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2026 Guide · Updated November 2026

How to Choose a
Tradie Marketing Agency

There’s no single best marketing agency for every tradie. In Australia you have four real options: lead platforms (like hipages), general digital agencies, tradie-specialist agencies, or running ads yourself. Compare them on five things: whether leads are exclusive or shared, proof from your trade, who owns the ad account, how fast leads get followed up, and the contract terms. This guide is written by Tradie Pulse, a tradie-specialist agency, so we say plainly where we fit and where we don’t.

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01 — Your Options

Four Ways Tradies Get Leads

Swipe the table to see all columns →

Lead platformsGeneral digital agencyTradie-specialist agencyDIY Facebook ads
Exampleshipages, ServiceSeeking, AirtaskerAgencies serving many industriesAgencies that only work with trades, like Tradie PulseYou, in Meta Ads Manager
Leads shared with other tradies?Often, yesNo, if they run your own adsNo, if they run your own adsNo
Who owns the ad account and audience?The platformCheck the contractCheck the contractYou
How you paySubscription and/or a fee per leadMonthly fee + ad spendMonthly fee + ad spendAd spend + your time
Knows your trade?No marketing done for youVariesYes, if they can show trade case studiesOnly if you learn it
Builds your own brand?Mostly builds the platform’sYesYesYes
Best forFilling gaps fast with no setupBusinesses needing broad marketingTradies who want exclusive leads and a system that runs without themTradies with time to learn ads
02 — Checklist

10 Questions to Ask Any Agency

1

Are the leads only mine?

Leads from your own ads should never go to another tradie.

2

Can you show results in my trade?

Ask for names, spend, cost per lead and jobs won, not just screenshots.

3

Who owns the ad account?

It should be in your business name, so you keep it if you leave.

4

What cost per lead should I expect?

A good agency gives you a real range from similar clients.

5

Is there a lock-in contract?

Month to month means they keep earning your business.

6

Who makes the ads?

Find out whether they script and edit from your job footage, or you do.

7

How do leads reach me?

Instantly, by SMS and a CRM, so you can call back in minutes.

8

How often do creatives change?

Ads go stale. Ask how often new ones are made.

9

What do I get each month?

You should get a report with spend, leads and cost per lead.

10

Do they understand trade work?

They should know quoting, site visits and which jobs make you money.

03 — Red Flags

Walk Away If…

They guarantee page-one Google rankings or a set number of jobs. Nobody controls that.
The ad account is in their name, not yours.
They can’t show results from tradies, only from other industries.
They lock you into a long contract before you’ve seen a single lead.
They can’t tell you what a lead costs.
04 — Straight Up

Where Tradie Pulse Fits

A good fit if you
  • Want leads that are yours alone, from your own Facebook and Instagram ads
  • Want to choose the jobs you win: decks, bathrooms, granny flats, driveways, switchboards
  • Can reply to leads fast, or want AI and a CRM to do it for you
  • Want to own your ad account and assets
Probably not a fit if you
  • Need work tomorrow with no setup at all. A lead platform is faster to start.
  • Won’t follow up leads. Ads only work when someone calls back.
  • Only want a brochure website and nothing else

Our numbers are public: what Facebook ads cost tradies, every case study and our packages. Comparing us with hipages? Tradie Pulse vs hipages →

05 — FAQs

Common Questions

What is the best marketing agency for tradies in Australia?
It depends on your trade, budget and how fast you can follow up leads. Look for an agency that runs ads in your own account, gives you exclusive leads, can show named results from your trade, and works month to month. Tradie Pulse is an Australian agency that works only with tradies and publishes its case studies, cost per lead and pricing.
How much does a marketing agency for tradies cost?
Most charge a monthly management fee plus your ad spend, which goes to Meta or Google. Ad spend is separate. Across 148 tradie ad accounts connected to the Tradie Pulse Business Manager, the median lifetime ad spend was about $2,400. Tradie Pulse publishes its own pricing on its packages page.
Is a lead platform or an agency better for tradies?
Lead platforms are quick to start and need no setup, but jobs are often shared with other tradies, so you compete on price. An agency running your own ads takes a few days to set up, then the leads are yours alone and you build your own brand. Many tradies start on a platform and move to their own ads.
Should a tradie do Facebook ads or SEO?
Facebook and Instagram ads bring leads within days. SEO builds over months and keeps working. Most tradies use ads for work now and SEO for the long term.
Do I need a CRM as a tradie?
If you run ads, yes. A CRM sends every lead to your phone instantly, follows up automatically and tracks which jobs you win. Fast follow-up is where most of the return from ads comes from.
Free Strategy Call

Ask Us the 10 Questions

Book a free call and put us through the checklist. You’ll get straight answers and real numbers from your trade.