About this episode
In this episode, Kane sits down with Aisha Derrick, Brand and Marketing Manager at Smartfix and co-owner of Hypotential, for a practical conversation about what actually works when it comes to marketing a residential trade business.
Aisha has spent four years shaping Smartfix’s branding, advertising and customer experience, and in this episode she breaks it all down for trades business owners at every stage. They cover the biggest mistakes small budget businesses make, why branding and advertising are not the same thing, how to stand out in a market where everyone says the same thing, the role of Google reviews and Google Business posts, how AI is changing content creation and why authenticity is becoming more valuable as a result, and the one piece of marketing advice every business owner should hear before they spend a cent.
If you run a trades business and want to get smarter with your marketing without wasting time or money, this one is for you.
Follow Hypotential:
Website: https://www.hypotential.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypotential_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HypotentialCo
Follow Kane:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanetylersmith_/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaneTylerSmithWA
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanetylersmith
Connect with Smartfix:
Website: https://teamsmartfix.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamsmartfix/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamSmartfixPty
In this episode
- 00:00Intro
- 00:20The biggest marketing mistakes trades businesses make
- 01:00What spreading your budget too thin actually looks like
- 01:47Do you need a marketing budget when starting out?
- 02:35Free marketing tools every tradie should use from day one
- 03:45Setting up your Google Business Profile and first social platform
- 04:37Why treating yourself like a business from day one matters
- 05:45Getting a proper work email and phone number before anything else
- 06:25Should you use a personal or business Facebook page for community groups?
- 08:53Tracking your marketing and when you actually need it
- 09:35Do you need a freelancer or can you manage ads yourself?
- 10:37Why you must keep admin access to every platform you set up
- 12:33Password management and why it saves you later
- 13:57Why Google Ads is too complex to run yourself as a tradie
- 15:53Why so many Perth trades businesses fail to stand out
- 16:23The problem with copying competitors without understanding why it works
- 18:21When does a trades business actually need proper branding?
- 20:10Is it okay to rebrand and change your logo?
- 21:57Vehicle wraps and why full wraps are changing the game for trades
- 25:54What makes a good van wrap and what makes it tacky
- 28:04The difference between branding, marketing and advertising explained
- 30:09How branding, marketing and advertising work together
- 34:25How to adjust content across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn
- 34:58Why Google reviews are critical for residential trades businesses
- 36:26Google Business posts explained and why consistency matters
- 38:56Batch scheduling your social content in one hour a month
- 41:46How to turn new customers into repeat and referral customers
- 43:32The customer experience touchpoints that make re-engagement work
- 46:23The full Smartfix customer journey from Google search to job completion
- 48:24Has AI made marketing better or worse?
- 52:42Why authenticity is becoming more valuable as AI takes over
- 55:26Long form content, podcasting and why trust takes time to build
- 58:21The best piece of marketing advice Aisha has ever received
- 01:03:49Why hiring for a title instead of a need cost Smartfix dearly
- 01:05:33Why in-person office culture matters and when remote works
- 01:20:14One piece of marketing advice every business owner should hear
- 01:22:04Wrap up
