For most plumbing business owners, marketing feels like an endless, expensive race to the bottom. They spend thousands of dollars on lead aggregators and emergency search ads, fighting over the same panicked customer who is shopping solely on price. But at Mammoth Marketing for Plumbers, we teach our clients that if you only show up when the basement is flooding, you’ve already lost the most valuable part of the marketing game.
The most successful plumbing brands don’t just react to leads; they create them through a psychological concept called priming.
Imagine being at a party where someone hands you a heavy, solid clipboard before asking you to donate to a charity. Research shows that the physical weight of that clipboard subconsciously “primes” your brain to view the request as more important and “weighty,” making you significantly more likely to say yes. In marketing, priming is the art of arranging a homeowner’s perception of a brand so that when a pipe finally bursts, there is only one company they consider calling.
Planting the Garden: What is Priming for Plumbers?
Priming is the “herald” that announces a company’s reputation before a technician ever crosses the threshold of a home. While some might mistake this for manipulation, the team at Mammoth Marketing views it as planting a garden. By the time a customer has a plumbing need, the relationship has already “grown” naturally through consistent, helpful exposure.
Most plumbers operate in a purely reactive state. They wait for the “drip” to become a disaster before trying to find a customer. Priming flips the script. It’s about being proactive and establishing a brand as the “Dentist of the Home.” Just as people don’t search Google for a random dentist every time they need a cleaning, a primed customer doesn’t search for a plumber—they simply call the one they already know, like, and trust.
The Shortcut in the Homeowner’s Buying Journey
The typical buying journey for plumbing services is often a stressful scramble:
The Problem: A leak or a strange noise occurs.
Information Gathering: The homeowner asks friends for recommendations or scours online reviews.
The Decision: They call the first person who looks halfway decent on a search engine.
Priming allows a plumbing company to bypass steps two and three entirely. Because humans are naturally inclined to choose the easiest and most familiar solution, being “top of mind” is the ultimate competitive advantage. Priming shortens the decision-making process and ensures a company is chosen before the problem even exists.
Activating the Priming Needle via Social Media
One of the most effective ways to begin priming a market is through educational social media content. At Mammoth Marketing, we encourage owners to “endear” their knowledge to the community. By providing value for free, a plumber positions themselves as a credible authority rather than just a service provider.
Effective priming content includes:
Preventative Tips: How to avoid common clogs.
Early Warning Signs: Three signals that a water heater is nearing the end of its life.
Emergency Readiness: What every homeowner should do the moment they find a leak.
When a plumber helps a homeowner solve a minor issue through a video, they build a “trust bank.” When a major issue inevitably arises, that homeowner will seek out the expert who has already proven their value.
Physical Priming: Vans, Signs, and Community Presence
Priming isn’t restricted to the digital world. The physical presence of a plumbing brand in the neighborhood is a powerful psychological trigger. This is why a high-quality van wrap is one of the best investments a company can make.
However, visibility is only the first step. Mammoth Marketing recommends a “stacking” approach:
Community Engagement: Sponsoring local events or participating in neighborhood clean-ups creates a “transference” of goodwill from the event to the brand.
The Power of 15: Every time a job is completed, a yard sign should be placed. The technician should then knock on “five doors up, five doors down, and five doors across” to let the neighbors know they are working in the area.
When a neighbor sees the van, sees the yard sign, and receives a door hanger, a deep impression is made. They can’t help but know who the company is and what they stand for.
Modern Tools: Google Demand Gen
While traditional lead generation focuses on people searching for immediate help, Google Demand Gen is a newer tool designed specifically for priming. These campaigns push a brand in front of a targeted audience long before they have a plumbing emergency.
By putting a small budget behind educational videos, a plumbing company can reach thousands of local homeowners. This creates brand awareness that pays dividends when those homeowners eventually face a plumbing crisis. They won’t need to “gather information” because the brand is already etched into their psyche.
Scale Your Business with Mammoth Marketing
The landscape of the plumbing industry has changed. Competition is fiercer than ever, and relying solely on expensive, reactive leads is a recipe for stagnation. To thrive in today’s market, plumbers must become well-rounded marketers who understand the core tenets of influence and priming.
At Mammoth Marketing, we specialize in helping plumbing companies move away from the “lead-to-lead” grind and toward a model of sustainable, dominant growth. We provide the tools and strategies necessary to push your company forward and own your local zone.
If you’re ready to stop chasing leads and start owning your market, the Mammoth Marketing team is ready to help. We offer a free one-hour consultation to review your current marketing and help you decide on the best next steps for your business.
