How To Run Ads For Painting Contractors: Build Your Own Lead Machine

Want to know the secret to running ads for your painting business? It’s not complicated. You just need to be in two places.

Use Google Ads to show up when people search for a painter right now. Use Facebook Ads to reach local homeowners who will need a painter soon. That’s the whole game, seriously. This simple one-two punch gets you jobs today while lining up jobs for tomorrow, turning your ad money into a non-stop lead machine.

Your Simple Game Plan For Ads That Actually Work

Tired of spending money on ads and hearing nothing but crickets? Let’s fix that.

This guide is your easy-to-follow game plan for running ads that bring in paying customers. We’re skipping the confusing tech talk and getting right to what matters: turning your ads into a “Lead Machine” that keeps you busy.

We’ll focus on the only two places you need to start: Google and Facebook. Think of it like this: Google finds people ready to hire you today, while Facebook finds people who will be ready soon. It’s the perfect team for keeping your schedule full.

The Most Important Part of Your Ad Plan

Before you spend a single dollar on ads, remember this: all your ads need a place to send people. A simple, clean website is the engine of your lead machine.

Without a good website that makes it easy for people to call you, your ads are just throwing money away. Don’t worry, though—making a website that works is easier than you think. This picture shows the simple flow. Your website is the main hub, and Google and Facebook ads send the right people straight to it.

This whole process is built to guide potential customers right to your website, where they can see your awesome work and, most importantly, call you for a free estimate.

Your Two Best Friends in Advertising

Here’s a quick look at where your ads need to be and what each one does best for your painting business.

Running both at the same time means you’re catching people whether they’re “just thinking about it” or “ready to sign a contract.”

Turning Clicks Into Customers

The goal isn’t just clicks; it’s booked jobs. We’ll show you how a simple website, a clear message, and the right ads can make your phone ring with customers who are ready to hire you.

You can absolutely do this yourself.

The secret to good ads isn’t being a computer genius. It’s just showing up where your customers are looking with a simple, helpful message. Keep it simple, and you’ll win.

Think of this guide as your map. We’ll cover the basics of Google Ads, Facebook ads, and why a great website and a system for getting 5-star reviews are must-haves.

To get a head start, you can see our approach with super simple ads for contractors, which shows exactly how we get you clicks that turn into customers.

Let’s build your lead machine.

Build a Website That Turns Clicks into Calls

Before you spend a dime on ads, we need to talk about your website. Sending people from an ad to a bad website is like pouring water into a bucket with a giant hole in it. It’s a complete waste of money.

Most painter websites are just online flyers. They look okay, but they don’t do anything. Your website needs to be your best salesperson, a true lead machine built for one job: getting homeowners to call you for an estimate.

Forget Fancy, Focus on Easy

You don’t need a crazy website with spinning pictures and slow-loading videos. You need a simple tool that makes it super easy for a customer to hire you.

When someone clicks your ad and lands on your site, they should know exactly what to do next. No confusion.

Here are the absolute must-haves for a website that actually gets you painting leads:

• Big, Obvious Phone Numbers: Your phone number should be right at the top of every single page. On a cell phone, it must be a button they can just tap to call you. Most of your customers are on their phones, so make it a piece of cake for them to call.
• Simple “Get a Free Estimate” Forms: Keep your forms short and sweet. Just ask for the basics: name, phone, email, and a quick message. Long, confusing forms will scare people away.
• Show Off Your 5-Star Reviews: Nothing makes people trust you faster than seeing other happy customers. Don’t just link to your Google page—put your best 5-star reviews right on your homepage. This tells visitors you’re the real deal.

Own Your Town Online

A simple “Services” page isn’t enough anymore. To really win with local SEO and ads, your website needs to show Google you’re the boss in the specific towns you serve.

Think of your website like a map. Every town you work in should have its own page on your site.

For example, your site absolutely must have:

1. Pages for Each Service: You need separate pages for things like “Interior Painting,” “Exterior Painting,” and “Cabinet Painting.” This helps people find you when they search for those specific jobs.
2. Pages for Each City: If you work in Springfield but also serve Shelbyville and Capital City, you need a separate page for each of those towns. These pages tell Google (and your customers) that you’re the local expert in their neighborhood.

Your ads are the gas, but your website is the engine. A weak website just burns through your money. A great one turns every click from your Google Ads and Facebook Ads into a potential job.

To get the most out of your site, it’s worth looking at different strategies for increasing online bookings and making sure every visitor has a clear path to becoming a lead.

We believe in keeping this simple. A great website is the start of any ad plan that actually works. You can learn more about our way of doing lead generation website design for home services contractors to see how we build these lead machines. You can do this, and we can show you how.

