Showing Your Customers Some Love - Valentine's Day And Contractor Marketing
When crafting your business marketing plan, it is important to consider seasons and themes. So, let's talk about Valentine's Day Contractor Marketing.
Some Outside-the-Heart-Shaped-Box Valentine's Day Contractor Marketing Ideas
Could you - for a Valentine's Day Theme - forgo traditional thank you cards and perhaps instead craft a nicely written thank you note on a single card from a pack of Valentine's Day cards? Or maybe if you're finishing up a commercial job, you drop off a heart-shaped box of chocolates with your final invoice. Are those normal things for contractors to do? No. Does that mean you shouldn't do it? Of course not.
Doing the usual everyday thing isn't how you get people talking. Going the extra mile with a custom touch is a great way to encourage storytelling.
Whether person-to-person or on social media, getting people to talk about what separates you from the competition is a great way to potentially earn some new eyeballs.
Love is in the Air – Valentine's Day Contractor Marketing
Consider some Valentine's Day Contractor Marketing and follow the trend by adding some Xs and Os to your marketing. The theme can work for just about any industry:
- Love Your Electrical System
- Love Your HVAC
- Love Your Plumbing
- Love Your Colors
- Love Your House
Why Should I Try Valentine's Day Marketing?
Part of what makes Valentine's Day-themed marketing so interesting for contractors and service providers is that it is so different and unexpected. When did you last get a Valentine's Day Card from a vendor or company you use? Like your doctor's office, insurance guy, or a sales rep? Being different can create buzz and generate a memorable experience with your company.
Where Should I Start?
You don't have to start with custom-printed Valentine's Day cards. You can tip-toe into the Valentine's Day theme by focusing on the idea of togetherness and love instead of the literal theme of chalky candies and overpriced flowers.
Staying In Touch With Your Past Clients
Staying Connected Beyond the Job Completion
Don't leave your customer longingly staring at their phone or waiting by the mailbox, only for you to never reach out again after you've completed your first job with them. Finishing the job doesn't mean you're finished interacting with that customer.
Completing a job successfully is just the beginning of building a lasting relationship with your customers. Not communicating with your past happy customers is a massive waste of your marketing dollar and your hard work.
Email Marketing and Seasonal Mailers
Showing your customers a little bit of love is as simple as staying in touch with email marketing or seasonal mailers. When you regularly put your company name and logo in front of a customer, they're more likely to remember you when it's time for future service or if they have a conversation with a friend about their home service needs.
After completing a job, follow up with a personalized email thanking the customer for their business.
Consider implementing an email marketing strategy where you regularly send helpful tips, seasonal reminders (such as pre-winter plumbing checks or spring cleaning pressure washing messages), or exclusive promotions to your customer base.
Utilize seasonal mailers for Valentine's Day (and other special occasions beyond that like Thanksgiving or New Year's) to send well wishes or exclusive offers.
Social Media Engagement
Organic and paid social media campaigns are also a great way to communicate with your client base. It is a low-cost, low-stakes way to be present in your customers' lives where they will hang out anyway.
Maintain an active presence on social media platforms where your customers are likely to spend their time. Share engaging content that balances out useful homeowner news and tips, fun behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team, and promotional material.
Encourage customer interaction by asking questions, hosting polls or contests, and responding promptly to comments or messages.
Make It Easy For Customers To Love You Back
While you're showing your customers a little bit of love, you need to clarify how they can send love back your way.
Incentivized customer referral programs are the closest thing to love that the customer-contractor relationship can get to. We're talking about creating a symbiotic relationship that benefits both sides of the interaction.
Your customer delivers you a new job. You can reward that customer with cash or a gift card. And you get a new customer, perhaps one who may never have seen you via your traditional marketing and advertising channels.
Showing The Love: Benefits of Consistent Communication
By staying in touch with your customers through various channels, you reinforce brand awareness and loyalty. Regular communication also fosters trust and credibility.
By consistently providing valuable information and being responsive to inquiries, you demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Maintaining open communication as part of an active marketing presence can help you stay ahead of competitors and position your business as a trusted authority in your industry.
About Chris Lonergan
Chris Lonergan has over 12 years of contractor marketing experience with Footbridge Media. With a background in web design, print design, content creation, and online marketing, Chris is focused on providing quality marketing and business solutions in the construction and service industries - helping small business owners to more efficiently manage their companies and grow their operations.
Chris Lonergan has previously contributed to and/or been featured in PM Magazine (Plumbing & Mechanical | Contractors x Engineers), theNEWS (ACHR - Air Conditioning | Heating | Refrigeration), Service Roundtable's blog, inPAINT Magazine, the SMB Marketing Agency Show, and the Green Industry Podcast. Chris is also a past SGI/CertainPath breakout session presenter.
