Quick, inexpensive guerrilla marketing tactics for your cleaning business
It's summertime, which here in Cincinnati means it is summer festival time. Every weekend in Cincinnati, somewhere there is festival of some kind. It’s the same in most of your cities as well. Having a booth at these festivals can be a great way to build you company's reputation, but you need to have a plan of action. Below are the three steps to growing your business with live events
1. Don't Sell, Just get Contact Information
Very few people are going to buy from you at one of these events. They are out to have fun with their family and they are just not in that mindset. Keep some lead forms around in case you do get lucky, but the real goals here building your brand and your contact database, especially email addresses. Have a contest for a free cleaning and get everyone that stops by your booth to enter.
2. Get out from Behind the Table
Better yet, put the table behind you so there is nothing between you and your clients. We do not need a table in our business. There is nothing to show. You need to be in front of your booth interacting with people as they pass. Invite them to enter your contest for a free home cleaning service.
3. Follow Up
All those emails are worthless if you do nothing with them. Within three days of the event, send an email to each new contact letting them know who won the drawing. This proves you really did give away a free cleaning. Let everyone else know you appreciate them entering, and offer them a discount. Then email them once every two weeks for a total of three emails with a variety of offers. After that, drop them into your regular newsletter and promotional campaigns. Finally, when the event approaches next year, send them an email inviting them to stop by your booth again and give them another offer. We find that we get even better results the second year, because now they know we are not a fly-by-night operation.
