Guide
How to advertise an electrical business: 5 ways, starting with the free one
Updated
Start with your Google Business Profile, because it is free and people check it before they call. Then add Local Services Ads, lead sites, your van and local video ads.
In short
- The five ways to advertise an electrical business are your Google profile, Local Services Ads, lead sites, your van and video ads.
- Your Google Business Profile is free, and people check your reviews there before they call, so finish it first.
- Google Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click, and rank you partly on how quickly you respond.
- Lead sites like Angi and Thumbtack help while your own reviews are few, but other electricians often get the same request.
- Facebook and Instagram video ads come last, because they reach people nearby before they need an electrician.
- Ways to advertise, starting with the free one
- 5
- Cost of a Google Business Profile
- $0
- Cutroom credits for a 30-second video ad
- 110
The 5 ways at a glance
Here is what each way costs and who it reaches.
Fix your Google profile before you pay for ads, because people who click an ad often check your reviews first.
Ways to advertise an electrical business
| Way | What it costs | Who it reaches |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Google Business Profile and reviews | Free, only your time | People searching for an electrician nearby |
| 2. Google Local Services Ads | A fee per lead | People searching Google for an electrician |
| 3. Lead sites | A fee per lead, or a membership | Homeowners who post a job request |
| 4. Van, yard signs and cards | A one-off cost | Neighbours of the jobs you do |
| 5. Facebook and Instagram video ads | A daily budget you choose | People in your area, before they need you |
Way: 1. Google Business Profile and reviews
- What it costs
- Free, only your time
- Who it reaches
- People searching for an electrician nearby
Way: 2. Google Local Services Ads
- What it costs
- A fee per lead
- Who it reaches
- People searching Google for an electrician
Way: 3. Lead sites
- What it costs
- A fee per lead, or a membership
- Who it reaches
- Homeowners who post a job request
Way: 4. Van, yard signs and cards
- What it costs
- A one-off cost
- Who it reaches
- Neighbours of the jobs you do
Way: 5. Facebook and Instagram video ads
- What it costs
- A daily budget you choose
- Who it reaches
- People in your area, before they need you
1. Google Business Profile and reviews
A Google Business Profile is free, and it is what people see when they search for an electrician near them.
- Fill in your categories, service area, opening hours and whether you take emergency calls.
- Add photos of real jobs, your van and yourself.
- Ask every customer for a review on the doorstep, then text your review link that evening.
- Reply to every review, because the next customer reads your reply too.
- Add a short video of you. Google Business Profile takes videos of up to 30 seconds.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
2. Google Local Services Ads
Local Services Ads appear at the top of Google search, and you pay only for leads, not clicks. They run in the US, the UK and several other countries.
- Businesses that pass Google's screening get a Google Verified badge on their ad.
- Google ranks these ads partly on your reviews and on how quickly you answer calls and messages.
- Missed calls can lower your ranking, so run the ads only during hours you answer the phone.
- Google recommends at least 5 reviews on your Local Services Ads profile.
- Choose only the job types you want, so you do not pay for leads you will not take.
3. Lead sites
Angi and Thumbtack in the US, and Checkatrade in the UK, list your business and send you job requests from homeowners.
- You pay per lead or a membership fee, depending on the site.
- The same request often goes to several electricians, so replying first helps.
- Track the cost of each booked job, not the cost of each lead.
- Once your Google profile brings in more calls than the site, you can spend less there.
- Ask customers from lead sites to review your Google profile too, because those reviews stay with you.
4. Van, yard signs and cards
These cost money once and keep showing your name in the streets where you work.
- Put your trade and phone number on the van in letters big enough to read from across the street.
- Ask the customer if you can leave a yard sign up for a week after a big job.
- Leave a few business cards at every job, so the customer can pass your number on.
5. Facebook and Instagram video ads
These ads reach people nearby before they need an electrician, so they come last.
- Use a video that already got good reactions when you posted it for free.
- Show a real fault you fixed with you explaining it, or answer a common safety question.
- Say your licence, your town and how to contact you.
- Aim the ad only at the towns you cover.
From one job to a local video ad
Film the fault
About ten seconds, before you fix it
Talk to the camera
What it was, what it could have caused, what you did
Edit the video
By hand, or with an editing tool
Run the ad locally
Only in the area you cover
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom makes the video for your ad from a clip of you talking, so you do not need an agency.
- You upload a video of yourself explaining a job, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom cuts it, adds captions timed to your voice and puts stock clips over the things you mention.
- You get a vertical (9:16) MP4 back in about a minute, the shape Facebook and Instagram use for Reels and Stories ads.
- A 30-second ad costs 110 credits: 100 to edit and 20 per minute of export.
- Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 ads of 30 seconds. Your first video is free, with a Cutroom watermark.
Questions people ask
- How much should an electrician spend on advertising?
- There is no set amount. Start with your Google profile and reviews, which are free. Then spend where you can count the cost of each booked job, such as Local Services Ads or a lead site.
- Are Google Local Services Ads worth it for electricians?
- Often, yes, because you pay per lead, not per click. Google ranks the ads partly on how fast you respond, so only run them during hours you answer the phone.
- Should an electrician advertise on Facebook?
- Yes, but after your Google profile and Local Services Ads. Facebook reaches people nearby before they need you, so use a video that already did well and aim it only at your area.
- Do lead sites hurt my own business?
- No, but reviews left on a lead site stay on that site. Ask happy customers to review your Google profile too.
- What should an electrician's video ad include?
- A real fault you fixed, you explaining it, your licence, your town and how to contact you. Keep it to about 30 seconds.
- Can I make a video ad without an agency?
- Yes. Film yourself explaining a job on your phone. Cutroom edits it into a finished vertical video in about a minute, for 110 credits for 30 seconds. Your first video is free.
Finish your Google profile this week, then add one way at a time. Your first video is free.