Create Advertisements to Promote Your Residential Cleaning Business

Even if you don't think of yourself as a marketing guru, advertising can help get your residential cleaning company noticed by potential homeowners. Specifying the niches of your residential cleaning company will help you to direct your advertising dollars to those areas and be the most effective way of getting clients to call and requesting your cleaning services.

Start by setting an advertising budget.  A general rule of thumb is to dedicate two to five percent of your expected gross sales to advertising.  If you are expecting $75,000 in gross sales, set aside $1500 to $4000 for advertising.  If you are just starting your residential cleaning business this may not be enough. You may need to spend more money running ads announcing your business so your potential clients know a new residential cleaning service is in town.

Once you set your budget, decide where to advertise.  For a house cleaning business it makes no sense and would be a waste of your money to advertise in a large magazine or buy a TV commercial that airs on a Saturday night.  Besides being expensive, these ads will most likely not reach your target audience. 

The common print ad, run in your local newspaper or shopper, is the most basic unit of advertising.  Print ads have launched major companies and many successful products.  Running ads in a local paper can also be a great way to promote your cleaning business if you follow a few basic rules.

• Your ad should attract attention! Although this sounds obvious, unless your ad attracts attention you are throwing your money down the drain. The most compelling way to have a "noticeable" ad is to have an interesting and visually appealing headline. If you are designing a large ad, think of using a subhead.  This will provide added information and can be longer than the headline.
  
  
• Your ad should address the reader's needs or announce news.  Tell how your residential cleaning service will benefit your readers and if possible announce a new product or service such as announcing a new carpet cleaning system that makes your carpets cleaner and your home healthier.
  
  
• Your ad should communicate your company's unique selling proposition.  Or why should the potential customer pick your business to supply cleaning services rather than ABC House Cleaning?
  
  
• Your ad should tell why your cleaning company is the best in the area.  The most convincing way to do this is through testimonials, statistics and awards. 
  
  
• Your ad should motivate your readers to take action. One way to achieve this is to include a special offer.  Offers that work well are discounts and bonuses (get your carpets cleaned and get a free bottle of spotting fluid).

One of the main reasons people don't read ads is that they do not have a great headline or a visual element that attracts readers. Headlines that work best are those that promise readers a benefit. Flip through a newspaper or magazine and notice the headlines that attract your attention - Save on Closing Costs, Your Dreams Can Become Reality, Get More Miles to the Gallon.  Advertising experts suggest using the following words to arouse interest: New, Now, At Last, Warning, Introducing, Easy, Health, Save, Safety, Free, Money or Advice.

Although you may want to use your business' name in your headline that is not recommended and is one of the common mistakes that small businesses make.  Your business' name does not have anything compelling to offer a potential customer.  Remember, your headline should address the needs of your customers and not your ego.

Making your ad stand out can be challenge. Scan your local papers and take notice of what ads stand out - are they ads with reverse (white on dark background) print, color ads, ads that look like they were hand drawn?  People notice ads that have illustrations or photographs that show products or ads that have people in them.

Before advertising in any medium call and ask for a media kit.  This kit will contain rate information as well as demographic information about the publication (or radio station).  The demographic information should include reader's (or listener's) age, income, and other statistics that will indicate if this is a good medium to run your ads in to reach your target audience.

If you are a member of your local chamber there will be opportunities in chamber newsletters, member guides and perhaps even on their website.  Local newspapers are good venues as most businesses either subscribe or read regularly so they can keep informed of what's going on in the local community. 

Print advertising is one way to get your cleaning business' name out in front of potential clients as well as reminding your current clients of the services you provide.  Advertising is salesmanship and the more information you can give about your services, the more interest you will create.  Always remember to include a call to action in your ad - tell them how to buy your product or service!  Also include as many ways as possible for the reader to contact you: phone, e-mail, website, and physical address.  Running the right ads will get your phone ringing and your checkbook balance growing!

Copyright © MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. All Rights Reserved

Thoughts or comments? Please consider posting them to the discussion forum

Would you like to reprint this article in your newsletter, on your web site, or on your blog? You sure can! As long as the article is complete and unaltered (including the author information below). Send a copy of the reprint to us by filling out the contact form, including the URL of the published article. (Make sure all links are live if placed in an e-zine, on a web site or blog.)

You must include the following information at the end of each article you reprint:

Copyright © TheJanitorialStore.com. All Rights Reserved.
Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at //www.myhousecleaningbiz.com.