Facebook Ads for Pressure Washing: The 4 Videos GML Media's Gage Lake Tells Clients to Film
Gage Lake, Owner ·GML Media
Built Local Podcast with Clay Lawrence · · 36 min episode
The short version
Gage Lake runs GML Media, which manages Facebook ads for exterior cleaning companies, and was introduced on the show as having helped those companies make over $9 million. He says pressure washing ads fail because of weak content, not campaign settings, and lays out the four kinds of video he asks clients to film: educational, cheap-company downsides, the owner's story, and company values.
Key takeaways from Gage Lake
- 1
Leave prices and discounts out of the ad. Gage says a $99 driveway wash offer brings in cheaper customers who know nothing about you.
- 2
Replace before-and-after photos with video that explains the problem, how you fix it, and what the customer got.
- 3
Film four kinds of content: educational, the downsides of a cheap company, your own story and mission, and your company values.
- 4
If you hate being on camera, hire a videographer about once a quarter and film a batch in one go.
- 5
Judge an ad by whether it would land with a real person standing in front of you, not by what the ad platform recommends.
- 6
Position for the customer you want. Film in the neighborhoods you want to work in and speak to their situation, such as an HOA letter or a home going up for sale.
- 7
If you are just starting, buy only the equipment you need and sell jobs before you take on debt for a truck.
Who is Gage Lake and how did he get into ads for exterior cleaning?
Gage Lake owns GML Media, which runs Facebook ads for exterior cleaning companies. Host Clay Lawrence introduced him as someone who has worked with those companies for over five years and helped them make more than $9 million with Facebook ads.
Gage started his first business at 14 and found advertising at about 17. He spent a long time cold emailing before he learned to build an audience. His first exterior cleaning client did well, more followed, and the work spread into the Christmas light business too. He was 22 at the time of the interview.
What is the biggest Facebook ad mistake pressure washing companies make?
Bad content. “Just by what they look like online, they look like everybody else,” Gage said. The owner should be on camera, explaining what the company does and how it helps people in the area.
The specific things that make him wince:
- Before-and-after pictures.
- Videos that take 50 seconds to catch your attention, or that are badly edited.
- A price, deal or incentive on the ad.
On discounts he is blunt: “I’ve never once needed to push a discount ever.” A $99 driveway wash ad shows a stranger a price tag. You may get the job, but not a good customer, and not footage that attracts better ones.
What four videos should an exterior cleaning company film?
Gage gave the same list he had just texted to a client.
- Educational and problem-solving content. Why algae grows on the side of a house, usually the north side, and how a soft wash removes it. Cover the problem, how you solved it, the happy customer, and a warranty if you offer one. Make a separate one for each service, since roof cleaning is a different conversation from house washing.
- Cheaper-company downsides. A customer whose driveway was damaged by a low-priced competitor, and how you fixed it.
- Your story and mission. Who you are, your family, why you started. He called this “super underrated.”
- Company values. Why you hire the best, why customer service is the priority, how many reviews you have.
Educational content matters most to him because it sets a company apart from others that all look alike. “It’s about who’s the best positioned company,” he said, not who has the bigger ad budget.
If filming sounds painful, hire a videographer. It only has to happen about once a quarter. GML Media edits the raw footage its clients send.
Does campaign setup still matter after Meta’s Andromeda update?
Yes, but less than the creative. Gage ranks content over setup and said that since the Andromeda update, solid content is required.
He is skeptical of advice aimed at e-commerce and large advertisers. He does not load one ad set with 50 or 60 ads, and has not seen that work for local lead generation. He keeps campaigns fairly separate and specific, depending on budget, services and target areas.
He also ignores some of the platform’s defaults. One automatic image feature zoomed selfie photos in close on clients’ faces before his team knew it existed.
His test for an ad is human, not algorithmic: would it land if he were showing it to the person face to face?
How do you attract higher-end customers with ads?
Show different sides of the company, and aim each ad at a real situation. Gage said people need to see a business several times before they trust it, and they need to see something different each time: the story, the proof, the expertise.
The same service can be positioned for different buyers. Two angles from the conversation:
- A homeowner whose HOA is adding fees because the roof has not been cleaned.
- A homeowner about to list a house for sale.
Clay added that where you film matters. If you want big homes with big driveways, film in those neighborhoods.
What would he tell someone just starting a pressure washing business?
Start with fundamentals, not ads. Buy only the equipment you need. He sees people spend $10,000 to $30,000 on a truck before they have sold a job.
Then sell: knock on doors, set up a Google Business Profile, post in Facebook groups, tell everyone you know, even do jobs for free. “You’ve got nothing to lose,” he said.
The last piece is belief. Wash a dirty house, see the result and the customer’s reaction, and the confidence to sell follows.
In Gage's words
“I've never once needed to push a discount ever.”
“I view it as, does your ad resonate with real people, make them feel some sort of way, and help them get to a certain outcome.”
“It doesn't matter if they've got a bigger ad spend budget. It doesn't matter if they're making a million dollars. It's about who's the best positioned company.”
“Don't get in debt buying dumb crap. Get what you need and start selling jobs.”
Questions this episode answers
What is the biggest Facebook ad mistake pressure washing companies make?
Gage Lake of GML Media says it is content. Most exterior cleaning companies look like every other one online, so their ads do not stand out. He also points to the offer: if you cannot make the service sound desirable at the point of sale, you will not be able to say it on camera either.
Should a pressure washing company put a price or discount in its Facebook ads?
Gage Lake says no. In his experience a price or deal in the ad, such as a $99 driveway wash, brings in cheaper customers who know nothing about the company, and those jobs do not make good content afterwards. He prefers ads that people watch and learn from, so the lead already sees the value and is ready to pay the price.
What videos should a pressure washing company film for Facebook ads?
Gage Lake of GML Media lists four. Educational and problem-solving content, such as why algae grows on the north side of a house and how soft washing removes it. A video on the downsides of hiring a cheaper company. The owner's story and mission. And the company's values, including why it hires the best and treats customer service as the priority.
Does campaign setup or creative matter more for local Facebook ads?
Gage Lake puts content ahead of setup, though he says setup still plays a big role. Since Meta's Andromeda update he says solid content is required. He does not put everything into one ad set with dozens of ads, and he says he has not seen that approach work for small local businesses.
When is a pressure washing company ready to hire a Facebook ads agency?
GML Media's ideal client is usually making at least $200,000 a year, is willing to put $2,000 to $3,000 a month into ads, and already has systems, financials, a team, a sales process and the ability to film content. Gage Lake says owners who are not there yet should follow his content and work on their own first.
What should a new pressure washing business spend money on first?
As little as possible. Gage Lake says he sees new owners spend $10,000 to $30,000 on a truck before selling a single job. His advice is to buy only what you need, then sell jobs by door knocking, setting up a Google Business Profile, posting in Facebook groups and telling everyone you know.
Want to work with GML Media? Visit GML Media at gmlmedia.com.
