Hi there, I’m Adam, the owner of Luxury Portable Restroom Trailers. In under a year, we’ve reached nearly 100 bookings and received over 800 inquiries—something I attribute heavily to effective advertising. By advertising through Meta (Facebook & Instagram), our business has reached over 750,000 people, and we’ve made 2.7 million impressions. (An impression simply means the number of times our ads were displayed on someone’s screen.) We’ve also averaged a frequency of 3.62 ad views per person, which means that, on average, each person we reached saw our ad about 3 to 4 times.
I’m a firm believer that if you want your luxury restroom trailer business to be successful, you need to invest in advertising. Just having a Facebook page or Instagram account with a few posts isn’t going to get your trailer booked consistently. The key is simple: it’s a numbers game—the more people who know about your business, the more bookings you’ll get. And that means spending money on ads.
You might be wondering, “Where do I start?”, “How much should I spend?”, and “Which platform is best?” I’ve already been down this road, made the mistakes, and learned what works, so you don’t have to! Let me share the best way to advertise your trailers and how to get started.
Where NOT to Spend Your Advertising Budget (At Least at the Start)
There are plenty of platforms that promise exposure, but not all of them deliver real results. Let me share where I think you shouldn’t spend your budget, at least when you’re just starting out:
Yelp
Yelp is not a platform where people typically go when they’re looking for luxury restroom trailers to rent. It’s more commonly used for restaurants, salons, or other local businesses that people need quick recommendations for, so you’ll likely end up wasting your advertising budget here. Even if you do manage to get some leads, Yelp keeps users on their platform rather than directing them to your website. This means you miss out on the added benefits of increased social media growth and additional website traffic, both of which are crucial for building your business.
Another significant drawback is that Yelp often hides positive 5-star reviews without providing a clear explanation. This can make it challenging to build a strong reputation, even if you’re delivering exceptional service. The “not recommended” reviews, which Yelp hides, are still visible but only if someone specifically looks for them, which means many potential clients won’t see all your great reviews.
However, it’s still worthwhile to have a basic Yelp account for backlink purposes—it’s important for overall online visibility, as Yelp is a well-known and trusted platform. But when it comes to paid advertising, I strongly recommend investing your budget elsewhere for a better return on investment.
Wedding Wire / The Knot
WeddingWire and The Knot are platforms specifically designed for brides and grooms to find vendors for their weddings. They cater to a very niche audience, which can be a double-edged sword. While they are well-known in the wedding industry, they simply don’t generate enough traffic for luxury restroom trailer rentals to justify the high advertising costs. I currently have a contract with them at $279 per month, which has cost me almost $3,348 over the course of a year—yet I haven’t even made half of that back in actual bookings.
The issue here is similar to Yelp: the audience size just isn’t large enough to deliver a meaningful return on investment. The number of people visiting these platforms specifically to find restroom trailers is very limited. As a result, despite appearing near the top of the listings, the bookings are few and far between.
That being said, having a basic account on WeddingWire and The Knot can still be beneficial for visibility and backlink purposes. These platforms are trusted resources for couples planning their wedding, so it can be valuable to be listed there—but I wouldn’t recommend investing in their paid advertising options unless you’re seeing a consistent return.
TikTok
TikTok is a fantastic platform for products and has tremendous organic reach, especially when it comes to viral trends, entertaining content, or showcasing unique items. However, it’s not particularly effective for local service businesses like ours. The platform’s audience typically consists of people looking for quick, engaging videos, and most of them aren’t actively searching for local services—let alone trying to rent a luxury restroom trailer for their upcoming event. As a result, even if your content gains views or likes, those interactions are unlikely to translate into meaningful leads or bookings. Given the cost and effort involved in running ads on TikTok, your advertising budget would be better spent on platforms where the target audience is more likely to be in a buying mindset or looking specifically for event services like yours.
The main reason I suggest avoiding Google Ads when starting out is the high barrier cost of entry. To compete effectively against other, often larger, businesses, you’d need to spend at least $1600-$2000 per month. This level of investment is simply not practical for most new businesses that are just getting off the ground, especially when you need to keep expenses manageable. Google Ads can be effective, but they require a significant budget to gain visibility in competitive markets, and if your ad spend isn’t high enough, you may find that your ads aren’t shown often enough to produce meaningful results.
While Google Ads are great for driving website traffic and reaching people who are specifically searching for luxury restroom trailers, there are some drawbacks. One of the biggest disadvantages is that you’re not gaining social media followers or building organic exposure at the same time. Unlike platforms like Meta, where users might share or follow your page, Google Ads are very transactional—they generate clicks, but they don’t necessarily help you build an audience that will keep engaging with your business over time.
Once you’ve built some momentum and have the budget to sustain a more expensive advertising channel, Google Ads can be a great tool for expanding your reach. However, for businesses just starting out, it’s much more effective to invest in platforms that can achieve multiple goals at once—like driving leads, building brand awareness, and growing your online following—all at a more reasonable cost. For that reason, Google Ads might be better saved for later, once your business has the resources to fully take advantage of them.
Where You SHOULD Advertise: Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
Now, let’s talk about the platform that has been the golden child for us—Meta (which includes Facebook & Instagram). I absolutely love advertising here, and I think you will too. Here’s why:
Social Aspect
Facebook and Instagram are two of the most widely used social media platforms in the world, with massive, diverse user bases. Practically everyone is on these platforms, which means your ads can reach a broad and varied audience. Whether you’re targeting event planners, families, or business owners, the sheer volume of users gives you a significant opportunity to find and connect with potential customers.
