Do you have a laundry business?
Do you want to grow your laundry business?
If so, this blog post is for you!
There are many questions that every small laundry business owner needs to ask themselves about running their company — especially when it comes to marketing efforts.
We will list 5 of these questions and give some answers that help you get a clearer picture of the road ahead. These questions can help guide your decisions on how to improve your digital marketing and grow your customer base.
Let’s dig in.
1. Should I advertise on social media or with Google Adwords?
Everyone seems to be using paid ads and social media these days, so you’re probably wondering how effective they are.
Here’s the skinny:
- PPC ads are a great way to get quick customer acquisition but may lack long-term engagement.
- Social media is an essential avenue of communication with your customers, but you need to build up engagement and followers before investing in paid campaigns.
So both work, but with caveats.
There are some benefits of advertising through just social media platforms, though — such as being more cost-effective than paying for Google Adwords or Facebook ads. Engagement may be tough going, however, since the average Facebook click-through rate is about .05%.
And in the end, paid ads can increase sales, but they only go as far as your budget allows. It is possible to have an ad campaign on a small budget. It’s just hard. We’d recommend banner ads (through Google’s Display Network) if you’re low budget and are trying to mainly build brand awareness.
To put a final answer to this question: It all depends on your goal and how much you’re willing to spend.
2. How do I get more customers without spending any money on advertising?
Short and sweet: consider posting organically on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. You can also consider content marketing if you have the resources (time) available to do so.
Since I’m a content guy, I prefer content.
Posting blog articles with relevant information that people would be interested in reading about helps drive traffic towards your website. Guest posting is also practical, and you’ll likely be able to leave a byline similar to this:
“This content was written by _________. Contact them at __@__ for any inquiries related to their services.”
Another way of getting customers is to attend trade shows or industry conferences, provide samples at nearby businesses, and submit proposals to universities and large corporations who may need laundered clothes services.
People won customers before the internet — it’s just a lot easier now if you know how to use the right tools.
3. What should my website say about me and my company?
Your website is an extension of your brand, so putting some thought into it is wise.
Don’t overthink it, though. Your site should list details about your company and services, including some of these items:
- Your company hours of operation.
- Basic service info, such as: What days are you open? How many washers or dryers do you have? How many deliveries do you offer per day/week? Is there a minimum order size to receive free delivery service?
- List your price ranges for services.
- What makes you different from other laundry companies in the area?
- Include testimonials and customer reviews from customers.
- Describe your expertise in laundry, if applicable (for example, education or experience).
Important note: It’s vital that content on your site be concise and informative so users can quickly find what they’re looking for. Research has shown that people spend an average of eight seconds reading text online before going elsewhere. When writing copy, keep this statistic in mind to ensure visitors get enough detail without being overloaded with too much information at once.
4. When it comes to getting new customers, which channels work the best?
The answer to this question largely depends on the type of laundry you offer.
For example, if your company specializes in commercial laundry services for companies with several dozen (or more) employees, then marketing efforts might be focused exclusively on social media and email campaigns. You can also try tactics like account-based marketing, long-term SEO efforts, and improving your website’s funnel to maximize conversions.
If you handle residential laundry service (such as dry cleaning), however, it is likely that more direct online marketing tactics (like those outlined above) are necessary.
In general, though, both groups need some basics:
- A website
- Email marketing capabilities
- Social media presence (even if just NAP info)
- Analytics tool
That said, there are far more channels and tools out there. Also — working with an agency can be helpful.
5. How Do I Get Started With Marketing?
It really depends on what kind of laundry business you have, but there are some great general starting points.
For local businesses, look at the most popular industries in your area and think about how they use marketing for advertising their services. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer for those types of businesses and do an evaluation from that perspective. What would make them want to choose your company over others? How can you do it better than what other companies offer?
For everyone else (and also local business owners), marketing efforts will be an investment both financially and in terms of time, so don’t expect short-term returns. That said, long-term marketing efforts (like SEO and optimized ad campaigns) are proven methods — you just need to ensure you have infrastructure that supports your efforts.
Other than outlining your channels — be clear about your goals. Determine your customer acquisition goals, such as increasing sales by 20% in six months or doubling traffic to your site within three months. Set milestones for targets and create a plan with steps you’ll take to achieve those results.
That said, be realistic about how much effort it will require from you on an ongoing basis—and don’t forget that occasionally easy wins are just as valuable as big ones.
