I found even more ways to make this work. I
have a small ad in the yellow pages that asks a
question and then answers it with benefits. I am
always being told that people like my ad over
the other big ads because I told them how I can
benefit them, not how good I think I am. I can
truly testify that a headline is a must.”
NOT MARKETING
YOUR COMPANY ONLINE.
If you’re not marketing hard online, you’re
losing clients. Having a website is a good place
to start, but it’s time you move beyond. Email
marketing, social media, SEO, and pay-per-click
are things you should be doing. If you’ve no
idea what those terms are, just Google them.
And if you don’t know how to “Google”, attend
a computer class or ask the nearest teenager.
Sylvie Lariviere-Traub, President of Four
Seasons Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning in
Oxnard, California said, “I have tried marketing
online for years with our website. Unfortunately,
not all IT people know exactly what a business
needs to do. I can say that I have learned a lot
and I am still learning more everyday. We have
improved our website and have seen results with
customers who Googled us.”
NOT
MAKING AN OFFER IN YOUR AD.
Every ad you run should offer your prospect
something specific. The ad should break down
the offer and tell your prospect exactly how they
can take advantage. The offer should be unique
and irresistible. Avoid using offers that your
competitors use. Instead of giving 10% off, why
not give FREE doormat cleaning with every job?
And don’t be afraid to make offers with a few
different options.
Mark Church also said this about using offers:
“Two years ago I had a beautiful full color insert
in the newspaper. My office manager took it
upon herself to remove the compelling offer. Bad
mistake! Out of 10,000 inserts we got 1 job!”
FAILING TO TRACK
YOUR ADVERTISING RESULTS.
When a client calls, is your office staff always
getting the source of where they are calling?
And is this information being recorded so it
can be reviewed later? Tracking these results
is the only way you can tell if your advertising
is working. Many times this can be done by
using a unique offer or having a unique code the
prospect is instructed to mention when she calls.
BORING
YOUR
PROSPECTS.
There’s
nothing worse than running an ad that looks
and sounds just like your competitors. If you’re
guilty of this, you turn your cleaning company
into a commodity. Your prospect will go with
the lowest bidder. Open up your yellow page
carpet cleaning section. I would bet most of
the ads could have the logo and phone number
changed and it would fit most any other ad. You
may as well spin the wheel.
NO
UNIQUE
SELLING
PROPOSITION.
What does your company do that differs from
your competition? Your ad must say why you
are different. And the difference must be a
benefit to your prospect.
BORING BODY COPY
OR NO BODY COPY.
Many cleaning ads will simply have a bulleted
list of the services they perform. This ain’t
gonna cut it! Your prospect isn’t excited about
the fact that you do truck mounted steam
cleaning, dry cleaning, or pet odor removal.
Most every ad boasts those services. The
services you do are rarely a reason someone will
hire you. But they will hire you if you give tell
them exactly how your company can solve their
problems. Don’t be afraid to put stuff in your
MARKETING 21