The changing demand of the global marketplace is rapid and consequently, plumbing services are no different. Maintenance and servicing is an inevitable demand given the complex and broad nature of the business. However, with the pandemic knocking down roughly all sorts of businesses, including the plumbing business, the degree of normality is expected to return gradually but slowly. The question then that arises is how to market the plumbing business now that businesses are conditioned to face the new normal?
Plumbing services are extensively essential for maintenance, up-gradation, and installation in practically all kinds of facilities. Those looking for authentic plumbing services are either customers seeking emergency assistance or clients who want to utilize the finest plumbing product and service in their project. Whatever the reason may be, the key challenge for the customer is to find relevant products and the best service. Below is a list of marketing strategies that can be adopted to gain such customers and boost the plumbing business.
1. Market Research
To obtain a thorough understanding of the sporadic nature of the business, its customer, market & competition, etc., comprehensive market research should be the utmost priority for any plumbing service provider. Arguably, there will never exist a “one size fits all” business strategy, hence, asking the following questions could help model a unique marketing approach for a plumbing business.
The above set of questions drive further more questions but the objective is to not try to answer them all at once. Post the marketing analysis research, a service provider is then capable of listing the target groups its business can afford. Below is the list of various possible targets that any plumbing business can start off with.
2. Branding
Branding is the process of giving a business it’s design or symbol allowing the customers and clients to know what to expect from the service. In simple words, a striking logo, a pleasing tag line, a business card, a functional website, a mobile application, and/or a Facebook page, etc., can all help in setting your business at the doorstep of your customer. There are various free and paid services available online that deal with the above aspects of the branding strategy.
- Logo Design– Wix Logo Maker, Tailor Brands, Canva, Free Logo Design, Graphic Springs, LogoMakr, Ucraft, Online Logo Maker, Designmantic
- Tag-line– Shopify Free Slogan Maker, Dukaan’s Slogan Generator, Procato Slogan Generator, Sloganizer.net, Free Slogan Generator, The Advertising Slogan Generator, BizCardCreator, Logaster Slogan Generator
- Business Card-Gimmio, Canva, Easil, Placeit, Adobe Spark, Crello, Fiverr, Shopify, Visme, Namecheap, Bannersnack
- Website– Wix, Weebly, SITE123, Strikingly, WordPress, Jimdo, SimpleSite, Webnode, IM Creator, Mozello
- Social media business page– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn Snapchat, Pinterest (Given the nature of the plumbing business, a dedicated facebook page should at least be set-up)
Even if you come out as someone who is not a tech-savvy person, there is always an option to invest a nominal amount in such facet of marketing since these are often one-time investments and require a bare minimum up-gradation and maintenance.
3. Contact
For someone, a broken pipe, backing sewer, damaged water line or burst pipe connection would require them to look for a plumbing service as fast as possible and therefore you do not want to let them hanging by putting an incomplete contact detail on your business card/website/app or being unavailable despite promising to offer say a 24*7 service. Therefore to avoid such circumstances following details should be mentioned on any platform where your business happens to have a presence.
- Name of the Company/ Business/ Service provider
- Phone number (It is advisable to put two/ more numbers if available, in case a number goes out of service)
- Landline number (if available)
- E-mail ID (preferably a business email ID)
- Address
- Map location
Many times a customer/ client may not know of your plumbing service business and will end up searching for “plumbing service near me”, “best plumbing service in town” or “want a plumbing technician” and so on. In such a case, the following are some websites that allow businesses to get listed and connect with a customer faster in addition to increasing web traffic.
- Google my Business Listing
- Tradeindia
- Yellowbot
- Sulekha
- Indiamart
- Justdial
(NOTE: Some listing websites only require a bare minimum of information such as company name, contact details, and business location.)
You can also set up call-only advertising campaigns so that a customer who wants to get its broken pipeline fixed immediately is not wasting time searching for the contact details on your website.
4. Relevant content
The services provided by a plumbing business are specialized and not everybody typically knows how to fix leakage or a backing drain. Writing content related to “how to fix minor plumbing issues” or an article regarding “new fixtures in trend” etc., will not only draw viewership but also awareness creating an image of a trustworthy plumbing business.
One can start by posting video clips (if blog or article writing is not your cup of tea), infographics, articles, blogs, and even DIY knowledge on their website and social networking platforms. The objective of the content should be clear, relevant to your business, and shareable. This way even if a prospect does not turn into a customer, chances are, they may recommend your service to some other potential prospect that may end up becoming your customer, given your content is beneficial and pleasing in the first place.
5. Service is the key
No matter how much you spend on your marketing campaign or fancy advertising, if your customer and client are unsatisfied with the service or outcome, you may want to ask a few questions regarding your plumbing service first.
Ensuring a positive customer experience regardless of how big or small a project will almost always guarantee more clients in the future. To maintain a healthy relationship with your clients, a plumber service can adopt the following measures.
6. Reviews are your secret weapon
One of the secrets behind some businesses ranking on top over others on search engines is reviews. Online reviews are not only significant to your brand’s image but also a great source of getting new customers. A functioning website, the name under local listing, and advertising campaigns are all futile if your business is not gathering enough good reviews. At the end of the day, the service provided by your plumbing business is the USP. Below are some strategies to adopt, to begin with getting high-value reviews.
7. Word of mouth & Referrals
Spreading a word about your service to your friends, family, and network and asking for referrals from existing clients is a great way to kick-start a business.
Send links to your website, social media platforms, articles, and DIY videos to your close network. Just like a snowball effect, when a customer experiences a good service they are going to refer your service to their friends and family, and this way the network of clients keeps getting bigger. Often plumbing businesses are stuck in landing their first client, what better would it be to work with a close acquaintance and hit that goal!
Conclusion
Despite the unique nature of the plumbing business, one thing is sure, that with the right kind of tools and strategies, it is no more an unachievable task.
Digital marketing strategies aligned with persistent actions towards improving the service can attract clients in no time.
Article on – How to Market Plumber Services – Written by – Priya Shandilya (Intern)