Case Study: Milam Plumbing’s Digital Marketing Success
Overview
Milam Plumbing is a full-service plumbing contractor, providing a range of services including new construction plumbing, residential and commercial plumbing, gas services, and emergency repairs. Unlike many competitors, Milam Plumbing has the size, experience, and financial stability to ensure consistent, high-quality service regardless of economic fluctuations.
Their target audience includes:
- Homeowners needing reliable residential plumbing services.
- Property Managers & Contractors for large-scale plumbing projects.
- Builders requiring commercial plumbing installations.
- Plumbers looking for new employment opportunities (Recruiting).
Milam Plumbing wanted to enhance brand visibility, generate leads, and recruit skilled plumbers, using a strong digital marketing strategy to dominate local search results, paid ads, and social media marketing.
Milam Plumbing
Industry: Plumbing & Gas Services
Company Size: Mid-Sized Business (~80 Employees)
Location: Southeastern North Carolina (Wilmington, Leland, Cape Fear Region)
Services Provided
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Google Ads (PPC Campaigns)
Social Media Marketing (Facebook & Instagram Ads)
Public Relations (PR) Strategy
Connected TV (CTV) Advertising
Company Bio
Milam Plumbing is a full-service plumbing contractor, providing a range of services including new construction plumbing, residential and commercial plumbing, gas services, and emergency repairs.
Challenges
- Highly Competitive Market – Competing with large national brands (ARS/Rescue Rooter, Benjamin Franklin) and local competitors (Signature Plumbing, Wrightsville Beach Plumbing Co).
- Limited Online Presence – The company lacked SEO-optimized content, causing low visibility in Google searches for local plumbing services.
- Unoptimized Digital Advertising – Previous Google Ads and social media campaigns were not structured for high-converting leads.
- Recruitment Challenges – Needed to attract skilled plumbers while continuing to generate leads for residential and commercial services.
- Limited Use of Connected TV Ads – No video ads for brand awareness, limiting exposure to local homeowners and businesses.
Our Approach
To solve these challenges, DesignLoud implemented a multi-channel digital marketing strategy that focused on lead generation, brand awareness, and recruitment.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Conducted comprehensive keyword research targeting high-intent local searches, including:
- Best plumber near me
- Emergency plumbing Wilmington
- Gas plumbing services near me
- Commercial plumbing contractors Wilmington
- Tankless water heater installation
- Optimized Google My Business (GMB) listing for Milam Plumbing to improve local map pack rankings.
- Created monthly blog content on topics such as:
- How to Handle Plumbing Emergencies
- Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters
- Commercial Plumbing Maintenance Tips
- Recruitment Spotlight: Why Plumbers Choose Milam Plumbing
- Improved website UX and technical SEO to boost organic rankings.
2. Google Ads (PPC Campaigns)
- Launched high-converting Google Search & Display Ads focusing on:
- Emergency Plumbing Services (24/7 repair, pipe bursts, leaks)
- Gas Line Installation & Repair
- Commercial Plumbing Projects
- Plumber Job Openings (Recruitment Campaigns)
- Implemented geo-targeting to focus on Wilmington, Leland, and Cape Fear Region.
- Added conversion tracking to measure form fills, phone calls, and booked appointments.
3. Social Media Marketing (Facebook & Instagram Ads)
- Created a content calendar focused on:
- Before & after plumbing projects
- Customer testimonials
- Hiring campaigns targeting skilled plumbers
- Tips on preventing plumbing issues
- Designed Facebook & Instagram Ads to increase brand awareness and direct leads to the website.
- Launched a Facebook lead generation campaign with in-platform forms for job recruitment and service inquiries.
4. Public Relations (PR) Strategy
- Developed press releases highlighting:
- Milam Plumbing’s commitment to local job creation.
- Introduction of eco-friendly plumbing solutions.
- Expansion into emergency plumbing and gas services.
- Pitched news features to local media outlets to boost brand authority.
5. Connected TV (CTV) Advertising
- Created video ads featuring:
- Plumbing service highlights (Emergency repairs, new construction, gas services).
- Company culture & recruitment opportunities.
- Customer testimonials to establish trust.
- Launched CTV ads on streaming platforms such as Hulu, Roku, and Amazon Prime targeting:
- Homeowners in Wilmington & Leland.
- Contractors & commercial builders looking for reliable plumbing services.
- Plumbers looking for career opportunities.
The Solution
With this comprehensive marketing strategy, Milam Plumbing saw immediate improvements in lead generation, brand awareness, and recruitment success.
- SEO & Local Search Growth: Higher rankings for plumbing-related searches led to an increase in organic leads.
- PPC Advertising Success: Optimized ad campaigns reduced cost-per-lead while increasing conversions.
- Social Media Boost: Increased engagement, leading to more service bookings & job applications.
- CTV Brand Awareness: Streaming ads helped Milam Plumbing stand out in a competitive market.
Results
The results of our digital marketing efforts were transformational:
- 200% increase in organic website traffic – SEO optimization led to higher search rankings and more inbound leads.
- 120% boost in booked appointments – Google Ads & social media campaigns generated more direct calls and service requests.
- 35% decrease in cost-per-lead (CPL) – Optimized ad spend resulted in better ROI for PPC campaigns.
- Recruitment goal achieved – Successfully hired new plumbers through targeted ads and CTV recruitment efforts.
Conclusion
Through DesignLoud’s strategic marketing solutions, Milam Plumbing successfully dominated local search rankings, increased service bookings, and expanded its team. The combination of SEO, PPC, social media, PR, and Connected TV ads positioned Milam Plumbing as the top plumbing provider in Southeastern North Carolina.
Want to grow your business with a powerful digital strategy?
🚀 Let’s get started! Contact DesignLoud today.
Key Performance Indicator's
About DesignLoud
We believe in operating with transparency and integrity (our moms raised us right). And we work with you to make sure you have the tools and knowledge you need to grow your business and meet your objectives. We’re not your ‘smoke and mirrors’ type of agency; performing mystical acts of SEO and PPC in a dark room somewhere. And we won’t overwhelm you with a bunch of tech-speak and expect you to know what we’re saying. Instead, we uncomplicate things. And make your online life easy.
So you can do better things with your time. Your website will be beautifully designed and completely optimized to meet your objectives. But, you’ll also have insight into our methods - we’ll explain why certain things work, and we’ll answer your questions.
