In addition to generating business from new customers, a focus of your marketing strategy for your plumbing business should be to gain repeat business from previous customers. In order to generate repeat business, your company will need to do all that it can to stay top-of-mind to those who have used you before. If someone calls a plumbing company and has a job (small or large) completed, there’s no guarantee they will remember the name of that plumbing company a few months or years down the road, even if the service was excellent. It’s the job of your plumbing business to keep the name of your company top-of-mind so the customer doesn’t go searching for a new plumber.
Here are 5 ways to be remembered by your customers:
Send out newsletters
A company newsletter is a great way to keep your company in the mind of customers you’ve done work for before. It can be sent on a monthly basis, but a quarterly newsletter is probably sufficient. The newsletter should include useful content that will make the recipient want to read it. Simple how-to articles or plumbing tips for homeowners are valuable. If the information is useful, it might be posted in a prominent place in the home, like on the refrigerator. A newsletter should be sent out to all previous customers. Since you’ve done work at the location, you already have the address to send it to. A less expensive alternative to the direct mail newsletter is an email newsletter. The same types of information can be included in the email newsletter. Be sure to ask customers for an email address when you have finished working with them and if it’s OK to send these types of communications. You don’t want to end up in the spam folder!
Send holiday cards
The holidays are the perfect time to send cards out to your customers. Keep in mind that not all customers celebrate the same holidays so a generic “Happy Holidays” card is best. This is a great way to separate your plumbing business from your competitors. Send out a holiday card that catches their eye in some way. The color might be eye-catching or you may choose to go with humor. A unique holiday card is more likely to be saved along with the cards from friends and family as opposed to thrown away. A holiday card can even include a promotion or coupon for service in the upcoming year.
Social media posts
Social media has become an important part of marketing for a business. Encourage customers to follow your social media accounts by posting content they’d like to see. Links to helpful articles and occasional promotions will be of interest to your customers. If your content appears in their social media news feed on a regular basis, there’s a good chance they will remember who to contact when they need plumbing work done.
Catchy is memorable
This may be an obvious plug for “1-800-PLUMBING”, but a vanity number will create the “TOMA” (top-of-mind awareness) that will not only help your customers remember your company, it will make you unforgettable! There are many strategies to build top-of-mind awareness. A vanity phone number is a powerful tool, that when properly integrated into your company’s marketing and advertising program, will yield great results. The same idea works for advertising jingles. I’m sure you have a few that have stuck in your mind over the years.
Giveaways
In a previous article, we talked about marketing materials that plumbers could distribute. These giveaways are promotional items that contain your company name and logo. They can range from wearable products such as t-shirts and hats to useful items like pens and key chains. Giveaways are meant to keep your company’s name top-of-mind. When your previous customers think of plumbers, they’ll think of you! You can read here for more giveaway ideas.
It’s so important to stay in touch with customers in order to gain referrals and repeat business! Contact us for more information.
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