It’s a struggle we all face – how do you capture the attention of customers who have access to instant information from a variety of sources? How do you stand out from your competition in a space where there are many? 

To help steer you in the right direction, we’ve built a quick list of 9 budget-friendly digital marketing ideas to draw in more laundry customers:

#1: Send an e-newsletter

Do you have your customers’ email addresses? If you don’t think so, double-check your Point-of-Sale system. Many these days automatically collect email addresses if your customer requests an e-receipt. 

If you don’t have them, start collecting. Sending a quick email about a special you’re running or new equipment in your laundry will help get your customers back at your business.

#2: Mobile marketing

Similar to emails, you can use your customers’ phone numbers to communicate through text. Let them know that your laundry isn’t busy so it is an ideal time to come, or remind them to drop off or pick up any laundry or dry cleaning items. Your customers will appreciate the added effort you put into the relationship and reward you for it.

#3: Register your business

When someone searches for “Laundry Near Me” in their map app, you want to show up first. There isn’t some magic wizard in the sky who goes around adding local businesses to these apps – it is up to the business owner. You’ll want to register your business with Google, as well as Navteq and Teleatlas (GPS providers). Registering your business with all 3 of these platforms is totally free and can help your potential customers find you more easily.  

#4: Local SEO

Nearly anyone with a business has heard of the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). But what is it and how do you actually do it? The truth is that SEO is significantly less complicated than it used to be – just have good content on your site.

Local SEO takes that one step further by making sure your web pages all reference your location. You want to use your location name (city, state) multiple times throughout your web copy. In addition to registering your business, this will help search engines like Google find your website when local customers are searching for laundries in their area.

#5: Reward loyalty

For any business, returning customers are the bread and butter. The best way to make sure your customers keep coming back is to reward them for their loyalty. There are tons of digital loyalty trackers you can implement to help reward your customers. Consider offering a free wash every 5th visit or so. Your customers won’t consider going to the laundry across town if they can earn freebies with you.

#6: Digital Ads

There are a plethora of places to advertise from when it comes to digital. You can choose platforms from Google Ads, Twitter Ads, Pinterest, and Facebook Ads. We recommend Facebook Ads because of the targeting options. You can serve an ad to someone who is near your business, even if they do not live in your city. 

You can also set very specific run times for your ad. Perhaps you want to offer a discounted rate during your slowest times – you can set the ad to only run during those times specifically.

#7: Social Media

Social media is a great way to expand your audience. The key to social media is providing your potential customers with the information they actually want. Offer them discounts, show off your facilities, and give them the best laundry tips and tricks you can think of. Visual components, like pictures and videos, are king in the social media space, so be sure to include as many as you can.

#8: Tell it All Online

Make sure your website and social media channels, as well as any business listings, have anything your customers might need to know before they visit. This includes things like your hours, your pricing, your location, what parking is like at your business, whether or not you offer WiFi or vending machines, and what other services you do have.

#9: Monitor Your Online Reputation

This one can be a struggle for a lot of business owners, regardless of industry. We live in a time where every business receives reviews online. While in an ideal world, all of the reviews are pleasant and wonderful, this isn’t always the case. Instead of responding angrily to reviews (which will earn you a bad reputation), try responding kindly. Ask those who complain to contact you privately to resolve the issue. Always be sure to thank anyone who leaves a positive review, as this can help you attract more positive reviews as well. If you are concerned about your ability to stay kind and impartial, consider letting another person manage this process for you.

Conclusion

By incorporating these different digital marketing channels into your laundry’s marketing mix, you can draw in a lot of new customers as well as keep your current ones coming back. The key to successful marketing is putting your customer, and their desires, first – regardless of what marketing channel you choose.