Today’s technologies have paved the way for aspiring entrepreneurs to make their dreams a reality. It has also made operations easier for businesses. However, it does mean that there’s more competition across and within industries. Field service businesses also have the additional limitation of needing to attract local customers, which has been made challenging with the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Fortunately, you can employ marketing strategies to ensure that you become more visible to your target audience. Here are some tips to help you:
Since the overarching goal of marketing is to attract potential customers, you need to know and understand your target audience. Use tools to gather information about your current clientele and determine their demographics as well as interests and preferences.
For instance, 89% of customers prefer modern, on-demand technology for technician scheduling. Technicians working in the HVAC industry (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) for example, are increasingly taking advantage of new technology with software such as that offered by Jobber. Apps such as this help to organize and track jobs online, and serve as a centralized location for all customer relationship management (CRM) activity right from the start.
The insights that you gather from these tools can help you customize your messaging and branding to entice prospects. Additionally, you should be able to answer the following questions:
Your current customers can give you an idea of the type of market you’re attracting and have proven lucrative. For example, you may find that you have a lot of clients in a particular neighborhood. You can ramp up your marketing and target people from those areas.
Aside from your current customer base, you should also think outside the box and consider other industries that may benefit from your service. Going back to the HVAC business example, you can consider expanding your business from residential to commercial properties like restaurants and other places that have a HVAC system.
Field service businesses are a dime a dozen these days. People can easily set up shop and cater to customers in their area.
As such, you need to identify your value proposition. What additional benefits can you offer to clients aside from your services? It doesn’t always have to be something tangible like free quotations or discounts on products, especially if you don’t have the resources yet to offer these types of freebies.
You can focus on stellar customer service through prompt arrivals and excellent workmanship. Your technicians also play a significant role in your branding, so you should remind them to be courteous, friendly, and professional in their dealings with customers.
Speaking of technicians, as previously mentioned, you must train them specifically to handle clients properly. After all, they’re the ones on the front lines. They represent your brand through their service.
Knowing this, you must ensure that they take customer service seriously. Have them go through training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to handle even the most irate customer professionally. This way, you can keep up with the demands of consumers—of which 54% reported that they have higher expectations of customer service.
Your website is one of the best marketing tools that you have. Make sure that it’s optimized for search through the right use of keywords and links.
More than search engine optimization (SEO), though, you must ensure that your website is optimized for your target audience. These are the factors to prioritize:
Keep your customers engaged through newsletters highlighting company updates. Throw in some discounts and promos as well to encourage them to avail of your services again. Social media is also a great channel to converse with your target audience, so make sure to publish relevant posts regularly.
Marketing for field service businesses entails knowing your target market so you can customize your branding and value proposition for a particular audience. Additionally, you should train your technicians since they’re at the forefront of your brand. Optimize your website, newsletters, and social media profiles to boost customer engagement as well.
