Your traffic
The wrong people click
Ads and search terms that pull in price shoppers, job seekers and people outside your area. You pay for every one of them.
We put you in front of people already looking for what you do.
Lead generation for service businesses
Marketing you can
count in
signed jobs.
We're the Newcastle digital marketing agency for businesses that run on enquiries. We bring in the right ones, and help you turn them into work you can bank.
- Since 2015Newcastle based, working Australia-wide
- $3M+of ad spend tested on what works
- 5.0 on Google
- Invited speakerMaster Builders NSW, Dulux, University of Newcastle
Who we help
Built for businesses that run on enquiries.
If your work starts with a phone call, a quote request or a booking, you're in the right place. Find yourself below.
Trades and home services
Electricians, plumbers, painters, air con, roofing. Keep the vans full with the jobs you actually want.
See trade results
Builders and renovators
Custom homes, renovations, commercial fit-outs. Fewer tyre-kickers, more serious enquiries.
See builder results
Health and clinics
Eye clinics, podiatry, allied health. More booked consults from the people you can help most.
See how it works
Local and professional services
Law, finance, fitness, early learning. A steady flow of the right clients and members.
See local resultsSell products online? We're not the agency for you. We only do lead generation for service businesses, and we'd rather be very good at one thing.
Where the work goes missing
Most marketing doesn't fail. It leaks.
You pay for attention at the top. Somewhere between the click and the signed job, most of it drips away. There are only three places it can go.
Your pages
The right people leave
A slow page, no clear next step, a form that asks too much. They were ready to enquire, and they went back to Google.
We build pages with one job: turn a visitor into an enquiry.
Your follow-up
Good leads go cold
You're on the tools or with a client, the enquiry sits for a day, and they've already booked someone else.
We set up fast replies and reminders, so every lead hears back.
How it works
The Apex Acquisition System
One system, three stages. It plugs each leak in order, so more of what you spend turns into booked work.
Foundations
Get found
Look the partA solid base, so every dollar after it works harder.
What's included
- Your online presence, fixed. We audit how people see you online and fix what's putting them off.
- Your best customers, mapped. Research into who your quality clients are and what they look for.
- Tracking set up properly. Pipelines and tracking, so results are measured, not guessed.
Market
Run the ads
Win the enquiryA complete campaign, built to bring in the right enquiries.
What's included
- An offer that's hard to say no to. Something that sets you apart from every other quote.
- Ads, written and designed. Several versions, tested against each other.
- Pages that convert. Designed, written and built to turn visitors into quality leads.
- Email follow-up, automated. A tested sequence that turns more leads into paying work.
Nurture
Follow up fast
Earn the reviewOngoing touch points, so you get the most from every lead.
What's included
- Review requests, automated. Every finished job triggers the ask.
- Referral offers, automated. Happy customers get a reason to send their friends.
- Old leads, woken up. A follow-up for the enquiries that went quiet.
Signed jobs. A full calendar.
The only result we count.
Ongoing, not a one-off. Once the system is running, we keep testing and improving it for as long as we work together.
What we do
Everything it takes to fill the calendar.
Six services, one in-house team. Run them together as a system, or start with the part that's leaking most.
Facebook and Instagram ads
Ads that reach the right locals and turn into enquiries, not likes.
- TikTok
Google Ads
Show up at the exact moment someone is searching for what you do.
- Search
- Display
- Remarketing
SEO
Climb Google and hold your spot, so enquiries keep coming without paying for every click.
- Keyword research
- On-page
- Technical
- Content
Websites
A site that works like your best salesperson: clear, fast and built to get the enquiry.
- Custom design
- Development
- Landing pages
CRM and follow-up
Every lead in one place, with replies, reminders and review requests running for you.
- Pipelines
- Automation
- Review requests
Social content
Regular posts and video that show your work and your people, so locals already know your name.
- Posts
- Video
- Planned monthly
Client results
Real clients. Real numbers. Named.
Not likes, not reach. Enquiries, booked work and revenue, tracked back to the marketing that produced them.
Facebook and Instagram ads, 12 months to October 2026
About 13xthe ad spend came back as won work
- $113.2Kad spend
- 1,500leads
- 77customers won
- $1.53Mof won work
Revenue, not profit. Spend, leads, customers won and revenue, all followed in the client's own dashboard.
Their live dashboard, not a mock-up.
Automated review requests
7x fasterGoogle reviews, once the asking was automated
300+ Google reviews today. Review requests were automated in June 2024.
Facebook and Instagram ads, March to October 2024
About $30in ad spend per consultation lead, for a renovation builder
- 62lookbook downloads
- 23consultation leads
- $147paid first step, not a free quote
Twice the leads, same spend
44 leads against 22 a year earlier, with cost per lead down from $199.66 to $101.94.
