Effective marketing for service-based businesses must take a practical approach. People already know to look for your company when they need what you offer. That means your digital marketing goal should be to show your information, expertise, and overall value to each potential lead.
Plumbers, electricians, pest control specialists, and more can all benefit from the following actionable tips to market your business.
1. Optimize Your Google My Business
This free tool from Google helps business owners increase local exposure. If someone searches for your service in your community, an updated profile will give that person your address, hours, reviews, and more.
Once the listing is created, a Google Maps location is generated. That data syncs to the traditional search engine mechanisms to make your service-based business easier to find while improving your local ranking.
Don’t forget to verify your information after updating it. Google sends a postcard through the mail as “evidence” that you represent the claimed business.
2. Leverage Video
Effective marketing for service-based businesses should include video content today. This resource hooks the audience to your message and expertise when it is engaging.
Creating an original video for your website, social media, or email marketing campaign requires a few steps.
- Invest in the production value of the content to ensure the audio and video experience contributes to interactions instead of pushing leads away.
- Incorporate testimonials to let other people see and hear those who have worked with you in the past.
- Create a script, but don’t rely on it entirely – you want to come across as genuine instead of robotic.
People only have the time to read about 28% of the words on an average website visit. That’s why video content can separate you from the competition.
3. Stay Connected with Your Clients
Service-based businesses must stay engaged with their customers since it is often unpredictable when they’ll need your help. One of the best ways to accomplish that feat is to increase your social media presence.
People connect to businesses and brands that offer something valuable. If you’re an electrician, you might post some DIY tips to help people manage their homes better. A plumber might talk about how to spot a hidden leak behind the dishwasher.
If you have an e-commerce component to your business, it might help to offer online deals to encourage more bookings.
It helps to check in with your customer frequently. With thousands of brand messages bombarding people every day, it doesn’t take long for an out of sight business to become out of mind.
4. Ask for Reviews
Customer reviews make a powerful statement about your service-based business. It only takes a few sentences to influence consumer choices. Even a tiny difference, such as a half-star, can be what it takes for someone to select your company over a competitor.
You must ask for those reviews to get those extra stars and sentences. Most people love sharing an opinion, and making this request ensures that each customer knows an opportunity is there to offer one.
84% of customers say they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
You can ask for reviews on invoices, in person, or through your website on a reviews page. Email or social media communications are also effective.
If you want to stand out, try sending a traditional thank you card to a customer for their business. Including a small note that asks for a review after this positive interaction can help develop this resource.
5. Write Informative Content
It might feel self-serving to write about your experience as an HVAC specialist or a roofer. From a digital marketing perspective, it’s one of the best ways to prove your expertise.
Today’s best online content takes a complicated task or subject and breaks it down for the average person to understand. You don’t need to share your trade secrets, but it does help to let people see why you’re the best at what you do.
Here are some ways you can help your visitors understand your unique sales proposition better.
- Use everyday language instead of filling pages and posts with jargon.
- Write in the second-person point of view by using “you” and “yours” more.
- Keep sentences short, use meaningful headings, and increase lists or bullets.
A Final Thought About Marketing Your Service-Based Business
Effective marketing for service-based businesses doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. What you’re doing with these tips is to create the same online environment that you do when responding to a call.
You’re building confidence in your expertise with each digital marketing effort. In return, more people will look to you when they need your help because they trust your skills.
When these ideas are used with an all-encompassing strategy that includes SEO, Google Ads, and social media, you’ll build a strong marketing foundation that supports your current and future business efforts.