Increase Your Business During the Holidays

in 6 (Kind of Easy) Steps ...

First of all, It's November 8th - Do You Know Where Your Marketing Plans Stand for the Holidays? If you haven't thought about a holiday business strategy, today is a good day to start.

The season is actually a fortuitous time for cleaning professionals to ramp up plans to gain market share, get new clients and introduce holiday "life-saver" cleaning services to current clients. Without a plan, you will reduce your business’s success, but you'll also lose market share as you head into the new year. So, get busy!

The key to building and implementing a successful holiday marketing campaign is to think outside the box as you market and focus on services you already have on hand. Genius.

Try a Direct Mail Campaign

The average return on investment for a direct mail campaign is between 1/2 to 2%. In a campaign involving 100 pieces of mail, two to four recipients should respond with half that number buying services. The numbers increase as you narrow the market with specific objectives - like a campaign designed specifically for the holidays.

It's important to create objectives with a strong call to action. Some examples might include pre-holiday deep cleaning, service bundling, holiday-specific upgrades, or a gift certificate discount program for an extended cleaning contract.

Lead generation companies provide direct mail lists based on criteria that are meaningful to your objectives. Income, demographics, location data can easily be accessed with the ability to add additional criteria or redefine.

These companies will also provide graphic/design services as well as mail the postcards for you. Your "call to action" message will allow you to easily track the effectiveness of the campaign.

Your new clients have the potential to become long-term, repeat customers as well as referral sources for new business. The holiday season is the perfect time to tap into this audience as cleaning services are needed more than ever.

Busy parents have less time for families, home, and cleaning and are looking for your services. You just have to let them know!

Be creative. Be clever. Use humor. Keep your graphics skilfully simple but effective. Response rates spike dramatically when humor, creativity, and solid value are evident and thoughtfully communicated.

Get Gift Baskets, Cards & Certificates

Happy Holidays!

Do you even have gift certificates or gift cards right now? I personally will be purchasing cleaning services this holiday season for a few people who do not need any more trinkets, teacups or slippers. I know these gift certificates will be the most loved and appreciated gifts of all.

If you don't have gift certificates order them right now. If you do have gift certificates, it's time to jazz them up & make them visually appealing just for the holidays.

Promote them everywhere - I'm talking social media. There has never been a better time in history to promote what you have at virtually zero cost - so just do it - (you know the routine - website - Facebook - Twitter - Google - LinkedIn & so on).

If you really want to up the game make an awesome gift basket as part of the package. From basic fruits & cookies to ultra champagne & caviar gift baskets, match each one with a cleaning services package. You will set yourself apart from anyone else in the game, hands down.

Create a prototype. Display the certificate or gift card. List services. Use price points for each basket & service package. Make them irresistible. Offer free delivery. All elements of the associated costs should be considered and planned before the price is established, of course. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Voila, sold!

Create a Pre/Post Holiday Cleaning Campaign

Pre Holiday - Starting at least 30 days before the holidays promote a one-time deep cleaning service. Everyone knows that the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful time of the year.

Your services, in fact, alleviate stress. Your services will allow your customers to fully enjoy the holiday season as a joyful family celebration, not cleaning, take center stage.

Many companies shy away from one-time cleanings, but it's a great way to introduce a convenient lifestyle during the holidays as well as the measurable benefits of more free time and a healthy life balance experience.

This experience will transcend a one-time cleaning gig into an opportunity for a happy, long-term client.

Post-Holiday - Promote a one-time deep cleaning service after the holidays. As the holidays are in full swing and winding down, focus your message on cleaning up after the festivities.

As New Year's Eve approaches no one, and I mean no one really & truly wants to clean up after the kids, relatives and random visitors.

Promote the benefit of clean sweep services. Goodwill throughout the land and at home will continue throughout the coming months and year, thanks to you.  And don’t forget to sell your add-on services or upgrades like oven cleaning, refrigerator cleaning, window cleaning, carpet cleaning, Christmas tree removal, decoration takedown, and so on.

Holidays Rule! Promote Necessary Upgrades

Families use their appliances, guest rooms, and every available space more frequently during the holidays than any other time of the year. You'll do them a favor by reminding them that now is the perfect time to tackle "back burner" cleaning projects.

Prepare a "Special Holiday Service Package" marketing piece and price list in advance to simplify life, for everyone.

Silver Upgrade Package

• Refrigerator Cleaning

• Carpet Cleaning

• Window Cleaning

• Oven Cleaning

• Mattress Cleaning

Gold Upgrade Package

• Decoration Setup & Takedown

• Chandelier Cleaning

• Silver Polishing

• Christmas Tree Clean up and Removal

Social Media is Your Friend

Use social media like nobody's business. For the most part, by choosing media platforms wisely, you can get a heck of a lot of traction by posting content that is interesting, informative and clever. Sure, there's a lot of noise, but if you're not in the fray, where are you exactly?

In a search, especially during the holidays, you'll want your message and services to register in a google search for sure. The cost of an organic campaign is solely based on the time spent creating and posting your promotional material. Studies also show that consumers prefer companies found in an organic search versus paid ads.

Create target audience-specific messages. As an example families who live out-of-state search for local services for their elderly parents or relatives. If you market your services to this group, you are providing a service that is invaluable.

Services provided by your company not only take care of immediate cleaning needs, but a cleaning professional from your company becomes the point of contact between the family and their loved one...who may often be alone.

Families afar have the added insurance of knowing their mom or grandmom is safe, as well as enjoying the benefits of your cleaning services. Promote yourself, take photos and share. This is a gift you give back to the family and that is powerful.

Pay-Up!

The world has become smaller. Potential customers may live overseas as they shop for cleaning services for a loved one back home. When your campaign elicits new customers, whether at home or abroad, nothing can kill the deal faster than cumbersome, unfriendly payment options.

If you don't have an online store on your website, make sure gift cards or certificates are easy to buy with online payments through PayPal, Facebook Store or Google Checkout.

Therefore, you should look into options if you do have a website as well. Provide choices that make sense to you as well as customers who want to do business with you.

Check out "Alternate Methods Of Online Payment" on the Investopedia website. I have personally sold product to an International market for years. It is an excellent, underutilized market resource.

Once you market your holiday service campaign, your market base is actually global. Often, these folks are looking for products and services for their family and friends stateside. Something to consider.

The Stuff You Need for the Holidays & Every day

Finally, It's nice to have a plan. It's better to have new customers. It's best to buy the right products for the job. From A to Z, we've got you covered, so whether you're in need of air freshener by Spartan or Industrial Oven Cleaner by ZenaGel, we're here for you.

It's good to remember, that we're also family owned and independently operated, which means when you call us, we actually answer the phone. If you have a job, a situation, a new challenge and need advice, our experts are here to talk to you. Free. Pretty old-fashioned in today's world, but that's who we are. So, call us if you'd like to chat 800.983.8280.

Sani-Chem Cleaning Supplies is run by people - not boards, stockholders or algorithms. Real people, with real experience and knowledge. We've been finding better ways to clean your world & serving the community since 1976.

PR & Business Logistics

Look for our next blog. Public Relations & Business Logistics are pretty important elements to round out your holiday marketing plans, so stay tuned.

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