Cleaning Business Blueprint
If you own a cleaning service that is actively operating today, congratulations on holding out while other companies have simply thrown in the towel. I say simply because it's the easy route, running for the hills when uncertainty is arise. Thats when the tough get going...
In 2017 I opened a residential house cleaning business in the very competitive area of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It would only be the first few months that year for me to figure out how to climb to the top of the searches in Google for terms my ideal clients were searching, like, "house cleaning virginia beach". I have since successfully super-glued myself to the top for various search terms that in turn make my business, So Clean Virginia Beach, a steady 6 figure income that almost doubles each year now!
Look, the journey you set out on may seem overwhelming and chances are you’ve probably noticed some changes in your cleaning business by now just trying to stay afloat. Not every cleaning business owner is also a super savvy marketer/motivator and you must remember, tough times don't last, tough people do!
So why is it that a select few cleaning businesses are actually prospering during this pandemic, while too many others are struggling or have given up? No, not every cleaning business owner who is succeeding is also a marketer, but I guarantee they have one!
CUSTOMERS.
Perhaps you have received several cancellations and or business as a whole has slowed to and almost halt since the pandemic began and just the thought of attracting new clientele seems next to impossible without changing what you do in some way.
While this task may seem like a nightmare, breaking outside of your comfort zone might be the best way for you to realize that this is an excellent opportunity for you to make your brand a loud splash in your marketplace that has rippling effects.
The facts are... your potential customers are still out there, now more than ever, you just need to properly position yourself in front of them without soliciting.
Unfortunately, most business owners do not know how this is done. Welcome to your blueprint!
If you own a cleaning service that is actively operating today, congratulations on holding out while other companies have simply thrown in the towel. I say simply because it's the easy route, running for the hills when uncertainty is arise. Thats when the tough get going...
In 2017 I opened a residential house cleaning business in the very competitive area of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It would only be the first few months that year for me to figure out how to climb to the top of the searches in Google for terms my ideal clients were searching, like, "house cleaning virginia beach". I have since successfully super-glued myself to the top for various search terms that in turn make my business, So Clean Virginia Beach, a steady 6 figure income that almost doubles each year now!
Look, the journey you set out on may seem overwhelming and chances are you’ve probably noticed some changes in your cleaning business by now just trying to stay afloat. Not every cleaning business owner is also a super savvy marketer/motivator and you must remember, tough times don't last, tough people do!
So why is it that a select few cleaning businesses are actually prospering during this pandemic, while too many others are struggling or have given up? No, not every cleaning business owner who is succeeding is also a marketer, but I guarantee they have one!
CUSTOMERS.
Perhaps you have received several cancellations and or business as a whole has slowed to and almost halt since the pandemic began and just the thought of attracting new clientele seems next to impossible without changing what you do in some way.
While this task may seem like a nightmare, breaking outside of your comfort zone might be the best way for you to realize that this is an excellent opportunity for you to make your brand a loud splash in your marketplace that has rippling effects.
The facts are... your potential customers are still out there, now more than ever, you just need to properly position yourself in front of them without soliciting.
Unfortunately, most business owners do not know how this is done. Welcome to your blueprint!
1. Why NOW is the RIGHT TIME to Market Your Cleaning Service
Say it isn't so, yes, right now is critical you market your cleaning brand.
As an essential business in just about every state, you have to let residential customers as well as the business owners in your area know that you are an essential business for a reason.
Ever since March of this year, 2020, this virus has forever affected every marketplace from cleanliness and sanitation, to customer service itself.
Home owners want peace of mind that their homes are as safe for their family, pets and guests as they possibly can be.
Business owners seek proper precautions for safeguarding their staff as well as their customers.
In this economic down turn, another market shift to pay attention to in that almost every local business has stopped since the pandemic started is their online advertising spend. This means for those of us who take advantage of this opportunity against once big time competition can see a considerably lower cost to acquire customers than usual right now!
Even branding your businesses that remains closed at the moment can pay off big once things return to normal and your customers and neighborhoods remember your brand.
2. Why Social Media Marketing Is Effective For Cleaning or Any Service Based Business
If this quarantine has proven one thing rather quickly, it's that a large majority of us are not only addicted to our screens: TV, computer and cell phones, but marketing across these platform WORKS!
Social media usage is on the rise literally daily, making it an ideal platform to cost effectively get in front of thousands of eyeballs.
The large creative component to this is what sets apart the successful businesses in their marketplace. You see, unlike Google PPC (pay per click) campaigns or Home Advisor Leads or Yelp sponsored listings where relevancy is based solely on search terms, Facebook ads give you the opportunity to really drill down on who your customers are.
Doing this gives you a vastly unique advantage in being able to paint a picture of your company in front of exactly the right crowd and thus see awesome results because of your positioning!
Say it isn't so, yes, right now is critical you market your cleaning brand.
As an essential business in just about every state, you have to let residential customers as well as the business owners in your area know that you are an essential business for a reason.
Ever since March of this year, 2020, this virus has forever affected every marketplace from cleanliness and sanitation, to customer service itself.
Home owners want peace of mind that their homes are as safe for their family, pets and guests as they possibly can be.
Business owners seek proper precautions for safeguarding their staff as well as their customers.
In this economic down turn, another market shift to pay attention to in that almost every local business has stopped since the pandemic started is their online advertising spend. This means for those of us who take advantage of this opportunity against once big time competition can see a considerably lower cost to acquire customers than usual right now!
Even branding your businesses that remains closed at the moment can pay off big once things return to normal and your customers and neighborhoods remember your brand.
2. Why Social Media Marketing Is Effective For Cleaning or Any Service Based Business
If this quarantine has proven one thing rather quickly, it's that a large majority of us are not only addicted to our screens: TV, computer and cell phones, but marketing across these platform WORKS!
