How a Melbourne Plumber Generated $8,000+ Additional Monthly Revenue Using a Digital Marketing Course
Nov 15, 2025
The Problem:
Mark runs a successful plumbing business in Melbourne's inner suburbs. Annual revenue: $185,000. The work is good—he's reliable, professional, does quality jobs. His calendar is usually full.
But here's the problem: it's always full the same way. Month to month, revenue is inconsistent. Two weeks booked solid, then a slow week with half-empty calendar. The referral stream that built his business had plateaued. New customer acquisition happens randomly—mostly word of mouth, occasional job board listings but he felt Hi Pages was a waste of his time and expertise in a race to the bottom with pricing.
Mark is 47, running a solo operation with occasional subcontractors. He's never done marketing. The idea of digital marketing, Facebook ads, SEO—it all feels like something for marketing agencies in tight jeans, not for plumbers.
But the inconsistency is affecting everything. He can't hire a full-time assistant because workflow is unpredictable. He's turning down jobs some weeks because he's booked, then scrambling for work other weeks. It's stressful and inefficient.
The realization: "If I could smooth out the work pipeline and get consistent bookings, I could actually grow this business. Maybe even bring on help. But how do I get customers consistently without spending $3,000+ monthly on an agency?"
This is where everything changed.
The Discovery: A Course Designed for Tradies
Mark wasn't actively looking for a digital marketing course. He stumbled across it while searching for "how to get more plumbing customers" on Google.
He found an article comparing digital marketing courses specifically for small business owners. Most reviews were talking about courses requiring 2-hour learning blocks, theory-heavy content, and US-centric examples.
Then he saw one course mentioned repeatedly: 20 Minute Marketing. Us!
Why it caught his attention:
"20 minutes? I can do 20 minutes. I've got 20 minutes every morning before the phone starts ringing. And it's designed specifically for tradies in Australia—actual examples of plumbers, electricians, not some generic US or European stuff."
He read the description carefully: "Practical implementation focus, not theory. Low-budget strategies. Australian small business examples."
The price was reasonable—less than one month of what an agency would cost. The guarantee was clear: if he completed it and implemented it, he'd learn to systematically generate local leads.
Decision made: He enrolled. We were thrilled. We also found a great plumber for a a blown seal in our kitchen mixer but that's another story!
Month 1: Learning & Foundation
Week 1-2: Skeptical But Committed
Mark started the first module on a Tuesday morning at 6:30 AM—before the workday chaos. Twenty minutes of learning, then an implementation checklist and a quick assessment to verify what he'd learnt.
"I was skeptical. I've never done marketing. But the lesson was straightforward. The guy teaching it actually runs a business—you could tell. He wasn't selling fantasy." - I think that was a compliment!
The first really meaningful module was about Google Business Profile—getting your business showing up when people search "plumber near me."
"I had a Google Business Profile, but it was basic. Just the business name and phone number. The module walked through exactly what to do: adding photos of recent work, updating description, connecting service areas, filling in business hours correctly. Really simple stuff that I could easily achieve"
He spent the rest of that 20-minute morning implementing. Then Thursday morning, another 20-minute lesson. Then the next Tuesday.
"The thing I appreciated: each lesson ended with 'here's what to do in the next 20 minutes.' Not theory. Actual steps. I'd watch, then immediately do it while it was fresh. It really built my confidence"
By end of Week 2, his Google Business Profile was dramatically improved: better photos, complete business description, all service areas filled in, call-to-action button working. Importantly Mark also decided on areas he DID NOT want to work so excluded those from the service areas.
Within three days of updating the profile, he got a phone call: "Hi, I found you on Google Maps. Are you available Tuesday for a leaky tap?" - Wasn't us, but luckily for Mark it was only 15 minutes or so from a job he was already on, so it was easy to fit in that day.
First lead directly from course implementation.
Week 3-4: The Review System
Another of Mark's favourite modules focused on Google reviews—the most critical ranking factor for local plumbing services.
"I had maybe six reviews. They were old. And I'd never systematically asked for them. It was random—occasional customer would leave something, usually if they were extremely happy or extremely upset."
The course taught a specific system: immediately after completing a job, text customers a link to leave a review. Simple. Systematic. Repeatable. He even added it into his invoice template using a QR Code. What a simple yet brilliant little strategy.
"I was worried: will customers think it's annoying if I ask for reviews? But the course addressed this directly. The psychology: most people are happy to help if you make it incredibly easy. Just ask."
First week implementing the system: 3 new reviews.
By end of Week 4: 8 new reviews, pushing his rating up to 4.6 stars (from 3.8).
Phone started ringing more frequently. It was clearly having an effect in conjunction with the work put into Google Maps.
Month 2: Acceleration
Week 5-6: Facebook Ads Introduction
A key module focused on Facebook and Instagram advertising for local services.
Mark's concern: "How much will this cost? I've heard Facebook ads are expensive."
The course teaching was specific: "You control the budget. Start with $5-10 daily. Test different angles. Measure results. Scale what works."
By this point, Mark was feeling confident. He'd already generated several leads from Google Business Profile improvement. He understood the principles.
He created three different Facebook ads:
- "Emergency plumbing? Available today"
- "Tap repair $150 + callout fee" (specific service angle)
- Before/after photos of recent jobs
Budget: $10 daily ($300 monthly)
First week: 12 clicks to his website, 3 phone calls, 1 job booked ($650 value)
"I was shocked. $10 a day generated a $650 job. That's an amazing return. But I didn't think all the clicks would convert. The course explained this too—not all clicks become jobs, but enough do to make it work."
He kept running the ads. Adjusted creative based on what was getting clicks. By end of Month 2, he'd fine-tuned to 2-3 job inquiries weekly from Facebook ads, at about $4-5 cost per actual job (not cost per click, but cost per completed job). The best part was that Mark set the ads with suburb targeting so he could work near his home, minimising travel time and allowing him to do more jobs in a single day without working any longer hours.
Week 7-8: Email Follow-up System
The course then taught setting up email follow-up sequences for people who inquired but hadn't booked yet.
"I realized I was getting inquiries but not following up properly. Someone would call, I'd give a quote, they'd say 'let me think about it'—and I'd never hear from them again."
The course showed how to capture email addresses and send follow-up sequences automatically:
- Day 1: "Thanks for your inquiry. Here's information about our services"
- Day 3: "Interested in that job? Special this week on maintenance checks"
- Day 7: "Following up on your inquiry—let's get that fixed"
"I set it up and forgot about it basically. The system follows up for me. I'd estimate 15-20% of people who got the email sequence but hadn't booked ended up calling back. Tradies are so busy, we just don't get time to follow up. This system meant it was done for me, and it was like I was the only one doing it, so it was a really simple but effective tactic that got the phone ringing"
This alone added 2-3 jobs monthly from past inquiries.
Month 3: Results & Optimization
By Month 3, Mark had implemented the core tactics:
- Optimized Google Business Profile (ongoing)
- Systematic Google review requests (ongoing—15-20 reviews monthly now)
- Facebook ads ($10 daily, generating 8-12 job leads weekly)
- Email follow-up sequences (automated 80% of follow-ups)
Lead generation summary:
- Google Business Profile: 12-15 leads weekly
- Facebook Ads: 8-12 leads weekly
- Email follow-ups: 2-3 converted bookings weekly from past inquiries
- Total: 22-30 qualified leads weekly (up from 8-10 before course)
Conversion: With better lead quality + systematic follow-up, booking rate improved from 25% to 45%
Revenue impact:
- Pre-course: 8-10 jobs weekly × $600 average = $4,800-$6,000/week
- Post-course: 10-14 jobs weekly × $650 average = $6,500-$9,100/week
- Monthly increase: $6,830-$12,410 additional revenue
Month 4+: The Sustainability Question
"Okay, so it worked for Month 1-3. But could I maintain it? Would it keep generating leads or was it a fluke?"
Mark was learning an important lesson: digital marketing isn't a one-time thing. It's a system you maintain.
What he did differently in Month 4+:
Refinement, not abandonment. He kept doing what was working:
- Continued systematic review requests (now ingrained in his process, on his invoicing and on his new "Thanks for your trust" email he started to send when payments were recieved.)
- Kept Facebook ads running (adjusted creative as needed)
- Kept email sequences going (now completely automated)
- Added: Google Ads for emergency plumbing searches (high-intent, slightly higher cost but extremely qualified leads)
Measurement: He set up a simple spreadsheet tracking:
- Leads by source (where they came from)
- Job bookings from each lead
- Revenue by source
- Cost per job by source
This revealed where his best leads came from (Google Business, surprisingly) and where to invest more budget (Facebook ads generating jobs but at slightly higher cost).
Optimization: After data revealed patterns, he:
- Increased Google Business investment (more photos, more reviews focus)
- Maintained Facebook ads at $10 daily (solid performer, predictable)
- Added Google Ads for specific high-value services where he could be picky with what and where he worked on/at.
- Reduced effort on channels not performing (HiPages!)
By Month 6: System was running smoothly. He spent about 3 hours weekly on marketing:
- 30 minutes daily monitoring leads/emails
- 2 hours weekly on Facebook/Google ad management
- 1 hour weekly on review requests/follow-ups
"It became normal. Not some stressful additional task—just part of running the business."
The Numbers: 6-Month Results
Lead Generation Impact
| Metric | Before | After 6 Months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads per week | 8-10 | 22-30 | +175% to +200% |
| Booking rate | 25% | 45% | +80% |
| Jobs per week | 2-2.5 | 10-13.5 | +400% to +440% |
| Calendar consistency | Highly variable | 85%+ booked | Massively improved |
Revenue Impact
| Metric | Before | After 6 Months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly revenue | $4,800-$6,000 | $6,500-$9,100 | +$1,700-$3,100 |
| Monthly revenue | $19,200-$24,000 | $26,000-$36,400 | +$6,800-$12,400 |
| Annual revenue | $230,400-$288,000 | $312,000-$436,800 | +$81,600-$148,800 |
Mark's conservative estimate: +$96,000 to $120,000 annual revenue increase for only a slight increase in total working hours.
Cost Analysis
Investment:
- Course: $1,000 (one-time)
- Facebook ads: $300/month ($1,800 for 6 months)
- Google Ads: $100/month ($600 for 6 months)
- Email platform: $30/month ($180 for 6 months)
- Google Local Services ads: $200/month ($1,200 for 6 months)
- Total 6-month investment: ~$5,380
Return: Minimum $96,000 additional revenue ROI: 1,782% return on investment
The Pivotal Moments: What Actually Made the Difference
When asked what made the biggest impact, Mark identified three critical moments:
Moment #1: Understanding Google Business Profile was His #1 Priority
"I thought I needed to master everything. The course made clear: if you're a local service business, Google Business Profile is THE priority. Everything else is secondary."
Focusing on Google Business Profile first generated leads immediately. It also gave him confidence that this approach actually worked.
"Once I saw real leads coming from Google Business, I was committed to the other tactics. Because I knew the system actually worked."
Moment #2: Systematizing the Review Process
"I probably would have gotten reviews eventually anyway. But systematizing it—asking every customer, making it easy, tracking progress—that accelerated it tremendously."
Going from 6 to 40+ reviews in 6 months dramatically improved ranking and phone volume.
"95% of customers want to leave reviews if you ask. I didn't know that before the course. I was just hoping people would volunteer. Of course they don't."
Moment #3: Running Facebook Ads Without Being Afraid
"I'd heard horror stories about people spending $1,000 on ads and getting nothing. The course taught me: start small ($5/day), test different messages, measure results, only scale what works."
By starting small and measuring, he found his $10/day Facebook ad budget was generating reliable, profitable leads.
"If I'd tried to run a big campaign without understanding the fundamentals, I probably would have wasted money and abandoned ads. Starting small taught me how to do it right."
The Challenges: It Wasn't Perfect
Mark's implementation wasn't flawless. He encountered real obstacles:
Challenge #1: Staying Consistent
"Month 2-3 was busy. I was tempted to skip the review requests or stop the Facebook ads because I was booked solid. I kept thinking, 'I'm busy enough, why keep marketing?'"
The course addressed this psychology: "Consistency is where most businesses fail. When you're busy, you want to stop marketing. When you're slow, you want to panic-spend. Do the opposite."
Mark pushed through and maintained systems even when busy.
"Now I'm glad I did. The leads from Month 2-3 marketing showed up in Month 4-5. If I'd stopped, Month 5-6 would have been slow."
Challenge #2: Technical Setup
"Setting up the email sequences wasn't hard, but it took more time than I expected. I had to choose an email platform, figure out integrations, set up sequences. That was maybe 2-3 hours of frustration."