Master Google Ads and Get Leads Today

When someone’s kitchen looks like it’s from a scary 1970s movie, they don’t look in the phone book. They grab their phone and type “painters near me” into Google. This is where your best customers are hanging out, ready to hire someone.

But let’s be real, Google Ads can feel like setting a pile of money on fire if you’re not careful. You can burn through your budget in no time.

The good news? You don’t need to be a tech expert to make it work. You just need a simple plan to turn those searches into jobs on your calendar.

This is all about creating a simple system to become a lead machine. It’s easier than you think, and you can absolutely do this.

Your Two Secret Weapons for Google

For a painter, there are really only two kinds of Google Ads you need to worry about. Let’s break them down without any of the confusing talk.

• Google Search Ads: These are the normal ads you see at the top of the search results. Someone types something, and your ad pops up. This is perfect for grabbing people who are looking for a painter right now.
• Local Services Ads (LSAs): These are the “Google Guaranteed” boxes that show up at the very top, even above the other ads. The best part? You only pay when a customer calls you from the ad. To be a star here, you need to get lots of 5-star reviews, because they show up right in your ad.

Running both types of ads is like a powerful one-two punch. The “Google Guaranteed” ads get you quick calls from people who already trust you, while the regular Search Ads let you target specific types of jobs.

Speak Their Language with the Right Words

The trick to winning with Google Ads is to think like your customer. What would they type into the search bar when they need your help?

Don’t just bid on the word “painter.” That’s too general and costs a fortune. Instead, get specific and local. This is where your local SEO brain comes in handy.

The secret is to use “long-tail keywords.” These are just longer, more specific phrases that show someone is serious about hiring you. They know what they want.

Here are a few examples of keywords that get great results:

• “exterior house painter cleveland ohio”
• “cabinet refinishing columbus”
• “commercial painting services near me”
• “best painters for old houses”

Using these specific phrases means you’re showing up for people who are ready to make a decision. That saves you a ton of money on wasted clicks.

Win the Game by Being Super Local

Your secret weapon for painting ads is your location. Don’t waste money showing ads to people three towns over. The magic is in targeting specific towns and even zip codes where your best jobs are.

This is super important now because ads are getting more expensive. Big companies are trying to buy up all the clicks. Even the “Google Guaranteed” ads are getting tougher to show up in.

But here’s the good news: painters who focus on a tight local area are still growing like crazy, seeing 10-20% growth.

By focusing your Google Ads budget on a 5-10 mile area around your best jobs, you make sure every dollar is spent reaching people who can actually hire you. This simple move turns your ad budget into a powerful lead machine that fills your calendar with great local jobs. We can help you set this all up, making it simple and effective from day one.

Use Facebook to Be the Most Famous Painter in Town

Google Ads are great for catching people who need a painter right now. Facebook Ads do something different. Think of it like this: Google is for hunting, and Facebook is for farming. You’re planting seeds with future customers so that when they’re finally ready to paint, you’re the only person they think of.

It’s all about becoming the famous, go-to painter in your town. When someone asks their neighbor for a painter recommendation, your name should be the first one they say. That’s the power of being a local celebrity, and Facebook is a great, cheap tool to make it happen.

This isn’t about complicated tech stuff. It’s just about showing your best work to the right people. You can absolutely do this, and we can get you set up in a way that’s simple and just works.

Find Your Perfect Customers

The real magic of Facebook is that you can show your ads to the exact people most likely to hire you. Stop wasting money on renters or people who live too far away.

With a few clicks, you can show your ads to:

• Homeowners: You can choose to show ads only to people who own their homes. Easy!
• Specific Zip Codes: Only want to work in the fancy part of town? No problem. Just target those zip codes.
• Age and Income: You can even show ads to people in certain age groups or who make a certain amount of money, making sure you reach people who can afford great work.

This means every single dollar you spend is working hard to make you famous with the right crowd. This is how you turn a social media page into a real lead machine.

Your Best Ads are Just Simple Pictures

You don’t need a giant budget to make great Facebook Ads. In fact, your best ads are probably already on your phone.

Before-and-after photos are like gold on Facebook. They make people stop scrolling and immediately show off your amazing work. A picture of a boring, old kitchen right next to a shot of the same kitchen with beautiful, freshly painted cabinets? That’s better than any sales pitch.

The goal is to make people say, “Wow, I want my house to look like that.” Your work sells itself; Facebook just gives it a megaphone.

Keep your ads simple and friendly. Don’t be pushy. A great ad might say something like, “Thinking about updating your kitchen? Check out this new look we just finished in Dublin! A fresh coat of paint makes a huge difference.”

That feels like a helpful tip, not a sales pitch. To see more examples, check out our guide on Facebook Ads for local businesses and see how easy it is to get customers in your area. This is how you build a long line of jobs and make sure you’re never slow again.

