How to grow your plumbing business on a tight marketing budget
introduction
Starting a new business is expensive, especially if you are going into construction. You must purchase your own equipment, transportation, insurance and cover all other associated costs. A lot of people go out small business loans to start and will have to stick to a tight budget.
If you have to go it alone without outside help, you’ll have to tackle marketing tasks to get your business out there and attract those all-important customers. Below are some marketing strategies that include a mix of traditional and digital tactics to help you grow your business on a shoestring budget.
Make your website a resource center
Most of your competitors will have a website, but set yourself apart from the competition by making yours a resource center. Customers will then be able to use your website as more than just a place to find your contact information. By putting lots of useful information on your website, you will be seen as a trusted and knowledgeable professional, which will encourage customers to choose you over another provider.
Have an active blog that educates and gives visitors new ideas on how they can use your plumbing services. For example, you can write DIY tutorials to teach customers how to solve basic everyday plumbing problems. They’re more likely to remember a company that taught them something and will reach out to you when they run into a job they can’t solve on their own.
Besides giving your customers a decent online experience, blog posts are a great way to help with organic search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines (like Google) reward sites with higher rankings when they contain longer blog posts with rich, relevant information and good use of keywords.
Grow your contact database and email consistently
Advertising by e-mail can be an amazing sales tool when done correctly. However, you will first need to collect a database of valid email addresses. This can be done by having a newsletter email subscription option on your website and requesting email contact details for quotes and invoicing.
You will need to ensure that your email marketing complies with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It’s not as hard as it sounds, because with just a few simple steps, you can make sure your email marketing is compliant:
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Make sure your prospecting is targeted and appropriate.
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Explain your legitimate interest in having your email copied.
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Make it quick and easy to unsubscribe or unsubscribe.
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Regularly clean and maintain your email database.
Sending a monthly email will keep your business top of mind and could also lead to increased revenue from your existing customer base. You can include seasonal promotions, links to informational resources you have posted on your website, and any company news that you think will be of interest to your customers.
Use social media platforms
People turn to social media all the time – in search of skilled tradespeople, plumber recommendations and home improvement inspiration. There are many different types of content you can post to your social media accounts to boost engagement and build brand awareness.
Next time you’re at work, why not try Facebook Live and engage with your online community. It has been found that live videos tend to get six times more interactions than regular videos. Don’t forget to get your client’s permission before you start filming during a job.
Social media gives you a platform to be genuinely creative and get people excited about your plumbing business. If budget is available, you can also post sponsored posts to target and reach your ideal audience. It can be a bit tricky if you’re not familiar with creating and managing social media ads.
Partner with a builder
One of the best ways to increase your income is to form strategic partnerships. Finding a builder who shares your values and work ethic is a great option, especially since when someone builds a home, they tend to look for a builder first who will then recommend or contract a plumber. .
If you can build a solid relationship with a builder, chances are they’ll send you client referrals. To establish a referral relationship, you will need to either contact local builders or join professional groups to network with builders. Have a reference and proof of the quality of your work, as they will likely ask for it.
Get involved in your local community
Plumbing is considered a local business, so getting involved in the local community will help you connect with residents in an authentic way. If you’re visible and people know you’re the local plumber, it will help generate more word-of-mouth referrals.
Here are some of the easiest ways to increase your visibility in the community:
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Introduce yourself to local small business owners.
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Get involved in volunteer projects.
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Join local networking groups to meet other small business owners.
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Sponsorship of a booth at local events.
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Partner with local charities to organize events.
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Support a local sports team by providing sponsorship.
Make sure you have your business cards with you at all times because you want to hand them out to anyone who wants one. You will want to share your contact information with as many people in the community as possible.
Request revisions after each completed job
Remember to always ask for revisions after a completed job. Happy customers are often happy to leave a review when asked, but business owners tend to forget to take the time to ask. To make your life easier, sign up for an automated messaging system that will send a review request after each completed job.
Make sure your correspondence includes all places where you accept reviews, such as Google, Facebook, and Yelp. The list of options will allow your customers to choose the platform they feel most comfortable posting to.
Takeaway meals
Growing a plumbing business on a tight marketing budget isn’t easy, but you can take your organization to the next level with a little planning, creativity, and hard work. You don’t need to spend a fortune on advertising because you’re more likely to get referrals by following the steps above than by splashing out on a newspaper ad.
This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or management of EconoTimes