Google Ads, January to March 2026
About 30% less per quality lead
A quality lead is a call of 30 seconds or more, or a form. Part of the gain is our landing page counting enquiries the old setup could not see.
Google Ads, September to October 2026
74 leads, up from 15
Measured against the same ten months a year earlier.
Facebook and Instagram ads
31 centre tours booked
From 83 leads in under six weeks, 10 January to 18 February 2026.
Facebook and Instagram ads
236 leads at $8.92 each
- 236leads
- $8.92per lead
A lookbook campaign that ran from 7 March to 8 April 2024.
Facebook and Instagram ads
$3.4M+ in won deals
- 1,900+deals won
- $3.4M+won
More than 1,900 deals won, all tracked through the CRM we built for them.
CRM build, October 2024 to October 2026
Also trusted by
Why owners choose us
Straight talk, and work you can see.
You see the jobs, not just the clicks
We track enquiries from first click to signed job, so your report shows work won.
On the tools before marketing
Our founder ran his own trade business. We know what a quiet week feels like.
We'll tell you if we can't help
If we don't believe we can beat your expectations, we won't take you on.
One team, all in-house
Strategy, ads, websites, content and CRM, done by our own people. Nothing is outsourced.
No long lock-in
We don't trap clients in contracts they can't get out of.
A real person on your account
A dedicated project manager runs your account, and Daniel reviews your results every week.
In an industry that feels like a bunch of “used car salesmen” Black Lion were the few that actually declined my business because they couldn’t help to their maximum potential. Unheard of! They referred me to another specialist. If you’re a business owner that wants the facts and no bs... give them a call.
Daniel HerseeFounder
The founder
On the tools before the marketing.
Daniel Hersee is a fifth-generation painter. Every first son in his family since 1901 has picked up a brush, and he ran his own painting and wallpapering business before he ever ran an ad.
He started Black Lion Digital in Newcastle in 2015 with one rule that still runs the place: if it doesn't bring in work, it doesn't stay.
- Fifth-generation painterEvery first son since 1901
- Founded in NewcastleBlack Lion Digital, 2015
- Co-founder, Tradie Office ProThe system behind our client dashboards
On stage
Daniel also teaches this from the stage.
- Master Builders NSWCPD Series presenter, back for a second series
- DuluxGuest speaker
- University of NewcastleI2N Accelerator speaker
Google reviews
What owners say about working with us.
5.0on Google
Danny has been incredibly helpful and professional. His website and digital marketing knowledge is second to none. He is very prompt to respond to any questions and feedback along the way. I would highly recommend Danny and the Black Lion team.
Danny and his team are absolutely incredible! Such communicative and honest people with an eye for detail. Service is unparalleled here, I would never use anybody else!
Danny and the team at Black Lion Digital are fantastic to work with. Professional, reliable, and genuinely invested in helping businesses grow. Highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a solid digital marketing partner.
Is this you?
We're picky about who we take on. You should be too.
We're a good fit if
- You're ready to invest in growing the business and its profit.
- You have the time and the team to take more calls, quotes and quality clients.
- You want to be the obvious choice in your area and stop competing on price.
- You want lead flow steady enough to plan hiring and growth around.
We're not a fit if
- You don't have time to call the leads we generate.
- You want a quick fix, or the cheapest option.
- You want to learn to do it yourself. We do the work.
- You sell products online. We only do lead generation for service businesses.
FAQs
Straight answers.
The questions owners ask us first. If yours isn't here, call and ask.
How long until we see results?
We need three to four weeks to set the system up for your business. Once campaigns go live, the first enquiries usually land within days. The platforms need time to settle, so the first couple of weeks are bumpy and then things pick up speed.
What do you need from us to get started?
Not much. A form, a catch-up with our team, and access to your platforms, such as Meta and your website. We send instructions, and we're happy to do it together.
Do you offer a money-back guarantee?
No. Every company we've seen offering one runs a churn-and-burn model, and nobody can guarantee a specific outcome. What we commit to is constant work on your campaigns, full transparency, and keeping you informed every step of the way.
Who will we actually work with?
A dedicated project manager who looks after everything and becomes your go-to person. You'll still see Daniel in meetings, and he reviews your results and projects every week.
Do you lock clients into long contracts?
No. We don't believe in trapping clients in contracts they can't get out of. We look for partners who want to work together long term, but if things change, you can give notice and move on.
Is everything done in-house?
Yes. From strategy to execution, everything is handled by our own team. Nothing is outsourced, which is how the quality stays consistent.
The free Acquisition Audit
Find the leaks. Keep the plan either way.
An in-depth report on the three places your marketing can leak. You get the plan to run yourself, with your current agency, or with us.
- Your traffic. Where the right people come from, and where money is wasted.
- Your pages. What turns visitors into enquiries, and what turns them away.
- Your follow-up. How fast, and how often, your leads hear back.
Prefer to talk? Call 0432 243 495
