Word of mouth still works. What’s changed is what happens in the gap between someone being recommended and actually picking up the phone, and that gap is where plenty of good tradesmen lose jobs they should have won.

Nobody just calls off a recommendation anymore

Someone gets your name from a neighbour, a joiner, a mate at work. The next thing they do, almost without thinking, is check you out online. Facebook first, then Google. If there’s nothing there, or nothing recent, the recommendation starts to feel less solid.

A name with no page looks riskier than it should

It’s not that people think you’re bad at the job. It’s that there’s no way to check, and most people would rather see a bit of proof than just take someone’s word for it, even a word they trust.

A page that’s gone quiet raises a different question

If your last post was two summers ago, people start wondering if you’re still trading, or still as busy as you used to be. An active page answers that question before anyone has to ask it.

Word of mouth and a page do different jobs

The recommendation gets you considered. The page is what turns that consideration into a phone call. Neither one replaces the other, they work together, and trades who rely only on one are leaving jobs on the table that the other half could have won.

The good news

You don’t need to chase strangers online. You just need the proof to be there and up to date for when someone’s already been given your name and goes looking.

Quick answers

Do I still need marketing if I get all my work from recommendations?

Most recommended customers check you out online before calling. If there’s nothing to find, some of them won’t.

What’s the minimum I need online?

A Google Business Profile with the right details and a Facebook or Instagram page that’s been posted on recently. That alone answers most people’s questions.

Does this apply even if I’m fully booked already?

Yes, work changes. A quiet page now is a problem for the day your current pipeline dries up.

Written by Tony Flynn, who runs Toflin from Carluke and works with trades across Lanarkshire. Want a hand with any of this? Call 01698 598763 or see the prices.