It seems like there are two types of plumbing shops.
The first is the “Big Boys”. You know who they are. They hire a local celebrity to be on their billboards, their radio ads, their TV commercials… everywhere you look, these plumbers are bombarding your eyes or ears. And, they spend tens of thousands a month in advertising.
Then, there’s the small shops. They put their business card on every restaurant bulletin board and every phone book. They don’t spend as much money as the Big Boys, but their phones don’t ring very much. Sometimes, it seems impossible to keep their crews busy.
For everyone else, what are some easy, practical, effective marketing tips that won’t break your budget?
By this, of course, we mean Google Maps. Google dominates search traffic, and 3 out of 4 people use Google Maps to inform their buying decision in one way or another. Google offers a great, free service called Google My Business. By setting up your account and verifying your business information, your customers will be able to see things like your hours, your website, and even leave a review that you can interact with. It’s a simple step that helps you gain practical momentum.
Now, this is a big one. See, the Big Boys spend tens of thousands of dollars each month developing what’s called “top of mind” value. Basically the idea works by continually drilling their company’s name into their customer’s ears so that, when an issue arises, that’s the first name they think to look for. It’s powerful. And it’s expensive. And it’s also essentially battling for continual one-time customers. Over. And over. And over.
Instead, create reasons for customers to prefer to stay with you. Customer Loyalty Programs that offer seasonal discounts on big-ticket installs, for example, or offer rewards for referrals go a long way toward keeping people in your camp.
A great, cheap, and effective way to generate repeat business is to offer a ‘courtesy inspection’ of a home or business’s other items. So, you get a call for a leaky toilet, but you also offer to inspect the garbage disposal and water heater for free. While you’re doing that inspection, place a simple, 2-inch sticker on those items with your branded name, website, and contact phone number. The next time that your customer has a problem with that hardware, they’ll see your sticker and call you assuming you did the install. That 25-cent sticker just got you a service call worth potentially a few thousand dollars.
Granted, every business needs to evaluate if social media makes sense for them. But most of the time, it’s an easy way to stay in front of your customers, and provide value every week of the year. Setup a Facebook page, and aside from your typical conversion funnel marketing approach, create quick videos to show customers how to fix common issues themselves. (If you’re feeling especially accomplished, put those videos on YouTube, too!) Your customers will love that you’re helping them, and you’ll love that your customers find you beneficial. Win-win.
This doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it should. Regardless of the industry, the most successful companies consistently “WOW” their customers over and over again. And, speaking frankly, for most plumbers, the bar is set pretty low. Don’t just settle for wearing booties in the house or cleaning up your mess. Go over-and-above.
If your customer is a business owner who spends most of his day outside, bring him a frosty drink from a gas station. If your customer is an office full of women, bring fresh flowers for the restroom. These touches literally cost you only a few bucks, but the impression that they leave on your customers will be worth thousands of dollars in repeat business and referrals. Never cease to WOW your customer, and they’ll reward you with loyalty and free marketing.
No amount of clever marketing can outspend poor customer service. And companies that leverage how they treat people can get away with paying much less than the Big Guys in town. Especially if you’re a plumbing company in a dense metro area, these tips may just help you gain more customers than you know what to do with.
Ryan Redding