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In recent years, we've witnessed a significant transformation in the carpet cleaning industry.
With new technologies, changing consumer behaviours, and increased competition, carpet cleaning businesses need to have a strong marketing strategy to stay ahead of their competitors and attract new customers.
In a previous post, The Definitive Guide to Starting a Carpet Cleaning Business in the UK, we covered some of the advertising and marketing strategies needed to grow a carpet cleaning business in the UK. But we could have covered so much more and felt that this section needed its own post in order to provide as much detail and value for our readers as possible.
In this blog post, we discuss the changing landscape of carpet cleaning marketing and how companies can adapt to this fast-paced digital environment.
We will look at the importance of your digital presence, as well as the benefits of partnerships and utilising innovative marketing strategies. We will also explore the critical role of customer trust and how online reviews and testimonials can help build or damage your reputation.
We'll cover how you can optimise your website for local searches, maximize your ROI with targeted advertising, and measure the success of your marketing campaigns.
Our goal is to provide you with practical and actionable strategies to help you succeed in a competitive and lucrative market.
Whether you're an aspiring carpet cleaner or an old hand on the wand, this blog post is for you.
One of the significant changes in the carpet cleaning industry has been the increasing use of digital marketing in recent years.
In the past, traditional marketing methods such as the Yellow Pages, leaflets, newspaper ads, billboards and radio ads were the primary means of reaching new customers. However, with the rise of the internet, social media and mobile devices, carpet cleaning companies now have access to a wide range of digital marketing tools.
And if you're one of those people who embrace change and have an eagerness to learn, then it opens up a world of opportunity.
Gone are the days of needing to spend thousands of pounds on large print ads; with an intelligent marketing strategy, you can compete and overtake more established companies who rest on their laurels.
However, this open marketplace does have its downsides. The increased competition and ease of entry have made it more challenging for carpet cleaning companies to stand out in a market where each and every business proclaims to be the best.
This is why you must develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that not only focuses on acquiring new customers but also on retaining existing ones.
Because if you don't, your competitors are only a click away.
Moreover, the rise of digital media has changed the way carpet cleaning companies interact with their customers. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become essential channels for companies to engage with their customers, showcase their services, and build brand awareness. They also enable customers to leave real-time reviews, meaning your reputation can be enhanced or destroyed at any moment.
In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is critical for the success of any business.
Being active online will help you reach a wider audience, showcase your services, and build brand awareness. Simply paying for a cheap website and leaving it to gather dust in the lower rankings of Google won't cut it in 2024.
One of the main advantages of having an active digital presence is the ability to reach a large, targeted audience. With the continuing growth of the internet and social media platforms, businesses can now connect with people they may not have been able to reach through traditional marketing methods.
Another significant advantage of having a strong digital presence is the ability to cost-effectively build brand awareness. Social media platforms provide the opportunity to engage with customers in real time and build brand loyalty.
By creating fresh, engaging digital content and interacting with your customers, you can build a positive reputation and establish yourself as a reputable brand in your local area.
Finally, your digital presence actually helps you to provide better customer service. With a professional website and active social media accounts, you can answer customer questions, provide updates, and respond to feedback promptly. This helps improve customer satisfaction and build trust, which is crucial for customer retention and generating repeat business.
Invest as early as possible in your digital presence and you'll vastly increase your chances of success in an evolving market
So, let's take a deeper look at how you can market your carpet cleaning business in the digital space.
In 2023, you can get a website built and get it live on the web quickly and cheaply.
But speed and price should not be the deciding factors in the design and development of your website.
It is vital that you invest in a website that helps differentiate your business from your competitors. And if you don't have experience in building a high-quality website, then it is important to choose a reputable digital marketing and web design company that will help you achieve your goals.
After all, it is no good being ranked high in search engines only for visitors to be underwhelmed when they land on your web pages.
Your website needs to satisfy the needs of searchers.
Ask yourself: What is the purpose of my website?
Having a clear call to action on all your web pages will help the user interact with what you have to offer and gain their trust in initiating the next stage of contact.
Here are some key factors that make a carpet cleaning website effective:
There are many facets to web design, but let's keep things simple:
User experience is the most important factor in website design.
And simplicity is always the best way to go when considering the overall design and feel of your site. It should have a natural flow and be easy to navigate.
And it should have a colour scheme that compliments your brand.
Intelligent use of colour has the power to elicit responses and increase engagement. Keep total colour selections to less than five colours and consider the emotion behind different colours and how they can be used to increase conversions.
