Not every marketing channel is worth a contractor’s time. While some genuinely move the needle, some are a black hole. Here’s how they actually stack up:

High-performing for trades:

• Google Business Profile — Often the single highest-return channel there is, and it’s free.
• Local SEO / service pages — Slower to build, but compounds over time and keeps generating leads without ongoing ad spend.
• Short-form video (Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) — High-leverage because trades work is inherently visual and builds trust fast.
• Reviews and referral partnerships — Low cost, high trust, and often the deciding factor between two similarly priced bids.

Worth using, but with limits:

• Google and Facebook ads — Can work well for immediate leads, but only when paired with a site and follow-up process that actually converts. Ads alone without a strategy behind them are where most wasted marketing dollars go.

Usually not worth the time for contractors:

• Organic Facebook Page posting — The algorithm heavily suppresses business content without ad spend behind it.
• LinkedIn — Fine to have a presence, but rarely drives residential or small commercial trades leads.
• Twitter/X — Almost no utility for local service businesses.

The contractors who get the best results don’t try to do everything at once, they pick two or three channels, commit to consistency, and let the content and reviews compound. EJ Studios builds exactly this kind of focused strategy for contractors and trades businesses across the Willamette Valley, instead of spreading a client thin across channels that don’t perform.