Steady cash flow stimulates business growth. This fundamental business concept is especially important in service-based industries like plumbing and repair. It’s simple – the more money you have coming in, the more you can spend on marketing and targeting new business for sustained growth. But what can you do if your income is not as steady as you’d like? This is where becoming creative and cost-effective with your marketing programs will really help boost your business.
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For those plumbing companies with slower cash flow, we’ve created a list of cheap marketing ideas that will permit you to increase your online exposure, without hitting your back pocket too hard.
Establish a Solid Brand
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The key to beginning any marketing campaign is developing a strong and recognizable brand identity. Whether it’s the name of your business or the logo and colors used in your identity, it’s crucial to begin your online marketing with a strong brand identity. The first step is logo development that is unique and memorable.
Then create a tagline or marketing slogan that matches your company’s mission and targets your customer base. Also, make sure that the style and tone of your content are consistent and recognizable.
Why Online Marketing is Crucial for Plumbers
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Most consumers find service providers online. This is a reality that all plumbing companies must realize and embrace. Home and business owners jump on the internet to find heating contractors, major appliance repair companies, and most importantly for you – plumbing companies. Since plumbing is a competitive market across the globe, finding a way to make it easy for potential customers to find you should be the number one goal of your new marketing program. This should start with your online marketing.
While traditional advertising means commercial TV and radio advertisements and print ads in magazines or newspapers are reliable they can also be quite expensive. Basic online marketing can always be done inexpensively. Internet or search engine marketing is a fraction of the cost of traditional ads, which is an important box to check when you’re on a budget.
Establish an Online Platform by Creating a Website
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The purpose of any website is to provide a landing place to build an online marketing campaign, draw in customers and ultimately drive your business. To put it simply, it’s like establishing a brick and mortar location for a business, but on the internet! Your website is a hub that will funnel leads that have reached your site through Google, Facebook or elsewhere, and provide them with the information they need about the services you offer. Your website should also include all contact information such as your email, phone, and hours of operation.
Submit the Website to Online Directories
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Many local communities host online directories of businesses that offer services for residents. Once your website has been developed, the next step is to contact local online marketplaces to have your company listed on their website. Not only does this provide an additional online location where customers can find you, but it also helps you organically increase your search engine optimization or SEO. This helps your website become more visible when customers look keywords up in search engines. Paid advertising (if it is offered) on your local registry can dramatically increase ROI, or Return on Investment, by making your ad more visible.
Add Content to Your Website by Blogging
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Content development is the heart of online marketing campaigns. However, your content needs to be quality and relevant. Today’s search engines are developed with advanced mathematical algorithms that rank websites based on their quality of content, correct use of keywords, and the relevance of the website overall.
A plumbing company can create simple blog posts that provide easy-to-understand maintenance and repair tips. Try not to be too technical in your content and make sure it is written in laymen’s terms. You could let a friend or family member read over your content before you publish it, to ensure that it can be understood by someone completely unfamiliar with your industry
Develop DIY Videos
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While you’re hired to fix plumbing issues, sometimes it pays to complete film some of your own DIY maintenance, with an online audience in mind, of course. You can create a YouTube account and upload your videos for free. Again, be smart with your keywords to maximize SEO opportunities. It’s then easy to upload your short videos to Facebook social media pages, which are also critical components of any online marketing campaign.
SEO Helps You Rank Higher
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When you operate a plumbing company, you’ll be much more visible to new customers if your company is listed on the internet. And companies that show up on the first page of the search engine results page will typically receive the most contact from potential customers.
This is likely the one area on our list that will cost you some time and possibly some money in order to be done correctly. The way that SEO (or Search Engine Optimisation) works is that search engines will ‘crawl’ on your website to find keywords that match what your potential customer is typing into the search bar. To improve the chances of your website being found, each page needs to be ‘optimized’ with keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, location, and customer.
You may also like to know about 5 Qualities Of An Expert Plumbers For Clearing Blocked Drain Problem
Seek Consumer Reviews and Build a Positive Online Reputation
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The final step of creating an effective and affordable online marketing program is perhaps the hardest part – asking for reviews from previous customers. Many people have a hard time asking for help, but when you’re a service provider like a plumber, you need to develop a strong online reputation, and online reviews help dramatically. Naturally, by providing superior customer service and doing a great job with repairs and service, you’ll earn positive online reviews. Once your job is done with a customer, and you can tell that they are happy with your service, it will take them a few minutes to leave a positive review on your Facebook page, on Google Business, or other online directories.
Finding new customers to help accelerate your plumbing business is a challenge, but it’s not as hard as you’d think. By starting an effective online marketing campaign, and growing it on a scalable front, you can attract new business to your plumbing business. However, in order to be effective, you must be proactive, review and revise your strategies, and even reach out to online marketing professionals if you are unsure. Don’t forget to also review your insurance options.
