry are doing the same thing, but very few can say for certain it actually worked for them.
What Actually Brings in Customers for Trades Like Yours?
Word of mouth is strong, but even good referrals check your business online before calling you.
Most potential customers search on Google and look for two main things: proof you know what you are doing, and a way to quickly contact you.
A solid website with your best projects, areas you serve, and easy-to-find reviews builds trust much faster than a dozen influencer shoutouts.
Your Google Business Profile is also crucial, because that is where local homeowners go to compare their options.
- A simple website with your contact info, services, and photos builds trust fast.
- Filling out your Google profile completely makes your business show up more often when locals search.
- Asking happy customers to leave a review helps you get noticed ahead of other contractors.
Real-Life Example: Local Landscaper vs. Influencer Hype
Take Eli, a landscaper in Texas, who paid a popular Austin yard influencer to mention his business, but only got a few calls from out-of-town fans who were not near his service area.
When he set up his own site with real photos and filled out his Google Business Profile, he started getting steady calls from people five miles away who needed actual landscaping jobs done.
It was not a huge following that made the difference, but having the right information easy to find for customers who were ready to hire someone local.
How to Get Set Up with Little Stress or Cost
You do not need to spend thousands on fancy sites or pricey posts that do not help you win work.
The best investment is in a trustworthy website with true info, backed by a filled-out Google profile and real photos of your projects.
At Good Stuart, our focus is getting more calls and form fills that you can book into real jobs, not just boosting empty statistics.
If you want to see how easy it is to get going, check out our quick onboarding process and see what is actually possible when someone else does the hard work for you.
Should You Pay for Shoutouts or Put Your Budget Into Local Visibility?
You work hard for every dollar, so it is smart to think about how to use your budget to get more real customers, not just more followers.
Shoutouts from local influencers might sound appealing, but if they do not reach people in your service area who are looking for your services right now, your money is wasted.
The average influencer post can cost hundreds, but rarely brings in jobs you can track or book.
Compare that to putting your effort into a website optimized to show up when customers search for things like “interior painter near me” or “landscaper in St. Louis”.
Investing in strong local SEO and real reviews means people who are already looking for what you offer see your business first.
- Influencer post: High one-time fee with no guarantee of leads.
- Website and Google profile: Lower, ongoing cost that continues working every day to put you in front of paying customers.
- With Good Stuart, you do not pay for design or setup, just for the leads you actually get—so your investment is always tied to real results.
What Should Your Website Actually Have to Get Calls?
Skip the fluff—your site should give potential clients what they need immediately, so they do not move on to a competitor.
A high-performing website for trades is not about looking fancy, it is about being clear and easy to use, no matter if your customer is a homeowner, a property manager, or a neighbor down the street.
- Photos of recent work, ideally before and after shots
- List of services offered and areas you serve
- Simple contact form or clickable phone number
- Clear reviews from real local customers
This approach handles the way people actually shop for trades: they want proof, they want to know where you work, and they want a fast way to ask for help.
If you are tired of websites that do not bring in calls, make sure yours is built for one purpose—helping people hire you faster.
Are Reviews or Instagram Followers More Important?
If you look at who gets called first for a local roofing or handyman job, it is always the business with clear, visible reviews—not the one with the most social media clout.
On Instagram, someone might have thousands of followers but get zero phone calls, while your Google reviews tell people right away that you are trusted and local.
Encourage every customer with a good experience to leave a Google review and watch how quickly you move up in search results over businesses focused only on likes and shares.
- Good reviews help you show up in the Google Map Pack, which is where most homeowners click first.
- You do not need dozens at once—just keep asking every few weeks as jobs finish.
- Each real review is proof of your reliability, honesty, and skill.
If you are not sure how to collect more reviews, try texting a simple thank you after every job with your Google review link—customers who are happy with your work are usually glad to help out.
What About Traditional Marketing vs. Pay-Per-Lead Models?
If you have been in the trades a while, you know print ads, Yellow Pages, and sponsor banners can cost thousands with no clear way to know who saw it or if it actually brought you business.
Compared to that, pay-per-lead services like Good Stuart focus your investment where you can see proof: you pay only if someone contacts you, not just for appearing somewhere.
This means every dollar is tied to an opportunity for a real job, not just the hope that someone might see your business name.
Plus, traditional methods usually do not update themselves—your online presence can be kept current and accurate, with new photos or customer stories added any time.
- Print: Big upfront cost, fixed in time, limited tracking
- Local radio: Expensive, hard to pinpoint results, not always targeted to people looking for help right now
- Performance-based websites: Lower risk, proven results, easy updates
The Role of Google in Finding More Local Work
It does not matter how big your city is—most homeowners go straight to Google to find someone to do the job.
