A brief guide to digital marketing for electricians

Searching online is one of the main ways customers now look for trade businesses when they want work doing. If you want to grow your business with digital marketing, this guide is for you. Keep reading to find out more.

Whether you’ve just started out or you’ve had an electrical business for years, we’ve put together our top tips for digital marketing for electricians.

However, while sorting your online marketing might sound like a chore, it doesn’t need to be. In fact, with a little planning and some initial effort, a lot of digital marketing can be relatively quick and easy to do.

Keep reading to discover the common types of digital marketing and how to use them to find potential customers and win more business.

What are the types of digital marketing for electricians?

Any electrical business wanting to reach more customers will need to spend at least some time investing in its online marketing presence.

When we talk about digital marketing, these are the main areas that can help boost your business as an electrician:

• Getting your website sorted

• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

• PPC (Pay-Per-Click advertising)

• CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

• Social media

We’ve put together our top tips to help you understand each of these types of digital marketing and how they can help your electrical business...

Making your electrician website spark

Your website is essentially your online business card. As such, it is responsible for the first impression that potential new customers get of your electrical business.

This makes it essential to give your electrician business website a thorough spring clean if you've got one. You'll need to make sure that everything is up-to-date and functioning as it should be. Ultimately, you want your customers to have a seamless online experience.

We recommend doing all of the following before diving into any other areas of online marketing:

• Make sure all the information on your site is up-to-date and accurate

• Check that all buttons and links work

• Read through every page to ensure that the copy is easy to understand, is accurate, and contains no spelling or grammar errors

• Double-check that your website is set up with a mobile version so that people can browse your services on the go

Including the terms that customers search for when looking for electrical services on your website and in article copy will help you be more visible online.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

SEO is the art of editing your business website so it appears at the top of online search results for electricians.

It’s basically the way to make sure your business is the first one that potential customers see when they Google “electrician near me.”

Our top SEO tips for electricians

If you’re ready to work magic with your business website, here are some of our top tips to get started:

• Optimise your website – Check that you’re including relevant keywords in your meta titles, descriptions, and header tags on your website

• Local SEO is your best mate – Homeowners often search for "electrician near me" or “electricians in [town]”, so use those phrases on your website

• Get found locally – Set up a Google My Business profile and keep it up-to-date with your contact details, opening hours, and customer reviews

• Make your website mobile-friendly – Customers will usually use their phones to find local electricians, so your website is easy to use on mobile

• Create helpful content – Publish useful content on your website so potential customers see you as an electrical expert, such as:

  • "Top 5 signs your wiring needs an update"

  • "How to safely reset a tripped circuit breaker"

• Gather and flaunt reviews – Positive reviews are gold, so encourage happy customers to leave reviews, especially on your Checkatrade profile

• Build backlinks – Links to your website from local directories (like Checkatrade!) and other local businesses can boost your search rankings.

Want to know more about SEO? Check out our guide to SEO for electricians below:

How can you benefit from SEO for electricians?

You’ve put the work in to create a business website – but now you want to make sure that website gets seen. If you’re in this position, then learning more about electrician SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a great way to build your business. You might be familiar with social media marketing or

Learn more

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

PPC advertising is where you pay for ads that appear at the top of search results or on social media.

The PPC model means you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. So, it’s a great way to attract people looking for electrical services in your area.

Our top PPC tips for electricians

Even though you might be unfamiliar with the term PPC, you’ve likely already seen hundreds of these ads while searching online without even realising it.

Put simply, these are the 'Sponsored' results that appear first when you search,

One of the first things to remember about paid ads is to use them wisely.

If you’re new to PPC, here are some ways you can get started:

• Google ads – You can create targeted campaigns with local keywords like "24-hour electrician [Your City]" or "electrical rewiring [Your Town]"

• Facebook ads – Make the most of demographic targeting on Facebook to reach people who are most likely to need your services

• Schedule your ads – Run your PPC ads during peak times when people are likely to be looking for electricians, such as early mornings and evenings

• Try retargeting ads – These campaigns target people who have visited your website but didn't book your services, and can be very effective

Do your homework to make sure you’re investing in the right local keywords to reach local homeowners needing electrical services.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

CRM helps you keep track of the interactions you have with customers to build stronger relationships with them.

Making an effort to proactively communicate with your customers (and potential customers) helps build their confidence in your electrician services.

Using a CRM tool can also help improve customer experience, as using lead automation can enable quicker responses and manage expectations.

Our top CRM tips for electricians

When it comes to building relationships with your customers, here are some ideas for where to begin as an electrician:

• Try a regular newsletter – Newsletters with useful tips, news, and offers can encourage customers to hire you when they need an electrician

• Personalise emails – A CRM system allows you to send personalised content to different groups of customers

• Send follow-up messages – Sending a thank-you email after a job helps customers remember you for next time (and it’s the ideal time to ask for a review)

• Offer a loyalty scheme – Offering returning customers discounts can be a great way to encourage repeat business

• Analyse customer feedback – Pay attention to customer feedback and use it to improve your services and customer satisfaction

Get up to speed with CRM by reading our guide below:

What is a CRM?

What does CRM stand for? If you're a tradesperson wondering what on earth CRM is, you're in the right place. What is a CRM? CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It's the technology that allows you to manage the relationship and interactions with your customers and potential customers. If

Learn more

Social media

You’re probably familiar with using social media for your personal life. However, it can also be a great channel for promoting your electrical business.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can be the perfect place to showcase your electrical work and connect with customers.

Our top social media tips for electricians

• Show off what you can do – Post before-and-after photos of your work and updates on your latest electrical projects

• Share useful tips – Helpful content is always popular on socials so try posting short videos of you explaining how to fix common electrical issues

• Post regularly – You want to stay relevant and active so make sure you post photos and videos at least weekly (more if you can)

• Engage with your followers – Responding promptly to comments and messages helps build trust for your audience and can lead to new business opportunities

• Live demos – Hosting live Q&A sessions on common electrical issues helps show off your knowledge and can attract a larger audience

• Share customer reviews – When you receive feedback from a happy customer, share it on social media to help persuade potential clients to hire you

Be sure to tag your location in all your posts as well. That way, your posts will be directed towards your local customer base.

Looking to market your small business on social media? Read our guide below:

Marketing your small business on social media

Marketing, particularly social media marketing, can often be overlooked by small businesses as they assume it’s too much effort. Whilst it might require some time and energy, the business benefits of social media definitely make it a worthwhile job. To make sure you can find the best way to use

Learn more

Other digital marketing tips for electricians

Here are a few extra tips for your digital marketing plan…

• Connect with other local businesses – Networking can lead to referrals so reach out to local builders, estate agents, and other tradespeople in your area

• Offer online booking – Many customers expect a quick and easy booking system and online booking can set you apart from other electricians who only take phone bookings

• Promote your qualifications – Feature your electrical qualifications and accreditations (e.g. NICEIC or NAPIT) on your website to add credibility

• Join online directories - Getting your electrical business on sites such as Checkatrade will put you in front of potential customers searching for your services