Tired of slow seasons and referral droughts? You’re not alone. Most painters rely on word-of-mouth, but to grow consistently, you need to market like a local pro. Digital marketing is now essential for painters who want to increase visibility and generate more leads.
This guide breaks down a no-fluff system—including digital strategies and advertising—to help you get visibility, earn trust, and fill your calendar—all without spending thousands on guesswork.
Why Painters Struggle With Consistent Leads
Most painters get stuck in the feast-or-famine cycle:
- Booked solid for 2 months…
- Then nothing but crickets.
The problem? They wait for the phone to ring instead of building a repeatable marketing engine. Let’s fix that. Successful painters have used proven marketing strategies to avoid slow seasons, while many still struggle to find what is actually working for consistent lead generation.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Local Painting Leads
This is your #1 lead source. When someone Googles “house painter near me,” you want your business to appear in google search results and show up in the map pack.
To do that:
- Choose the right primary category (e.g., “Painter”)
- Add service areas by zip code
- Post weekly photos: before/after shots, exteriors, cabinets, etc.
- Make sure your phone number and company name are accurate and consistent across your Google Business Profile and other listings
- Answer Q&As and collect reviews regularly—online reviews play a key role in your local SEO and help build trust with potential customers
Use keywords in your posts like: “interior painter in [City]” or “deck staining near [Neighborhood].” After each project, encourage your customers to leave a review.
Local SEO Strategies That Get Painters Found
Want to outrank competitors? You need hyper-local content and a strong focus on search engine optimization to get found in local search results.
- Create city- or neighborhood-specific pages: “Exterior Painting in Cherry Creek” and optimize them to appear in the first positions of search results.
- Write blog posts on topics like: “Best Paint Colors for Denver Homes in 2025”
- Embed maps and location keywords on every page to increase your visibility in local search results.
- Add schema markup to help Google understand your services and location, which can increase your chances of ranking on the first page.
Bonus: Link your GBP and website consistently. These strategies can increase your chances of ranking first in local search results and driving more leads to your business.
Website Must-Haves for Painters Who Want More Quotes
A professional website is essential for building a strong online presence and turning visitors into customers.
Here’s what works:
- Clear headline: “Professional House Painting in [City]”
- Project gallery sorted by room or type (interior, exterior, cabinets) to showcase high quality work
- Quality website design and content that highlights your expertise and attracts qualified leads
- Contact form with calendar booking or estimate request
- Social proof: star reviews, testimonials, badges that demonstrate your high quality reputation
- Call-to-action buttons: “Get a Free Quote,” “Book Now”
Social Content That Gets Shared (and Booked)
Show, don’t tell. That’s the social media formula that works for painters. Choose the right social media platforms for your audience to maximize reach and engagement.
- Share time-lapse videos of projects
- Post before/after reels with dramatic transformations
- Highlight color palettes and product choices
- Use trending hashtags and geo-tags
Focus on growing your social media following by consistently posting engaging content and interacting with your community.
Instagram + Facebook are your best bets. Add paid boosts to target zip codes and interests (like home design or remodeling), and consider running a targeted campaign on these social media platforms to boost engagement or bookings.
Email Marketing for Painters: Staying Top-of-Mind and Winning Repeat Business
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies for painting businesses looking to stay connected with customers and generate new leads. By building an email list of past clients and interested prospects, painters can send targeted campaigns that keep their services top-of-mind all year long.
Affordable Paid Ads for Painters
You don’t need a big ad budget to get results—just a focused one using targeted advertising to maximize your budget.
- Run Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) for pay-per-lead traffic—consider search ads as another form of paid advertising to boost visibility.
- Use Facebook Ads with local audience targeting.
- Retarget website visitors with seasonal offers (e.g., spring refresh specials).
After leads respond to your ads, follow up with them using emails to nurture relationships and increase conversions.
Always direct traffic to a landing page, not your homepage.
Marketing Commercial Painting Services: Standing Out in the B2B Market
Marketing commercial painting services is a different game than residential work. To win big contracts, painting companies need to show they’re reliable, professional, and ready for large-scale jobs.
Creating Effective Marketing Campaigns That Drive Results
To grow your painting business, you need marketing campaigns that actually deliver results—not just likes or clicks. Start by identifying what makes your painting services unique, then build a marketing strategy that puts your strengths front and center.
Painting Marketing Wins from the Field
Jen, a solo painter in Austin, was getting 1–2 jobs/month from referrals. She decided to:
- Optimize her GBP and ask for 10 new reviews
- Post weekly before/after projects on Instagram
- Run LSAs in 3 zip codes around Austin
What helped Jen achieve her results was building a strong base of local visibility and consistently sharing proof of her quality painting work online. She was able to see results quickly—within 45 days, she booked out 6 weeks and doubled her average job size. Jen would highly recommend these strategies to other painting contractors looking to grow their business. You can read about more success stories like Jen’s to understand how these steps help business owners. Make sure you follow the steps consistently for the best results.
Understanding Marketing Services for Painters: When and How to Outsource
As your painting business grows, you might find it tough to handle all your marketing in-house. That’s where outsourcing marketing services can help. By partnering with agencies that specialize in the painting industry, you can save time and get better results.