Many laundromat owners we work with have a great facility, high-quality commercial laundry equipment and advanced laundry technology — but they’re still struggling. They have all the ingredients of a successful laundromat business but they struggle to attract new customers.
What good is the latest and greatest laundry equipment if you don’t have customers to use them? If you’re fighting to spread the word about your laundry business, don’t worry — we’ve put together some easy ways to help promote your laundromat in the community.
Get active online
Increasing online marketing efforts is one of the best ways both new and existing laundromat owners can help market their businesses. People are using the internet to connect with local businesses and services all the time now: it’s commonplace.
“Near me” or “close by” Google searches grew by more than 900% in recent years. There’s no better time to dedicate more resources to online marketing and boosting your laundromat’s online presence. Here are a few suggestions to help your laundry business see success online:
● Create or update a website that includes up-to-date photos of your business and important contact details (such as your address, phone, email, and social channels).
● Complete or update your social profiles, such as Facebook.
● Shorten response time for comments, messages, and emails.
● Budget for social advertising.
● Start a laundry blog that focuses on laundry tips and tricks your customers can use.
● Start collecting email addresses and launch an email campaign to better connect with existing customers.
● Update your Google My Business profile and other local listings to make it easy for people in the area to find you.
Host an event
Make the “chore” fun by hosting an event and turning your laundromat into a go-to destination for new and existing customers. Everyone loves entertainment, food, freebies and giveaways — it’s an effective strategy to generate word-of-mouth buzz and customers. