Free vs. Paid Marketing for Service Businesses: Where to Spend First

# Free vs. Paid Marketing for Service Businesses: Where to Spend First Service business owners burn $10k-$40k in year one on paid marketing that doesn't work because they skip the free foundations. Here's the exact spend priority order that grows the pipeline fastest. ## Free first — get to 25 monthly leads before you spend a dollar Fully-optimized Google Business Profile: 8-15 leads/month. Weekly GBP posts: +3-5 leads/month. Nextdoor + Facebook Group engagement: 3-6 leads/month. Post-job Google review requests: compounds every month. Referral program at $25 credit: 2-4 leads/month. Cross-referral partnerships with 3-5 adjacent trades: 3-5 leads/month. Total: 20-35 free leads/month at zero direct cost. ## Then add Google Local Services Ads LSAs are the highest-converting paid channel. Cost per lead is $12-$95 depending on trade. Budget $500-$1,500/month starting out. Response time matters more than budget — shops that answer LSA calls in 30 seconds beat shops that answer in 3 minutes 3-4x on impression share. ## Then add Google Search Ads Once LSAs are steady, add $500-$1,500/month in Google Search Ads targeting emergency-intent keywords ("AC repair near me," "emergency plumber," "burst pipe"). Cost per lead is typically 20-40% higher than LSAs but volume is 3-5x higher. ## Skip Facebook Ads unless your job is highly visual Pressure washing, tree service, roofing, landscaping — Facebook Ads work because before/after photos convert. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, appliance repair — Facebook Ads underperform Google. Match your channel to your product. ## Never spend on radio, TV, or billboards in year one The CPA math never works at small scale. Come back to broadcast when you're a $5M+/year multi-crew shop. [Start your free 14-day trial of Service Pro Suite](https://serviceprosuite.com/signup) to automate the dispatch, invoicing, and review requests that turn cheap leads into paid jobs. Related: [How to grow your plumbing business](https://serviceprosuite.com/grow/plumbing-business), [How to grow your roofing business](https://serviceprosuite.com/grow/roofing-business), [How to grow your pest control business](https://serviceprosuite.com/grow/pest-control-business), [All 16 growth guides](https://serviceprosuite.com/grow).