Marketing to Millennials: What Home Cleaning Companies Need to Know

Half of all home buyers are now from the Millennial generation (ages 23 to 38). This fastest-growing group of homeowners represents a huge pool of potential customers for residential cleaning companies. 

Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are expected to outnumber Baby Boomers for the first time this year. And they now have more spending power than any other generation. To win the Millennials' business, however, you may need to learn some new marketing tricks. That's because 84% of millennials don't like or trust traditional marketing.

Home Cleaning Companies Marketing to Millennials

What You Need to Know About Marketing to Millennials

1. Focus on Search Results

Having grown up in the age of the Internet, Millennials are the most tech-savvy group of adults ever. They are accustomed to researching everything online and tend to turn to Google first when looking for a new product or service. If your company doesn't appear in search results, they aren't likely to hire you. 

To boost your company's search-result rankings, there are currently four options:

• Pay-per-click advertising: Using a service like Google Ads, you can pay to rank higher in search results for specific keywords, and then pay every time someone clicks on your company's link. Although expensive, it's the quickest way to get to the top of the search results.
  
  
• Getting Your Google My Business Page to Rank on the Google Map: Having a full-featured Google My Business page that includes a descriptive profile, custom photos, lots of customer reviews and regularly updated Google Posts, can get you featured on the map when customers are looking for a home cleaning company in your area.
  
  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): You can optimize your website content so you'll organically rank higher in search results for specific keywords or phrases without paying for prime placement. Although important, it's the one that takes the longest to see results from so be patient.
  
  
• Google Local Service Ads: Instead of paying per click like Google Ads, Google Local Service Ads allows you to pay per lead. Once vetted and approved, you can turn your ads on or off, setting a budget to keep costs in line with your budget.

Unless you've had specific training on these tactics, you'll want to hire a professional. The best use of your time is not trying to figure out how to do the more technical aspects of marketing, so partner with a reputable marketing agency instead.

2. Build a Better Website

Having a quality website has been important for years, but Millennials' expectations are even higher. They live online. When they are searching for a housecleaning service, they are likely to base their purchasing decision on the websites they find.

Your site should be aesthetically pleasing, grab attention, be easy to navigate, and answer visitors' questions.

• Make clear why someone can trust you (include client reviews, outline your staff screening process, etc.)
  
  
• Explain why you're different from other cleaning companies (talk about your sustainability efforts, as an example, or highlight advanced technologies you use, etc.).
  
  
• Make your booking process blatantly obvious. Younger users expect to be able to book services directly online without having to make a phone call.

Perhaps most important, your website must be optimized for mobile devices. Almost every Millennial owns a smartphone (92%), and they are on them all the time. Millennials check their phones 150 times a day, nearly double the average across all ages. It's imperative that your site looks great on any screen size and loads quickly.

Need more motivation to invest in a website upgrade? Google now downgrades search engine rankings of sites that aren't mobile optimized (also called responsive).

3. Show up on Social Media

Millennials are the most savvy users of social media. Now that they are adults, social media goes beyond interacting with friends; 30% of Millennials engage with a brand on social at least once a month and 58.9% follow a brand before purchasing. They are also twice as likely as any other generation to turn to social (not phone or email) to communicate with a brand.

It's not enough to simply have a presence on the social media channels most enjoyed by Millennials (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook). You need to be active and engage. It's also important to use social media to create relationships, not simply to sell, sell, sell.

Encourage your audience to participate in conversations with by asking questions or by rewarding them for sharing photos of your work. Answer direct messages and reply to comments quickly.

Also, consider creating exclusive offers for your social media followers. Many Millennials follow brands with the hope or expectation of getting something in return. One study found 64% of Millennials followed brands on Facebook to get a coupon or discount.

4. Create Great Content

How do Millennials get to know, like, and trust your brand? It's all about the content you share on social media, your website/blog, newsletters, and via email. Content creates connection, and to do that it must go beyond simply selling. In fact, much of your content may have very little to do with cleaning.

When it comes to content marketing for millennials, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be authentic: Millennials are looking for brands they can trust and with which they feel connected. To create those feelings, you must be genuine and transparent. Give your audience a peek behind the curtain. Show your team in action, talk about how your company gives back to the community, and let your employees share in their own words. Instead of selling, content should be about storytelling and relationship building.
  
  
• Give back: Millennials want to be part of a cause. They want to spend their money with companies that care about more than money. Be sure to talk about the ways your company makes a difference, whether that's using ethical cleaning products or donating a portion of profits to a good cause.
  
  
• Use video: If you want to really strike a chord with Millennials, you'll need to invest in video. Millennials are 150% more likely than baby boomers to comparison shop using video, and 80% of millennials find video helpful during initial purchase research. Be careful, though, because the same rules about selling vs. storytelling apply here; ? millennials lose interest in a video if it's too promotional.

5. Customers Are The Best Brand Ambassadors

Millennials don't trust traditional marketing, but they do trust peer reviews and endorsements. Word-of-mouth advertising has never been more important. That means existing customers are the best salespeople to win over Millennial buyers.

Millennials say the opinions of fellow consumers hold far more weight than a company's promotional promises. They are even more valuable than recommendations from family and friends.

Ask your clients for feedback, then put their opinions front and center. Share those testimonials on your website, social media, via email—anywhere a prospect might find. Millennials love to tell others about brands they love, so make it easy for them. Encourage them to share their experiences (and photos) on social media and remind them to tag you in those posts. And when they do, make sure you engage with the content by liking and commenting.

Marketing to Millennials is absolutely essential if you want your residential cleaning company to succeed in the coming years. This giant generation are buying homes at a rapid pace and are quickly becoming the most important consumer demographic. Their buying habits are very different than their parents', so it's important adjust your approach accordingly. To reach this group, you must embrace new technology, speak their language, and prioritize storytelling over selling.

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