Email marketing for shops that aren't e-commerce
Your customer list is the asset every ad platform is trying to rent back to you. Use it directly.
Start with one monthly email
A short, useful email to existing customers once a month, seasonal reminders, a tip, what the team has been working on, outperforms most paid channels for retention.
Segment by service, not demographics
The customer who got their AC serviced in spring is a different audience from the one who got a new roof. Two short, relevant emails beat one long generic one every time.
Own the list, not the platform
Social followers are rented. Email subscribers belong to you. The shops that survive platform shifts (algorithm changes, account suspensions) are the ones who built an owned list early.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.