How to Market a Painting Business: 8 Ways to Attract Clients

1.  Claim your free Google Business Profile

Claiming your Google Business Profile will help new customers find your business online. It’s also one of the first things that shows up when people search for your painting business name online. 

Your Google Business Profile will include information like your location, contact information, hours, and—most importantly—an opportunity for clients to review your business.

Here’s what your Google Business Profile will look like when a new customer searches for a painter in your service area.

2.  Build a professional website

While building a website may seem intimidating, there are a ton of easy-to-use online website builders available.

Start with a  basic site that includes:

• Your business name, logo, and contact information 
• The areas you service 
• The services you offer 
• Links to any social media pages you have 
• Reviews from happy clients.

Here’s what your painting website could look like:

3. Take advantage of online ads

Online ads can help you reach a wider audience, but they can come with a hefty price tag. range from Google pay-per-click ads to social media ads on Facebook and Instagram. These can take a little time and effort to set up initially, but once you get into a groove they can often run on autopilot.

Here are a few different online ads you can choose from:

• Local Services Ads target customers in your defined service area. They appear at the very top of a search results page when a potential customer searches for painting services in their area.
• Google Search Ads target potential customers searching for keywords related to your business, like “residential painters in [CITY]” or “commercial painting services in [TOWN]”. 
• Facebook ads show up in a potential customer’s newsfeed or sidebar. You can target your ads to users in a specific geographic area, which helps the right people see your ads and contact you.
• Instagram ads work similar to Facebook ads. Because it’s an image or video-based platform, you’ll want to use strong images or videos to stand out from competitors.

When it comes to paying for online ads, start out slow, set a budget, and do some research. Tweak and focus your strategy as you go to ensure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

4.  Create and maintain social media profiles

Social media profiles play a big role in marketing a painting company as they fit into many different initiatives.

For example, your Google My Business profile, website, business cards, and social ads all benefit from being attached to established social media profiles.

You don’t need to be on every single platform out there—choose which platforms will work best for you and focus there.

As a house painter, you may want to consider Instagram as a way to showcase your latest jobs and happy clients since it’s an image-based platform.

You could also end up benefiting in unexpected ways, like through reviews, referrals, and more. The bigger your digital presence, the easier you are to find.

5. Send email marketing campaigns

Email marketing is a powerful tool for staying connected with your customers, promoting your services, and driving repeat business. By building a strong email list and sending targeted newsletter content, you can keep your painting business top-of-mind for recipients.

Here are a couple strategies to use it:

Build an email list

The first step is building an email list. Here are some ways to grow it:

• Website sign-up forms: Add sign-up buttons and forms to your website, encouraging visitors to subscribe to your newsletter for updates, promotions, and painting tips.
• Promote on social media: Promote your newsletter on your social media profiles. Highlight the benefits of signing up.
• Collect email addresses in person: Collect addresses from customers during consultations, estimates, and completed jobs. Ask for their permission to send emails.

Share special offers

Email marketing for painters is surprisingly effective for promoting special offers, discounts, and seasonal promotions. Try these to generate both new and repeat business:

• Exclusive offers: Reward your subscribers with exclusive discounts or early access to promotions to build loyalty and encourage people to stay on your list.
• Limited-time offers: Create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers. A deadline can motivate subscribers to act quickly.
• Seasonal promotions: Promote your services for different seasons. Offer discounts on exterior painting in the spring or interior touch-ups before the holidays.

To send effective marketing emails faster, use a tool that prepares email templates and audiences for you.

When you use Jobber to create email campaigns, you can choose from premade templates that are built for specific goals and customers—and that include your company branding.

6.  Start a customer referral program

A customer referral program will help you bring in new clients who’ve already heard about how awesome your services are.

A successful referral program rides on knowing how to ask for referrals, rewarding your referring clients, and letting everyone know about your program. Here are a few tips to build one:

• Define what customers you’re looking for: What does your ideal customer look like in terms of age, family status, and lifestyle? Use that criteria to narrow down your audience and attract customers who are more likely to give you repeat business.
• Choose referral rewards for your customers: Incentivize customers to make their referral worth the effort. Examples of what you can give to our referrers include gifts, service discounts, and free products included in their next painting project.
• Design an easy referral process: Set up a process that makes it easy for customers to refer someone they know. Methods you can use include email, a website referral form, and unique codes or URLs.
• Promote the program: Clearly communicate your referral program to customers. Prepare a step-by-step explanation of how it works and what incentives you can offer your customers who refer you. Promote it with the marketing materials you already use. And ask at the right time—when you’re confident your customer has had a positive experience.

7.  Network with the local community

Networking with local businesses and the community can boost your painting business’s visibility and lead to valuable partnerships and referrals. Here are a few strategies to build local connections:

Join local business groups

Joining associations related to home improvement, construction, or real estate can put you in touch with professionals who frequently need painting services.

Business networking groups offer opportunities to exchange referrals and build business relationships.

Partner with complementary businesses

Forming partnerships with other local businesses can be mutually beneficial. Look for opportunities to collaborate with businesses that serve the same clientele but aren’t direct competitors. For example:

• Realtors: Real estate agents need painters to prepare homes for sale. Offering your services can lead to consistent work and referrals.
• Interior designers: Interior designers need painters for their projects. Partnering with them can provide access to high-end clients looking for quality painting services.
• Home improvement professionals: Partnering with general contractors and handymen can lead to collaborative projects and referrals.

Attend Community Events

Participating in local community events is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to the area.

• Sponsorships: Sponsor local events and sports teams to enhance your visibility and show support for the community.
• Trade shows: Set up a booth at exhibitions and trade shows to get in front of homeowners who may be interested in your painting services.
• Volunteering: Volunteer your services for community projects, such as painting a community center or a local school, for positive publicity.

8.  Design and distribute business cards

It might seem like a no-brainer, but having business cards for your house painting business is an excellent way to market yourself.

To make them, you’ll need basic branding that includes your logo, business colors, and fonts.

If you don’t feel comfortable designing them yourself, there are all kinds of options available to you. From graphic designers to online software, to local print shops, you have your pick of design choices.

Make sure that the style suits your branding and that your business cards are legible, provide correct contact information, and that they specify what types of painting services you offer.

But simply having business cards isn’t enough. You need to distribute them. Here are some ideas to get your cards into the hands of customers:

• Always have a stack of business cards with you. Hand them out to new acquaintances, at networking events, and during social gatherings.
• After completing a job, leave a few business cards with your customers. Encourage them to share with friends and family.
• When you form relationships with other local businesses, ask if you can leave a stack of your business cards at their location in exchange for doing the same for them.
• Distribute your business cards to attendees at local events and trade shows.
• When you send out invoices or other mailings, include a business card.
• Write appointment details on the back of your business card when scheduling consultations or jobs.