We are a marketing agency, so you would expect us to say “hire an agency!” But the honest answer is more nuanced. Some contractors genuinely should do their own marketing. Others are losing money by not hiring help. Here is how to figure out which camp you are in.

When DIY Marketing Makes Sense

Do your own marketing if:

• Your revenue is under $100K — you probably cannot afford professional marketing yet. Focus on free channels (GBP, Facebook, reviews)
• You enjoy it and are willing to learn — some contractors genuinely like marketing. If you will put in the hours to learn Google Ads, SEO, and social media, you can do a great job yourself
• You have more time than money — in the early days, your time is your biggest asset. Trade time for marketing expertise
• You only need the basics — if you just need a Google Business Profile, some reviews, and a simple website, you can set that up yourself in a weekend

When Hiring an Agency Makes Sense

Hire professional help if:

• You are too busy doing jobs to market your business — your time is worth more on the tools than behind a laptop. If you bill $100/hour and spend 5 hours a week on marketing, that is $2,000/month in opportunity cost
• You have tried DIY marketing and it is not working — Google Ads is complex. SEO is a specialization. If you have spent months with no results, a professional can often identify and fix the problem in days
• You want to scale faster — professional campaigns typically outperform DIY because agencies have done it before for competitors in your trade
• Your revenue supports it — if you are doing $250K+ in revenue, investing $1,000 to $3,000/month in professional marketing usually delivers strong ROI

How to Choose an Agency (Without Getting Burned)

The marketing agency world is full of companies that overpromise and underdeliver. Here is how to pick a good one:

1. Look for industry specialization — an agency that works with contractors understands your customers, your keywords, and your competitive landscape. A generalist agency will spend 3 months learning what a specialized agency already knows
2. Ask for references from similar businesses — not just any references. Contractors. In your trade if possible. Call them and ask: did they deliver results? Are they easy to work with? Would you hire them again?
3. Avoid long term contracts — good agencies keep clients by delivering results, not by locking them into 12 month agreements. Month to month is ideal. 3 months is acceptable
4. Make sure you own everything — your website, your Google Ads account, your domain, your logins. If an agency builds something on their accounts, they hold your business hostage if you leave
5. Ask about reporting — you should receive monthly reports showing leads generated, cost per lead, ranking changes, and ROI. If they cannot show you the numbers, run

More Resources for Home Service Businesses

• Professional Website Design
• SEO Services
• Google Ads Management
• Google Business Profile Optimization