1. Make customer service your first priority
Great customer service makes a world of difference. We cannot stress this enough. When your clients are happy, they will continue using your service. They might even refer you to their friends. Recurring customers and referrals are often the most reliable sources of business for office cleaners.
Though we all love word-of-mouth referrals, this is mostly a passive approach to getting more work. It's important to be proactive about your company's marketing.
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2. Try pay-per-click advertising
Running a pay per click (PPC) campaign is an awesome way of getting more visitors to your office cleaning company's website. Be careful though! Pay per click advertising can become expensive if you don't monitor your budget carefully.
One of the best things about PPC is that you can target your ad toward a very specific audience. You can target users based on their age, location, and their keyword searches. If you are somewhat tech savvy, you can probably set up your first campaign on your own.
If you don't feel comfortable, you can also hire a PPC agency to help you out. When selecting a company to manage your PPC campaigns, you want to make sure that you will retain control over your accounts should you decide to stop using their service.
3. Don't be afraid to specialize
Differentiation is key! What does your company do better than everyone else? What sets you apart from the pack? Do you offer the most affordable office cleaning service? Do you provide top-tier customer service? Can you finish the job faster than other companies?
Specialization is one strategy that you may consider pursuing. For instance, you might specialize in cleaning healthcare facilities, government building, or fitness centers.
4. Print business cards
Don't give up on some of the most important old-school marketing techniques. Business cards still work! There are now plenty of websites that make it easy to design your own business card.
If someone is not quite ready to change providers, you should still hand them a business card. They will have something to remember you by if something goes wrong with their current office cleaning service.
5. Use a cleaning lead generation service
It can be very difficult (and time-consuming) to grow your business through word-of-mouth alone. In the meantime, it can be helpful to purchase leads from a lead generation service. There are companies out there that love to help office cleaners find new clients. When they capture a lead in your geographic service area, they will forward you the customer's contact information. It's then up to you to follow up and schedule an estimate.
Many of these lead providers offer "pay per lead" and "pay per call" programs. This means you are only pay for leads that match your interests. Other lead generation services may even book appointments for you. It's then on you to show up at the scheduled time and make the sale!
6. Get listed in online directories
Online marketing is all about "getting found". Are potential customers able to find your office cleaning business online? Joining online directories and claiming your profile on review websites is one way to help customers find you. Thumbtack, Yelp, Google My Business, and Angie's List are some of the most popular options for cleaning companies. If your company is not represented on these platforms, you might be losing business to a competitor who is!
7. Offer a deal
Price matters more than ever. People are now geared to look for the lowest price. Who can blame them? Offering a discount to new clients can be a very effective marketing strategy. Something as simple as a 20% off discount may help you bring on long-term client. Breaking even on that first job will be well worth it!
8. Make new contacts
"Networking" can seem intimidating to many people. It does come naturally to everyone. To start, you might try attending a local networking event or a meeting of your local chamber of commerce. Take a small stack of business cards with you. Try to Introduce yourself to at least one or two new people at each meeting. Over time, you will find it easier to start these conversations. It’s really all about trying to make a genuine connection with a new person.
This doesn't always happen in a normal setting though. You never know when you are going to meet your next client. You could be in line at the grocery store or sitting at the nail salon. Be open to making new contacts – wherever you go. A great referral source could be sitting next to you right now.
9. Re-evaluate your company's web presence
Many office cleaning companies are a little late to the digital age. If your company's web presence is outdated or non-existent, it's time to do something about it!
A sleek, professional website is an invaluable marketing tool. It's important to put your contact information on every page! Make sure the home page has a call-to-action, such as "Call for a Free Quote" or "Click here to request an estimate". Don't make people guess what the next step is!
Once your website is up and running, you will want to spend some time optimizing your site for search engines. Search engine optimization (or SEO) is all about getting your website to the top of search results (think Google, Bing, etc.). The higher your website ranks, the more visitors you will get.
10. Earn positive reviews
Getting positive reviews on websites like Yelp, Google, Facebook can really help take your office cleaning business to the next level. Prospective clients love to read good reviews. It allows them to hire your office cleaning company with confidence.
From time to time, you may get a negative review. Don't panic. That's the worst thing you can do. If you want to respond, take the time to write a polite message back. If you made an honest mistake, try your best to rectify the situation. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone to call the client directly.
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11. Offer a referral bonus
Your current clients can be great ambassadors for your company. You might even think about starting a rewards program to encourage these referrals. If one of your current clients successfully refers someone to your business, you could offer them a discounted service or a $50 gift card. It's all about showing your appreciation for their loyalty.
12. Keep track of every lead
It's important to ask people how they found your office cleaning service. Did they see your Facebook ads? Did a former client refer them to your cleaning business? Did he or she see your ad in the HOA newsletter? By keeping track of this information, you can better understand which marketing channels provide the best returns. If no one is finding you in the Yellow Pages, you might want to reallocate that part of your marketing budget to another channel next year.
13. Come up with a plan and set a realistic marketing budget
You've probably heard the expression, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Use some of the marketing ideas we have described here to come up with a marketing plan for the next 6 months. Set goals for yourself! Hold yourself accountable for reaching them!
New customers are not going to magically appear out of thin air. You need to be proactive about finding new jobs. If you have not spent much on marketing and advertising in the past, it might be time to up the budget a little. Even an extra $100 may help to make a difference.