The course provided step-by-step guidance, but it required patience.
"Once it was set up, it worked automatically. But the setup took more troubleshooting than I wanted."
Challenge #3: Ad Fatigue
"By Month 4, I was getting fewer clicks from Facebook ads. I realized the ads were getting old. Same creative, same message."
He refreshed ads with new photos and different messaging.
"Results came back immediately. The course taught this: your ads have a lifespan. You need to keep testing and refreshing."
The Skills Mark Now Owns
Six months in, Mark has developed real, usable skills:
Google Business Profile Mastery
- Knows exactly what impacts ranking
- Can optimize for different service areas
- Understands review impact
Lead Generation Analytics
- Tracks which channels generate highest-quality leads
- Understands cost per job by channel
- Can identify underperforming tactics quickly
Paid Advertising Basics
- Comfortable running Facebook ads (knows how to test, measure, scale)
- Understands Google Ads fundamentals
- Can manage $500+/month ad budget profitably
Email Marketing
- Set up automation sequences
- Understands follow-up psychology
- Sees results from systematized follow-up
Data-Driven Decision Making
- Not running marketing by guessing
- Measures what works
- Adjusts based on data, not hunches
"These skills will serve me for the rest of my business life. Even if I eventually hire someone to handle marketing, I understand it now. I can't be bamboozled by some expensive agency promising things that don't make sense."
What Mark Would Tell Other Tradies
When asked what advice he'd give other tradespeople considering a similar course:
"Do it. The time investment is manageable. I was skeptical about digital marketing because I'm not a tech person, but this course was designed for someone exactly like me—a tradie with limited time and no marketing background.
Here's what I'd emphasize:
- Start with Google Business Profile. Don't try to master Facebook ads first. Get Google Business working, then layer on other tactics.
- Systematic review requests are magic. More reviews = more calls. It's that simple. Ask every customer.
- Start small with paid ads. I was terrified of wasting money. Starting at $5-10 daily let me learn without big risk. Then I scaled once I understood it.
- Do it even when you're busy. The temptation to stop marketing when busy is huge. Don't give in. Consistency is everything.
- Track results. Don't run ads hoping they work. Measure everything. Know your cost per job. This gives you confidence and helps you improve.
- Give it 90 days minimum. Some tactics (Google ranking, email sequences) take time. If you give up at 4 weeks, you won't see full results.
Bottom line: The course paid for itself in the first two weeks of new customer revenue. Six months in, it's probably brought in $100k+ additional revenue. Best investment I've made in the business."
The Bigger Picture: What This Means
Mark's results aren't exceptional—they're normal for tradies who properly implement digital marketing training.
Tradies are in a unique position:
- High service value (plumbing job: $600+ easily)
- Local market focus (easier to dominate locally than compete nationally)
- Demand consistency (plumbing, electrical work, etc. always needed)
- Low customer acquisition dependency (don't need hundreds of customers, just consistent pipeline)
With proper digital marketing training and reasonable implementation:
- Most tradies see 3-5x lead volume increase
- 20-30% conversion rate improvement
- $50,000-$150,000+ annual revenue increase
The difference: tradies with marketing knowledge systematically generate leads. Tradies without it hope customers find them.
The Lesson: Education Pays Off
Mark invested just under $1,000 in education. In six months, it generated $96,000+ in additional revenue. That's a 96-fold return.
But more than the money: he now owns skills he'll use for the rest of his career. He's less dependent on random referrals. His calendar is more consistent. He could even eventually hire someone to help him manage the work.
"The course didn't just make me more money. It gave me control over my business. Before, I was hoping customers found me. Now, I'm systematically attracting them."
That's the real value proposition of a well-designed digital marketing course for tradies.
Ready to Achieve Similar Results?
If you're a tradie wondering whether a digital marketing course could help your business, Mark's results show what's possible with consistent implementation.
The key ingredients:
- Course designed specifically for tradies (not generic)
- Practical, actionable content (not theory)
- Australian focus (relevant examples)
- Your commitment to 90+ days implementation
- Measurement and optimization
Start with 20 Minute Marketing to learn what Mark learned
Your six-month results could be similar or even better. The only question is: are you willing to invest 3-4 hours weekly for 8-10 weeks to potentially increase your annual revenue by $80,000-$150,000?
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