Small Business
You don't need $5,000 a month, you need to be consistent. Here's what actually works for Queensland small businesses.
If you've ever spoken to a digital marketing agency, you'll know how the conversation goes. They talk for forty minutes about brand strategy, content funnels, and performance metrics. Then they quote you $3,000 a month and wonder why you don't call back. I've sat on the other side of enough of those conversations to know the reputation online marketing has for being complicated and expensive suits the agencies selling it. The reality is different.
You don't need a big budget. You need to be consistent. Here's what I tell small businesses in Queensland actually works, and what's not worth your money.
If you run a local business and you haven't set up your Google Business Profile properly, that's the first thing I'd fix. Not tomorrow. Today. When someone searches "bookkeeper Ipswich" or "hairdresser Redcliffe," Google shows a map with three local businesses before it shows any websites. That map listing is your Google Business Profile. If yours isn't there, or it's half finished with no photos and no reviews, you're invisible in the most valuable spot on the page.
Fill in every field. Add your hours. Upload photos of your premises, your work, your team. Write a proper description of what you do and which suburbs you serve. Then ask every satisfied customer to leave you a Google review. It is important reply to every review, positive and negative. This is completely free. It takes a few hours to set up properly, I've done it plenty of times. And it will generate more enquiries than most paid advertising campaigns.
A lot of small business owners think they need a complete redesign to improve their online presence. Usually they don't. What they need is the right words on their existing pages. The right words means the words your customers actually type into Google. Not corporate descriptions of your services. The specific phrases people search for. I fix more sites by rewriting three pages than I ever have by redesigning them.
"Blocked drain plumber Brisbane northside" is what someone types when their drain is blocked. Not "residential drainage solutions." If your website says "residential drainage solutions" and a competitor's site says "blocked drain plumber serving Brisbane's northside," they'll show up first every time.
You don't need a professional copywriter or a content team. You need to write one short post every two weeks about something your customers regularly ask you. Every business owner I meet has a list of these questions. The plumber gets asked why the hot water system keeps failing. The accountant gets asked what home office expenses are actually deductible. The electrician gets asked whether they need to upgrade their switchboard before selling.
Keep it short, 400 to 600 words is plenty. Don't try to sound professional. Sound like you. One post a fortnight, published consistently over a year, is 26 pages of useful content that didn't exist before. Each one is another reason for Google to send people to your site.
You do not need to be on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. You need to be on one platform, the one where your actual customers spend time. For most tradies in Queensland, that's Facebook. Specifically, local community groups. Samford Valley Community, Dayboro & District, Redcliffe Peninsula locals. These groups have thousands of members and people ask for recommendations constantly. I see it in my own local group every week. Be active in yours. Answer questions. Be helpful. Don't spam your services. Just be a useful presence.
Most small businesses collect customer email addresses and then never use them. That's a waste. A simple email to your past customers once a month (once a month, not five times a week) reminding them you exist will generate repeat business. Not a fancy newsletter with graphics and sections. Just a short note from you. What you've been up to. Something useful or interesting. A gentle mention of your services.
Past customers already trust you. They've paid you before. Reminding them you're still there is far cheaper and far more effective than trying to find new customers through advertising. Mailchimp is free up to 500 contacts. You don't need anything more complicated than that to start. It's what I run for my own list.
Warning: This is just as important as what to spend on. Avoid: fancy SEO tools you don't understand (Ahrefs and Semrush cost $100–$400/month and most small business owners I speak to open them once and never go back); paid ads before your website converts (fix the site first, otherwise you're paying for leads that immediately leave); a redesign when you just need content (adding proper content does far more than a fresh design); and social media management from agencies. Generic posts get no engagement, your customers can tell it's not really you, and you're better off writing two posts a week yourself.
There isn't a hack. There isn't a tool that does it for you. The businesses I've watched win online are the ones who do small things consistently over a long period of time.
One post a fortnight. Monthly email to past customers. Regular Google business profile updates. Asking for reviews after every job. Replying to those reviews.
None of it takes more than a couple of hours a week. None of it costs much money. But do it for six months and you'll be ahead of most small businesses in your area, the ones still waiting for a magic solution that doesn't exist. I've watched it happen.
Tell me about your business and where you're at online. I'll put together a straightforward plan for what to tackle first. No commitment, no pitch deck, no $3,000 a month packages.
Talk to Us, No Commitment