Podcast Summary: Win With Paid Ads™ – Episode: How To Advertise A Service-Based Business

Host: Ashley Brock
Release Date: July 31, 2025
Duration: Approximately 1 hour

Introduction

In this episode of the Win With Paid Ads™ Podcast, host Ashley Brock delves into effective advertising strategies tailored for service-based businesses. Targeted at entrepreneurs and business owners eager to enhance their advertising prowess, Ashley emphasizes the critical role of visibility in surpassing business goals swiftly through paid advertising.

Understanding the Local Service-Based Business Landscape

Ashley begins by categorizing local service-based businesses into seven distinct groups, ensuring listeners can identify where their business fits and apply relevant strategies.

1. Home and Maintenance Services

   • Examples: Roofers, plumbers, electricians, house cleaners.

2. Health and Wellness Services

   • Examples: Chiropractors, dentists, personal trainers, med spas.

3. Beauty and Grooming Services

   • Examples: Hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, mobile makeup artists.

4. Education Services

   • Examples: Tutoring centers, driving schools, dance studios, childcare centers.

5. Pet Services

   • Examples: Dog groomers, pet boarding, mobile vet clinics, dog trainers.

6. Automotive Services

   • Examples: Mechanics, auto detailing, tire shops, towing services.

7. Professional Services

   • Examples: Attorneys, accountants, real estate agents, insurance agents.

"These are the seven core buckets of when I think local service provider." (01:20)

The Importance of Visibility Over Ability

Ashley uses a compelling analogy to highlight why visibility is paramount:

"Imagine you are standing in a dark room holding all your experience and skills. Your competitor has a flashlight but lacks your expertise. Despite your superior capabilities, your competitor attracts your prospects simply because they are visible." (04:15)

Key Takeaway: Regardless of your expertise, without proper visibility, potential clients may overlook your superior services in favor of more visible competitors.

Five Pillars of Profitable Ads for Local Service Providers

Ashley outlines five essential components for successful paid advertising:

1. Messaging: What you say to your audience.
2. Setting: Where you place your ads.
3. Targeting: Who you aim your ads at.
4. Testing: How you refine and improve your ads.
5. Scaling and Profiting: Expanding your ad efforts to maximize returns.

"There are five pieces to really succeeding with profitable ads for local service providers." (06:30)

Common Mistakes in Messaging and Ad Placement

Overcomplicating Messaging: Ashley notes that many service providers overthink their messaging, trying to include too much information. Simplicity often works best.

"Instead of communicating all these things about our family, it's like, no, they just want to know you're the best at Christmas lights." (08:45)

Incorrect Ad Platforms: Contrary to popular belief, Ashley advocates for prioritizing Google Ads over social platforms like Instagram and Facebook for local service businesses.

"For all of my local service based clients, Google outperforms meta 90% of the time." (10:10)

Addressing Common Concerns

1. Standing Out in a Crowded Market:

   • Solution: Invest in paid ads to ensure visibility. When prospects find you, your superior brand, presence, and reviews will set you apart.
   • "You might just have to pay money to invest in your business to have visibility." (12:00)

2. Balancing Expertise with Advertising:

   • Solution: Learn to manage your own ads or train someone on your team. Ashley shares a success story of a photographer who became proficient in ads within six months.
   • "Imagine if six months from now you truly felt like you were an ads expert." (15:25)

3. Time Constraints:

   • Solution: Reallocate time from low-impact activities to creating a consistent advertising system.
   • "You don't need more time, you need a better return on your time that you're already spending." (19:40)

4. Previous Ad Failures:

   • Solution: Assess if past ads were executed correctly. Poorly managed ads can lead to ineffective results, not a lack of potential.
   • "If your ads didn't work before, it could have just been because they were done poorly." (24:50)

5. Budget Limitations:

   • Solution: Redirect funds from outdated or untrackable advertising methods (e.g., boosted social posts, printed mailers) to targeted Google and Meta ads.
   • "If you're spending $300 to $1,000 a month on untrackable methods, reallocate it to local paid advertising." (28:30)

