Proven Lead Generation Tips for UK Commercial Agents

Kasra Dash: If you are a commercial agent looking for a consistent flow of inquiries for your business, this video is for you. James and I have worked with many commercial agents across the UK, so we know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to a proper marketing strategy. In this video, we’re giving it all away. James, take it away. James Dooley: Step one for growth is building a strong Google Business Profile. If you already have one, start by reaching out to all existing clients to collect as many five-star reviews as possible. Google Business Profiles are a powerful way to generate more leads. You should also build citations, publish GBP posts, and upload fresh photos. That’s the first thing I would do to generate more local leads. Kasra Dash: Step two, to support your Google Business Profile, is creating dedicated SEO-optimised service pages for every service you offer. This helps the pages rank on their own and increases the chance of your Google Business Profile appearing for those keywords. This means more calls coming in. James Dooley: If you want more local leads, PPC lead generation is another option. Google and Bing PPC campaigns allow you to target bottom-of-funnel keywords. But it’s important to work with a good PPC agency because click fraud exists and you’ll need a solid negative keyword list so you’re not paying for irrelevant searches like job applicants. PPC can work well, but in the wrong hands you can waste a lot of money. Kasra Dash: Then there are Meta ads such as Facebook and Instagram. Someone scrolling through Facebook might see your ad even if they weren’t actively searching. You can use lead forms, which are easy to set up and keep users on Facebook, but lead quality can vary. You can improve that by adding more questions. You can also run conversion ads that send users to your website so they fill out your contact form there. Both options can work. James Dooley: Another way to grow local leads is through organic social media. Posting regularly on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Reddit, and Quora can help. Answering questions on platforms like Reddit or Quora can also drive traffic. Organic social is another great way to generate local leads. Kasra Dash: Organic social is a volume game. You want to post consistently—maybe a daily or weekly schedule. For example, you might upload five videos a week and stick to it. Platforms like YouTube and Twitter reward consistency. James Dooley: What are your thoughts on using AI agents? Could people partner with someone to use tools like n8n to automate and schedule their social posts? AI is everywhere right now. Would you team up with an AI consultant to get that set up? Kasra Dash: Yes, you can set up AI agents to crop videos and autopublish them across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. But I’d also focus on AI search. People are slowly shifting from Google to AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok. If your brand doesn’t appear there, you’ll struggle to generate leads. That’s another key area companies should focus on. James Dooley: If you want more local leads, you should also team up with tradespeople websites. Platforms like Checkatrade, Bark, Builder Builder, TrustATrader, and Rated People can all generate leads. Track your KPIs to understand your return on investment—monitor cost per lead, cost per acquisition, and return on investment. These platforms can work well. Check the links in the description because we compare tools like Checkatrade vs FatRank, Bark vs FatRank, and Rated People vs FatRank. Now that we’ve mentioned FatRank, Kasra, what are your thoughts on lead generation companies versus tradespeople platforms? Kasra Dash: With lead generation companies, due diligence is crucial. If you’re in a specific niche, make sure the company has generated leads in that niche before. Have a strategy call with them to discuss your budget and your lead volume goals to ensure your KPIs align. You should also ask whether the leads are exclusive or shared. Many platforms like Bark and Checkatrade send shared leads, and when James and I speak to business owners, one of their biggest complaints is that shared leads turn into a race to the bottom on price. So ask those questions before partnering with a lead generation company. James Dooley: If you’re interested in generating more local leads, head to FatRank.com, where we run a commission-based lead generation service. You only pay a finder’s fee on converted jobs. You don’t pay per lead, and you only pay after you’ve completed the job and been paid yourself. Visit FatRank.com to see whether you qualify. Now, let’s expand a little further: what are your thoughts on inbound lead generation versus outbound lead generation? Kasra Dash: I always prefer inbound. The conversion rate of inbound leads becoming paying customers is far higher. The last statistic I saw showed around 16.1% of inbound leads convert into paying customers, compared to just 1.4% for outbound leads. James Dooley: That’s pretty crazy. That’s around ten to twelve times more effective.