Land Awesome Commercial Painting Jobs

Painting houses is great. But commercial jobs? That’s where you can really grow your business. The jobs are bigger, the work is steadier, and one big job can be worth more than a dozen small ones.

This is how you stop chasing single houses and start building a stronger business.

Let’s be real, getting a contract to paint a whole office building changes the game. The good news is you don’t need a crazy new plan. The same tools you already know—Google Ads and Facebook Ads—work perfectly. You just have to use them a little differently.

It’s all about showing the right people that you’re not just a house painter. You’re a pro who can handle big projects. You can absolutely do this. Let’s see how.

Find the People in Charge

The biggest change with commercial ads is who you’re talking to. You’re not talking to homeowners anymore. You need to get your ads in front of people who own and manage big buildings.

Here’s who you should be targeting:

• Property Managers: These are your best friends. They run apartment buildings, offices, and stores. They are always looking for good painters.
• Business Owners: Think restaurant owners, shop managers, and anyone who needs their business to look great for customers.
• General Contractors: They need painters they can trust for new buildings and big remodel jobs. This can lead to tons of repeat work.

You can target these exact job titles right inside Facebook Ads. On Google, you’ll just change your keywords to things like “commercial painting contractors,” “office painter,” or “retail store painting.” It’s a simple change that makes a huge difference.

Change Your Message to Speak Their Language

Business clients care about different things. They worry less about paint color and more about you finishing on time and not getting in the way of their business. Your ads and website have to show you understand that.

Make sure your website design has a special “Commercial Painting” page. On that page, talk about these things:

• How you can work after hours or on weekends.
• Your experience with tough paints that are great for busy areas.
• How your crew can handle big jobs quickly and on schedule.

Your ads and website need to scream “we are professional and reliable.” Show pictures of commercial jobs you’ve done, even if they’re small. A clean picture of a painted storefront or office builds a ton of trust.

Don’t miss out on this. The commercial painting world is growing way faster than house painting. Experts say commercial painting will grow by 6.5%, while house painting has pretty much stopped growing. By advertising your commercial skills, you’re jumping into a booming part of the industry.

Turning your business into a true lead machine is about having more than one way to get jobs. Adding commercial work isn’t just about bigger paydays; it’s about building a stronger company that can handle anything.

A Few Common Questions About Painting Ads

Feeling fired up but still have a couple of questions? Good. That means you’re taking this seriously. Here are the most common questions we hear from painters just like you.

Let’s answer them so you can get started.

“How Much Should I Spend on Ads?”

This is always the first question, and the answer is simple: start small. You don’t need to empty your bank account to see if ads work.

A good, safe starting point for a local painter is $25-$50 a day. That’s it. This is enough to get real information, see what ads get clicks, and start making the phone ring without risking your money.

Think of it like testing a new paint sprayer. You try it on a piece of cardboard first, not the customer’s wall. Once you see leads coming in and turning into good jobs, you can slowly spend more. The ads will be paying for themselves.

“Which is Better? Google Ads or Facebook Ads?”

That’s the wrong question. It’s like asking if a paintbrush is better than a roller. They’re different tools for different jobs. You need both.

Google Ads are for the “I need a painter right now” people. They just bought a new house, or their kid drew on the wall with a crayon. They grab their phone and search. You want to be the first name they see.

Facebook Ads are for everyone else—your future customers. You show up in their social media with amazing before-and-after photos. You become the only painter they think of when it’s time to paint.

One gets you jobs today. The other fills your schedule for next month. Together, they create a lead machine that never runs out of fuel.

The real secret isn’t picking Google or Facebook. It’s building a simple system where your website, your ads, and your 5-star reviews all work together to make your phone ring constantly.

“Can I Really Compete with the Big Companies?”

You can do more than compete—you can win. Being a local painter is your secret power.

The painting world is full of small businesses. There are about 252,000 painting businesses in the U.S., and 75% of them have four or fewer employees. Those giant national companies are barely a blip in most towns. You can see more about the painting industry’s structure here, and you’ll see why being local is a huge plus.

Homeowners aren’t choosing between you and a giant corporation. They’re choosing between you and the other painters in your town. When your Google Business Profile is set up right and full of glowing 5-star reviews, you become the obvious, trustworthy choice. A strong local presence on Google builds trust 2.7 times faster and gets you 70% more visits.

You don’t need a huge budget. You just need to be the most visible and trusted painter in your area. That’s a game you can definitely win.

Ready to stop being invisible and start getting the calls you deserve? At The Cherubini Company, we don’t sell you confusing marketing stuff. We build simple, powerful Lead Machines and run ads that turn into real, profitable jobs. If you want an easy path to more leads and smarter growth, let’s talk.