How To Market Services Instead Of Products
How do you market yourself to prospective clients when you have a service and not a product? Marketing products is straightforward, especially when there is a new seasonal edition or a whole new line to promote. But what do you do when you have a fairly simple service that doesn’t change? Here are some tips for effectively marketing services and keeping customers engaged:
10 Tips For Marketing Services, Not Products
Target a pain point
Marketing products rely on a USP and a reason why that product is a must-have item that’s better than all the competitors. It’s a similar situation when marketing services. You have a service that can make a big difference in people’s lives. Empathize with people struggling with a problem right now. It could be pretty common, like emergency repairs or expert cleaning services, but that’s driving them insane right now. It could be something niche. The point is that you have the answer.
Offer different plans and price points
Some companies struggle to market to a wider group of clients because they are too narrow in their approach. If you have one service delivered in one particular way, you’re limiting your reach. What about the people who need a more high-end, comprehensive approach and will pay more for the privilege? What about those who need a more basic, budget-friendly option? Tiered solutions and pricing might help.
Highlight your company’s background
Clients like to know who they are dealing with before signing up with any sort of service. An “about us” page on a company website is a tool that can be underutilized. This is a place to highlight the years of experience and any accreditation. At the same time, you can tell new clients all about your company’s history. Are you a family company that’s operated in the area for decades? Are you a new start-up with a bold new approach? Are you primarily women-owned or founded by a minority group?
Showcase plenty of customer reviews
After marketing these different options for solving that problem and your story, you need to prove you are worth it. Make the most of customer reviews and testimonials on your website. If other homeowners and people in similar situations give 5-star reviews, new clients may be more inclined to call. Those reviews can highlight your company’s results, customer service skills, and more.
Add engaging content to your website
Website content plays a big role in marketing a service. A landing page is often the first impression people get when looking up services in their area. They need to find something of high quality with just enough visual content and information to stick around. Effective website navigation can then take them to informative blog posts, service pages, and video content. Those posts can go deeper into the benefits and specifics of services. Show people how the service works to reassure them that you know what you’re doing.
Improve your SEO to get noticed
Those web pages and landing pages need strong SEO to get them to the top of search engine results pages. It takes a lot of work to get to the top of the page, but it’s worth it. Building authoritative content with a professional feel is a must to impress Google. Still, you can’t forget about all those helpful keywords and backlinks to other sites. Local SEO strategies are also essential for companies focusing on being the industry leader in their community.
Make the most of different social media platforms
Which social media platforms are you on, and how often do you post? Local companies can’t rely on Facebook profiles and ads alone. Twitter and Instagram also offer a chance to post fun content and make the most of hashtags. You can try out viral trends in short videos while explaining your services and expertise in the field. Get creative and make sure to connect with followers as much as possible.
Improve your email marketing strategy
Email marketing is still a great way to stay in touch with people and entice them over to your website. A friendly email about important seasonal servicing and maintenance requirements could spark some extra bookings. Promotional emails about new service options or a new outlet could bring in people who haven’t considered booking before. Just make sure the content is engaging and not spammy. You want it to reach the inbox and for them to click the links.
Target repeat customers, not just new ones
This is a common mistake. Companies are so keen to bring in new clients with promotional deals, email subscriptions, and social media marketing that they forget about the ones they have. One of the most rewarding parts of a local service business is building relationships with families that hire you for seasonal work or immediately call on you in an emergency. Market new deals and promotions to them to stop them from straying.
Hire an expert marketing consultant
These points take time, resources, and much practice to perfect. The best way to get a headstart and see results sooner is to look for marketing consultants for professional service companies. These experts can come in and meet with everyone on your marketing and service development teams. Even if you are a small family business with a new website, a professional consultant can help. They can help determine the best approaches for website content, social media marketing, digital ads, and more. A long-term relationship with these expert consultants could see you overtake industry rivals too.
Take Your Company’s Service Marketing To The Next Level
The main takeaway here is that service marketing strategies don’t rely on one single solution. You need to attack the problem from different directions to get your company noticed by a wider target market. Work on building better website content and social media marketing to get your services seen by new clients, but don’t forget to build relationships with old clients at the same time. Diversify the content, offer tiered solutions, and build trust as you let people get to know you better. Most importantly, bring in expert marketing consultants to give you an edge.