When you run ads, create posts, or share stories, people can easily share your content with their friends and family, amplifying your reach beyond the initial audience you targeted. This social aspect is crucial because it allows your message to spread organically, creating more opportunities for engagement. A single share can bring your business in front of dozens of new potential clients who might also be interested in booking your services.
Beyond that, advertising on these platforms doesn’t just funnel users to your website—it also encourages them to follow your social media accounts. This is incredibly important for building long-term relationships with your audience. As your followers grow, so does your credibility. People are more likely to trust and book with businesses that have an active social media presence and a solid following.
This increase in followers also leads to greater organic search visibility. When people search for services related to yours, they may come across your page not just through ads, but organically, due to the increased engagement and activity on your account. This ultimately generates more direct organic leads, which is the kind of exposure that continues to benefit your business even after your ad campaigns are over. An active social media presence also makes your business appear more legitimate and established, which can help convert casual visitors into paying clients.
Low Cost Barrier to Entry
Unlike Google Ads, which can be expensive and require a large budget to see significant results, Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) have a low cost barrier to entry. This makes them an ideal choice for new businesses that want to start advertising without breaking the bank. You can begin with a modest budget of $500 to $700 per month and still see a meaningful return on investment. Even with this relatively small budget, you can reach a large, targeted audience, which makes Meta ads both effective and affordable.
One of the biggest advantages of Meta ads is that they help you achieve multiple goals at once. Not only are you spending money to generate leads and drive bookings, but you’re also growing your social media following at the same time. Unlike traditional forms of advertising that focus solely on immediate conversions, Meta ads have the added benefit of helping you build a long-term relationship with potential clients. As people follow your social media accounts, they’re more likely to keep engaging with your content, which can lead to future bookings.
This growth in followers adds long-term value to your business. It boosts your credibility, helps build brand recognition, and increases your organic reach, meaning that more people will see your posts and engage with your business without you having to spend additional money. Essentially, investing in Meta ads gives you both short-term gains (in the form of direct leads and bookings) and long-term benefits (in the form of audience growth and brand visibility). It’s this combination of immediate and sustained impact that makes Meta ads a powerful and efficient tool for advertising your luxury restroom trailer business.
Advanced Advertising Tools
Meta offers incredibly powerful tools for creating highly impactful advertising campaigns. These tools allow you to target specific locations, narrow down your audience by demographics (such as age or gender), and even hone in on users based on their interests or behaviors. This level of targeting ensures that your ads are seen by people who are more likely to be interested in your luxury restroom trailers, making your campaigns much more effective and efficient.
Beyond just targeting, Meta’s analytics provide detailed insights into how your ads are performing. You can track metrics like impressions, clicks, and engagement rates to see exactly who has interacted with your ads. This helps you gain a deeper understanding of your audience, so you can make informed decisions about how to adjust and improve future campaigns. You can see which ads are driving the most engagement, which demographics are responding best, and more. This kind of data allows you to refine your strategies and maximize your return on investment.
Meta also gives you the flexibility to create different types of campaigns based on your goals. Whether you want to gain followers, drive website traffic, generate direct inquiries, or increase brand awareness, Meta has campaign types that are specifically designed for each of these objectives. This means you can run a well-rounded advertising strategy that hits on multiple fronts, helping you grow your business in a comprehensive way.
One feature I don’t recommend using is the “Boost Post” button. While boosting a post might seem like an easy way to increase its reach, you lose the level of control and depth that a fully customized ad campaign provides. With boosted posts, you have limited options for targeting, ad placement, and optimization, which often leads to less effective campaigns. By creating a tailored ad campaign instead, you can take advantage of all the advanced targeting options Meta offers and ensure your budget is being used in the most effective way possible.
In short, Meta’s advanced tools and insights allow you to precisely target your audience, continually refine your approach, and run different types of campaigns—all of which are essential for building a successful luxury restroom trailer business.
Visual Impact
Meta allows you to make the most of visual content, which is crucial for advertising a luxury service like restroom trailers. High-quality visuals help convey the premium features of your trailers, setting them apart from basic alternatives. Among all types of visual content, video advertising is particularly powerful. It is incredibly effective for showing off your trailers in action, capturing their cleanliness, elegant interiors, and unique features like climate control.
People want to see the quality of the service you’re offering, and nothing communicates this better than a short, engaging video. Videos allow potential customers to see how the trailers look at different events and imagine them as part of their own special occasion. This helps build an emotional connection, making viewers more likely to take the next step and contact you. An effective video gives potential clients a complete picture of the experience they can expect, and that’s something still images just can’t fully convey.
Why Video Advertising is Key
Through my experience, I’ve found that video advertising on Facebook and Instagram is the best way to maximize engagement, increase conversions, and get more bookings. A well-made video ad can showcase the luxurious features of your trailer, the comfort it offers, and the types of events it’s perfect for—all in 20-25 seconds.
The ultimate goal of your ad campaigns should be to push people towards your Request A Quote page on your website. (Check out my other blog post on how to create the perfect landing page here: Create the Perfect Website for Your Luxury Restroom Trailer Business). Having an effective video ad that directs people to a well-designed landing page is a surefire way to get more leads and bookings.
What’s Next?
In future blog posts, I’ll break down how to make an effective video ad down to a science, and I’ll also discuss how to properly set up ad campaigns through Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to make the most out of your advertising budget.
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry—that’s exactly why I’m here. I’ve been through the trial and error, and now I’m ready to help you skip the learning curve and start booking events. Contact us today so we can get your luxury restroom trailer business up and advertising in no time!
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