Effective copywriting turns visitors and readers into customers.
Today, people are bombarded with content marketing. Even small, local businesses are producing more content than ever before.
But local business websites are usually plagued by insipid writing. They bob around in a sea of bland, homogeneous drivel, awash with copy that fails miserably to engage or elicit emotion.
And if that is bad for SEO, it’s even worse for acquiring return visitors and customers.
Your website copy should be clear, concise and convincing.
The best carpet cleaning website in the world is of little use if searchers don't find it on page 1 of the search engine results pages (SERPs).
The process of optimising a website for the SERPS is known as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
And in the case of a carpet cleaning business covering a specific radius, the type of SEO that moves the needle is local SEO.
Local SEO involves optimising your website to reach people searching for your services in their location. This is achieved by first carrying out keyword research that will help you understand the different phrases people type into Google when looking for your services.
While there are many ways to do this, such as Google's keyword planner, you can also carry out some quick research through trial and error using Google's search bar. Simply start typing in a Google search you believe to be relevant to your business (such as Carpet Cleaning London, or Carpet Cleaning Manchester for example) and watch as Google provides suggestions of complete phrases.
It's called Autocomplete.
Once you have some ideas and data for your keyword searches, it's time to create relevant content for your specific services and locations.
You do this by creating high-quality service and location-specific website pages.
For example, if a carpet cleaning company wished to be found by searchers looking for carpet cleaners in Manchester and Bury, then it would be wise to create location pages for each of these areas for their carpet cleaning service.
There are many other factors that will improve the search rankings of your website pages, such as on-page optimisation, backlinks and authority.
But it should all start with creating high-quality, location-specific website pages in the design phase of your website.
Social media has become an essential part of marketing for businesses of all sizes, including carpet cleaning companies.
It is a powerful tool that can help you reach new customers, generate more leads, build brand loyalty, and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Before you start using social media to promote your carpet cleaning services, it is important to identify your target audience.
Who are your ideal customers? What are their needs? And where are they located?
By understanding your target audience, you can create targeted content that resonates with them and attracts their attention.
Not all social media platforms offer equal returns when it comes to carpet cleaning.
Twitter is not going to prove as successful as Facebook. And LinkedIn is better suited for targeting business customers than homeowners.
Choose the social platforms where your target audience is most active.
For example, Facebook has many local groups and communities in which you can interact.
Instagram is also an increasingly popular platform for cleaning businesses.
Google Maps, while no longer a social platform, is an important platform that showcases local businesses on page 1, and enables customers to leave prominent reviews. (If you don't have a listing, claim it here).
And, of course, YouTube is the go-to platform for publishing video content.
As a carpet cleaning business, one of the most important things you should post o social media is the before-and-after photos that show customers the end results of your service.
Results are proof that you are what you say you are.
Post videos that show the difference in the quality of your carpet cleaning machinery.
Other social content could include helpful tips that provide people with advice on how to remove stains and maintain the appearance of their carpets.
While carpet cleaning is by no means a social media viral juggernaut, the more engaging and helpful your content is, the more likely people are to share it with their friends and followers.
Social media is a two-way conversation.
Always try to respond to comments, messages and feedback - both the good and the bad.
This can help build lasting relationships with your customers and increase trust and brand loyalty.
And if you do receive a negative review, take your time before responding and try to put things right.
Social media platforms offer a range of advertising options that allow you to target specific locations, demographics, interests and behaviours.
Running targeted, paid ads can help you reach new customers in your location who may be interested in your carpet cleaning services; particularly in the early days of a business when your social media pages can resemble a digital graveyard.
As with all other forms of paid advertising, it is important to analyse the ROI and make changes to adverts that are not performing as expected.
Facebook, in particular, provides a lot of data for paid ad campaigns.
Video marketing is an effective way for businesses to communicate their message to their target audience; particularly the younger demographic.
As a carpet cleaning company, you can use videos to showcase your services and results, provide cleaning tips, and educate your audience on the benefits of carpet cleaning.
You can embed your videos on your website, post directly to social media platforms, and publish on YouTube to reach a wider audience.
If you're a little shy in front of the camera then it's perfectly fine to use subtitles as opposed to talking to the camera (and this enables people to watch your content with the sound off at work).
Online reviews and testimonials are essential for building trust and credibility.
It is an uphill task to gain online trust without them.
And so you should do everything you can to get as many reviews as possible as fast as you can.