Google wants to send people to local businesses who can prove they are reputable and real, which is why a website with good content, lots of photos, and verified reviews always shows up higher than a forgotten Instagram post or a shoutout that disappears in a feed after a day.
A Google Business Profile filled out with your proper info, photos, and easy-to-click contact links helps you get found by people nearby who need your services right now.
Do not let anyone tell you that you need to keep up with social media trends or buy likes to win—focus instead on the spots your customers already go to find a pro (Google and maps listings first, your website second).
If you are not sure where to begin, our simple onboarding walks you through what to add so you are set up fast without a lot of hassle.
What You Can Expect by Putting the Focus on Real Results
If you switch your energy from influencer hype to building trust and being visible where your customers are searching, you can expect results that you can actually measure.
Expect more calls, more form fills, and more jobs you can actually book—not just relative popularity.
This is not about working harder, but working smarter: letting your online presence work for you while you are at the job site or with your crew.
Most importantly, you can track and follow every new lead—no guessing, no hoping that someone noticed your name on an influencer’s feed, just clear proof that what you are doing works.
The Simple Steps That Actually Grow Your Service Business
If you want more jobs without the headache and guesswork, focus on what matters most—showing up where homeowners actually look for help.
That starts with a website designed to highlight your real work and reputation, not chasing after the latest trend or fad.
Make sure your business info is right everywhere, especially on Google, so people in your area can find you quickly.
Ask your satisfied customers for reviews because every single good word boosts your standing in search far more than any hashtag ever will.
Keep your site updated with recent job photos and clear contact options, so you never miss a lead when a customer is finally ready to call.
- Update your site and Google profile whenever you finish a great project.
- Send a text or email after every job, thanking your customer and kindly asking them to share a short review if they were happy.
- Take quick before and after shots and upload them so homeowners know exactly what you can do.
- Make your phone number and contact form easy to find so you never lose a possible customer over a missing detail.
Saving Time So You Can Do More of What You Love
Your time is valuable, and your customers want to reach you when they are ready—without hurdles or delays.
Instead of spending hours planning social media campaigns or worrying about the latest hashtags, you can let your trusted website and filled-out Google Business Profile do the heavy lifting.
This is about giving yourself the freedom to focus on the real work—finishing projects well, getting home on time, and building a reputation that brings in steady jobs all year.
If you are not tech-savvy or you simply do not want to struggle with confusing setups, you do not have to.
Our onboarding process is easy, fast, and built for hardworking trades pros like you—because you should spend your time running your business, not running your website.
Measuring Success by Actual Calls, Not Vanity Numbers
Every business wants more work, not just more online attention with no way to pay the bills.
What matters is how many real people contacted you, how many jobs you book, and how many referrals you earn after you finish the work.
With a true performance-based platform, you never pay for empty clicks or likes—you pay only when someone actually wants to hire you.
This lowers your risk and increases your confidence, because every dollar you spend is linked to real opportunities.
Start tracking what counts: calls, form fills, and booked jobs, not vague numbers that look good on a chart but do nothing for your crew or your bottom line.
Common Questions Trades Pros Ask About Online Marketing
- Should I still post on Facebook or Instagram? If you like sharing finished projects or staying connected with past customers, that is fine—but focus your real effort where customers search: Google and your own site.
- Are traditional ads dead? They are expensive and harder to track, but some local flyers or postcards can help in small neighborhoods. For most businesses, your digital presence pays off more over time.
- Do I really need a bunch of website pages? No—you just need core details: what you do, where you serve, real project proof, and how to get in touch fast. One solid page can beat a fancy, complicated site every time.
- How fast will I see more jobs? With the right info visible on Google and your website, you can start getting local interest within days—especially when your business profile moves up in the map results with new reviews.
- Is it hard to get started if I am not good with computers? Not at all. Services like ours handle the entire setup, content, and maintenance for you, so you can get back to what you do best—serving your customers.
The Payoff: More Work, Less Worry, and a Stronger Reputation
If you put your energy into what really works—being found where it matters and building local trust—you will not have to chase after fads or one-off promotions that fizzle out fast.
By making your business honest, visible, and easy to reach, you can get more steady work, better reviews, and long-term customers who call you again and again.
You never have to wonder where your next job will come from or whether you wasted money on something you cannot measure.
If you are tired of marketing that eats your time and budget without proof, now is the time to make the switch to results you can track—and let your work do the talking for you.
Check out how to get started today—no stress, no hidden costs, just a clear path to more local jobs and a better reputation for you and your crew.