Social media usage is on the rise literally daily, making it an ideal platform to cost effectively get in front of thousands of eyeballs.
The large creative component to this is what sets apart the successful businesses in their marketplace. You see, unlike Google PPC (pay per click) campaigns or Home Advisor Leads or Yelp sponsored listings where relevancy is based solely on search terms, Facebook ads give you the opportunity to really drill down on who your customers are.
Doing this gives you a vastly unique advantage in being able to paint a picture of your company in front of exactly the right crowd and thus see awesome results because of your positioning!
3. How To Build High Converting Facebook Ads
Messaging!
Messaging!
First, speak directly to your potential customer, what is it you want to say to them?
Know your typical client, are they:
All three of these example demographics are vastly different from one another, lifestyles and expectations completely different. Having a message that can speak to one person directly, however, is going to be crucial in running a successful marketing campaign. Simply create a separate campaign for each of your typical clients if you want!
We are creatures of emotion; why do they need to make an appointment with you? Look, if they are moving out, for example, they are looking for a company that will ensure every square foot is thoroughly deep cleaned after they are packed up and they will find another company if you cannot convince them you are the best for the job and why.
The Offer
Advertising 101 says that a good offer trumps a mediocre, or no-offer, 9 times out of 10.
Percentage-based offers are very redundant in the cleaning space and should be bonuses that you still offer on top of an existing offer. For example, I’d focus on something tangible you can bring to a client, such as:
“1 hour free disinfecting spray giveaway (enter to win)”
“Fogging disinfectant included with any clean over __ hours”
“3 hour deep cleaning and disinfecting for $XX“
Know your typical client, are they:
- A single, middle aged woman who hasn't the time to clean?
- A married man, 40 years old and is never home to clean?
- A retired, 72 year old woman who likes a tidy house but isn’t limber enough to still clean?
All three of these example demographics are vastly different from one another, lifestyles and expectations completely different. Having a message that can speak to one person directly, however, is going to be crucial in running a successful marketing campaign. Simply create a separate campaign for each of your typical clients if you want!
We are creatures of emotion; why do they need to make an appointment with you? Look, if they are moving out, for example, they are looking for a company that will ensure every square foot is thoroughly deep cleaned after they are packed up and they will find another company if you cannot convince them you are the best for the job and why.
The Offer
Advertising 101 says that a good offer trumps a mediocre, or no-offer, 9 times out of 10.
Percentage-based offers are very redundant in the cleaning space and should be bonuses that you still offer on top of an existing offer. For example, I’d focus on something tangible you can bring to a client, such as:
“1 hour free disinfecting spray giveaway (enter to win)”
“Fogging disinfectant included with any clean over __ hours”
“3 hour deep cleaning and disinfecting for $XX“
Of the offers mentioned above, all are extremely relevant to the disinfecting efforts traced to COVID-19, making them a safe bet to starting your own campaigns!
Creative (Image or Video)
The only other super important piece of the pie in a converting advertisement puzzle is the ad creative itself! That would be the actual image people will see and see often as it will be the main attention grabber pic associated to any ad.
Don't overthink this. Anyone can easily get pretty creative (no pun intended) editing your imagery.
Creative (Image or Video)
The only other super important piece of the pie in a converting advertisement puzzle is the ad creative itself! That would be the actual image people will see and see often as it will be the main attention grabber pic associated to any ad.
Don't overthink this. Anyone can easily get pretty creative (no pun intended) editing your imagery.
{(Ad mockup) Example of image with text overlay, pertaining to offer}
Transparency in you content and message is your greatest asset. Also, your audience wants to see real photos you have in your camera roll from the real jobs, not some stock photo from somewhere else online of a pretty home, Google knows the difference too!
Avoid using stock images other cleaning services use because they are nice pictures for your website or page wherever.
(It is a pitfall that I have pointed out to several cleaning business owners before writing this.)
Pro tip: Use real pictures showing your staff wearing some protective gear; face masks, shoe coverings - or any piece of protective clothing to give your potential buyers validation for hiring you!
If you go the video route, follow the same routine above. Show clips of you and your team smiling, greeting the home owner or business owner, actually spraying/wiping down equipment etc. and build some quality trust in doing so.
This branding of your business is laying the groundwork and not every one that sees your ad will become a customer, however you are building a great rapport within your community.
4. Final thoughts
A lot of uncertainty circulates the marketplace as this pandemic presses on, making residential house cleaning seem like a false hope.
However, rather than having to put a hold on your business, taking action is your best action.
Even a tiny shift in your marketing approach can get you to that happy place, where your business is not worried about where the next call will come but who's going to answer it!
Well, what are you waiting for? Go find business; don’t wait for business to find you. If you need help, let's get in touch!
Avoid using stock images other cleaning services use because they are nice pictures for your website or page wherever.
(It is a pitfall that I have pointed out to several cleaning business owners before writing this.)
Pro tip: Use real pictures showing your staff wearing some protective gear; face masks, shoe coverings - or any piece of protective clothing to give your potential buyers validation for hiring you!
If you go the video route, follow the same routine above. Show clips of you and your team smiling, greeting the home owner or business owner, actually spraying/wiping down equipment etc. and build some quality trust in doing so.
This branding of your business is laying the groundwork and not every one that sees your ad will become a customer, however you are building a great rapport within your community.
4. Final thoughts
A lot of uncertainty circulates the marketplace as this pandemic presses on, making residential house cleaning seem like a false hope.
However, rather than having to put a hold on your business, taking action is your best action.
Even a tiny shift in your marketing approach can get you to that happy place, where your business is not worried about where the next call will come but who's going to answer it!
Well, what are you waiting for? Go find business; don’t wait for business to find you. If you need help, let's get in touch!