Encourage your customers to leave positive reviews on your website, social media platforms and review sites.
This will help you to build a positive reputation and attract new customers.
Registering your business on local review platforms such as Google Maps, Yell and Freeindex, will also gain website links and citations that can increase online authority and improve rankings.
Google Ads and Local Services Ads allow you to target online searchers who are actively searching for carpet cleaning services in your area.
This means you can be competitive from day one, bidding against your competitors for customers before your website has climbed the Google rankings.
You are able to target exact locations and retain control over your advertising spend by setting up a daily budget and bidding on keywords that are relevant to your carpet cleaning business.
Google Ads provides detailed reports that track your performance and measure the success of your ad campaigns. You can see how many clicks, impressions, and conversions your ads are generating, and then use this information to make informed decisions about your future advertising strategy.
Setting up an effective Google Ads campaign can be more complicated and involved than a social media ad campaign, so it is wise to enlist the services of a professional if you are not familiar with the platform.
Keep in contact with your previous customers by sending emails with relevant news, special offers, and details of services they might not be aware of that you offer.
Send periodic reminders that it has been x amount of time since their last carpet cleaning appointment.
Simply keeping in touch with your customers, without exerting any sales pressure, will generate a consistent amount of leads the longer you're in business.
Offline marketing is any type of marketing which utilises channels that are not online. This includes radio and tv ads, networking and all forms of print advertising.
Rewind a couple of decades and the vast majority of marketing was offline.
Does it still work?
Yes.
Here are some offline marketing strategies that can still be effective for carpet cleaning companies:
Sending targeted print advertising to households in your service areas can be a cost-effective way of reaching potential customers.
To increase your response rate, consider offering a special promotion or discount to encourage recipients to act.
Post flyers through the doors of houses on streets where you have worked that day and lead with the heading: "I've been working at number... today"
Send postcards to remind customers that they are due for their annual cleaning appointment.
While intimidating for some people, these strategies still work if you take a relaxed and personable approach.
Again, a friendly knock on the door of the neighbours of a household in which you've been working will provide relevance and context to the person answering the door.
And in the early days of your business - with a small budget and quiet diary - it can pay dividends to get out of your comfort zone and knock on doors.
Branding your company vehicles with your logo, service details and contact information will help increase brand visibility and generate leads while working on jobs.
When the neighbours hear the sound of a machine running in their street, you want your brand to jump out at them from your van!
Make sure to keep your vehicles clean and well-maintained to project a professional image. You are a cleaning company after all.
Encouraging your customers to refer their friends, family and neighbours can be a powerful way to generate new business.
Consider offering incentives as part of a referral scheme, such as a discount on future bookings.
It can also be effective to have a loyalty card for all your customers to reward them for multiple bookings or for exceeding a spending threshold.
Building mutually beneficial relationships with other business owners and suppliers is a very cost-effective way of generating new business.
This can be achieved by attending local networking events and contacting businesses that may benefit from referring your company.
Builders, tradesmen, home removal companies and general cleaning companies that don't offer carpet cleaning as a service themselves will often need the services of a professional carpet cleaning company.
Position yourself as the first name that springs to mind.
On-trend marketing strategies are informed by current trends in consumer behaviour and technology.
By staying up-to-date with trending technologies, you can differentiate your business from your competitors and engage more effectively with your target audience.
Here are some innovative and trending strategies that your competitors may not be using:
Carpet cleaning companies can differentiate themselves from their competitors by implementing sustainability initiatives, such as using eco-friendly cleaning products or reducing water and energy usage.
By promoting their sustainable credentials, carpet cleaning companies will appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers and build strong brand loyalty.
Whenever possible, you should use customer data to personalize your marketing efforts.
This could be as simple as sending a personal email or thank you card or offering customised cleaning packages based on a customer's specific need - think welcome baby home cleaning packages.
This can help build stronger, lasting relationships with your customers.
Consider how you can partner with influencers in your target market to promote your services.
Being promoted on social media by someone with a large following can generate a high volume of bookings in a very short amount of time.
It costs nothing to reach out to someone you feel is ideally placed to promote your business in exchange for a complimentary or discounted service.
Whether you're in the initial stages of starting your carpet cleaning company, or you're an established business looking to increase your turnover and profitability in 2024, a solid marketing plan will help you attract and retain customers.
By focusing on marketing your business consistently with a range of data-driven online and offline advertising tactics - and backing it up with great customer service - you'll always be one step ahead of your competition.
