If you are trying to grow your business, you might be asking yourself: Do I need help marketing my cleaning business?
The short answer is, yes.
One of the biggest keys to success is learning how to market your company. Gone are the days of drumming up business by referrals alone. In the digital age of marketing its best to take a multi-faceted approach. Let’s look at different ways leaders in the industry grow their client base:
Ask for Referrals
Ok, I know I just said that you can’t rely on word of mouth alone, and that’s true. But, word of mouth remains one of the best ways to find great, long-term clients. And, as with anything else in business, there is a right and a wrong way to do it.
First, make sure that when you ask for a referral you are asking the right clients. Clients who have been with your company the longest are usually your best bet. Clients are most likely to refer your company when they are happiest with your service, so be sure to time your ask accordingly. Consider incentivizing referrals by offering a small discount or gift card for each customer they refer.
Print Marketing and Direct Mail
Many people assume that print is dead. This is not true! Print marketing and direct mail can be very effective when done correctly. To save money, be more targeted in your approach. Instead of canvasing whole neighborhoods, focus your efforts on areas you already service. Mailers, flyers, and ads in publications are most effective when they result in repeated exposure to your brand name and logo. This sort of repetitive exposure ensures your company name sticks in their mind. That way, when they think about hiring a service, yours is the company they think of first. And if they have seen your car parked in front of their neighbor’s house they are more likely to give you a call.
Email and Digital Marketing
A well-crafted email and digital marketing campaign can also be a great tool to build your customer base.
It may surprise you to know that 95% of people who visit your website will not buy your services on the first visit. It can take several visits over a period of weeks before they ever buy a service. So how do you stay in touch and keep them coming back to your website? Easy! Encourage people to sign up for your email list somewhere on your website.
Following up by email keeps your company name at the forefront of their mind. But you must make sure your emails are engaging, or they won’t help your bottom line. Most email management programs will allow you to see your engagement statistics. This refers to information about who is opening your emails and how many times they click on each link. When you know what links and services your potential clients are most interested in, it is easier to tailor the emails to those interests.
Digital marketing, on the other hand, is all about maximizing your SEO. When you are marketing your cleaning business, SEO is your best friend. But what is it? It stands for Search Engine Optimization. This refers to how highly your page ranks among search results relating to your business. Because let’s face it, most people are lazy when it comes to googling things. If it’s not on the first page they’re more likely to change their search terms rather than look through several pages of results. If you have excellent SEO your website will show up at the top of the list using a variety of search terms. Then it’s just a numbers game! The higher you are on the list, the more traffic your website will receive. And more traffic means more business!
Programs like Google Ads, formerly known as AdWords, can also be a great tool in increasing website traffic. A well-placed advertisement can help turn potential clients into valuable long-term customers.
Reviews and Social Media
You might ask yourself; how do I make social media work for me when marketing my cleaning business? First, do not underestimate the power of social media! Especially Facebook. Why should you be using Facebook to market your business?
- Nearly everyone is on Facebook
- Facebook collects a ton of information on their users and their buying habits
Facebook advertising is able to more accurately target your advertising to people in your area who are most likely to purchase your services. Advertising through Facebook is also a lot more streamlined and inexpensive than many other marketing products.
Secondly, like Google, Facebook is one of the first places customers look for company reviews. Be sure to put your best social media foot forward by asking your best clients to leave reviews on your business page. And remember, that as much as a bad review can hurt your advertising efforts, how you handle it can actually really help your business. Turning a bad reviewer into a loyal customer can speak volumes about your excellent customer service.
Know Your Audience
How do you turn flyers and emails into business? The answer might surprise you.
Know your client.
And I know what you are thinking. ‘Duh! Of course I need to know what my customers want. But how does that help me with marketing my cleaning business?’ But I want you to think deeper than that. Don’t just think about what the customer wants. I want you to think about who your customer is. Not all your customers. Just one. How old are they? Are they married? Do they have children? Do they work outside the home or are they a stay at home parent? Develop a persona that represents your ideal customer and target your advertising to that one customer. When you take this approach, the advertising feels personal. A potential customer is more likely to hire you if they feel you really understand their needs.
One of the best ways you can show your future customers that you understand their needs is to sell the benefits of your service. Not the service itself. Yes, you promise affordable prices, laundry service, and deep cleaning. But what does your client really want? A clean home at a great value, with minimal effort. Clients aren’t always looking for the lowest price. Customers will often pay more for the convenience of a service if they feel you offer greater value than the competition.
If this article has you thinking ‘I need help marketing my cleaning business’, you’re right. Marketing in the digital age is a whole other ballgame and it can be tough to navigate it on your own. Debbie Sardone is the founder and owner of a $1M+ maid service business. She has provided consultations to over 350 residential cleaning business owners around the world. Debbie has provided training to more than 1000+ cleaning business owners, trainers, and employees. As America’s Top Cleaning Business Development Expert, Debbie Sardone is uniquely qualified to provide you with the training tools and options you need to grow your business. So, if you are ready to let The Maid Coach help you transform your cleaning company into a million dollar dream business, call Debbie Sardone at 972-559-4661 today!
Want to grow your client base but wondering ‘Do I need help marketing my cleaning business?’ Call Debbie today at 972-827-7837 to learn more about your options!