Effective Advertising Strategies

1. Start with Google Ads:

   • Focus on specific keywords that prospective clients are actively searching for.
   • "People are looking for something specific, and when they find that through ads, it typically performs so well." (32:05)

2. Enhance Your Google Business Profile (GBP):

   • Recency: Ensure recent reviews.
   • Frequency: Maintain a steady flow of reviews.
   • Quality: Garner high-quality feedback.
   • "Recency, frequency, and quality are the three things that Google is looking at." (34:20)

3. Leverage Testimonials:

   • Collect and showcase video testimonials to build trust and credibility.
   • "Testimonials are money for your ads. Some of my best performing ads are my testimonials." (38:10)

4. Geo-Targeting:

   • Precisely target your local area to reach hand-raisers actively seeking your services.
   • "Geo-targeting is such an advantage versus having to do the whole US." (40:00)

5. Optimize Traditional Methods:

   • If using mailers, incorporate trackable elements like QR codes or unique coupon codes.
   • "Make sure that you're going to track it the right way, not just wondering if they came from the mailer." (42:15)

6. Strengthen Your Website:

   • Include connection points (e.g., team videos) and credibility indicators (e.g., certifications, testimonials) to convert ad traffic effectively.
   • "Get someone on camera and show the facility. Talk about why you're different because they want to connect with you." (45:30)

7. Implement Robust Nurturing Systems:

   • Use modern CRM systems for email and text follow-ups to keep your business top-of-mind.
   • "Having a system that is really good at nurturing and sending text messages and emails is crucial." (48:05)

The Win With Paid Ads Challenge

Throughout the episode, Ashley promotes the Win With Paid Ads Challenge, a five-day program designed to equip listeners with actionable strategies across the five pillars of advertising:

1. Day 1: Messaging – Crafting compelling messages.
2. Day 2: Setting – Selecting the right platforms.
3. Day 3: Targeting – Identifying and reaching the right audience.
4. Day 4: Testing – Refining and improving ad performance.
5. Day 5: Scaling and Profiting – Expanding efforts for maximum ROI.

"The doors are closing soon. This is five days of you and your team learning my five-part strategy to scale your paid ads." (50:20)

Conclusion

Ashley Brock wraps up the episode by reiterating the transformative potential of strategic paid advertising for local service-based businesses. By prioritizing visibility through platforms like Google Ads, optimizing messaging, leveraging testimonials, and implementing robust nurturing systems, entrepreneurs can significantly enhance their lead generation and overall business growth.

"Ads don't replace referrals; they multiply them. If you're that good at what you do, then let's just get you some more referrals." (55:10)

Listeners are encouraged to join the Win With Paid Ads Challenge to gain deeper insights and personalized feedback, ensuring they can effectively implement the strategies discussed.

Notable Quotes:

• "Visibility beats ability. Even if you have all this ability, if no one can find you, the person who is most visible will be the one that they move forward with." – Ashley Brock (04:15)

• "If your ads didn't work before, it could have just been because they were done poorly." – Ashley Brock (24:50)

• "Testimonials are money for your ads. Some of my best performing ads are my testimonials." – Ashley Brock (38:10)

• "Ads don't replace referrals; they multiply them." – Ashley Brock (55:10)

Action Steps for Listeners

1. Identify Your Business Category: Determine which of the seven local service categories your business falls under to apply tailored strategies.
2. Prioritize Google Ads: Allocate the majority of your advertising budget to Google and focus on specific, intent-driven keywords.
3. Enhance Your Online Presence: Optimize your Google Business Profile and actively seek high-quality, recent reviews.
4. Collect and Utilize Testimonials: Encourage satisfied clients to provide video testimonials to boost credibility.
5. Implement Geo-Targeting: Ensure your ads are reaching the right local audience through precise geographic targeting.
6. Optimize Traditional Advertising: If using mailers or other traditional methods, incorporate trackable elements to measure effectiveness.
7. Strengthen Your Website's Conversion Points: Incorporate videos and other connection points to convert ad traffic effectively.
8. Join the Win With Paid Ads Challenge: Enroll in the five-day program for an in-depth understanding and implementation of effective advertising strategies.

By following these steps, service-based businesses can harness the power of paid advertising to achieve significant growth and visibility in their local markets.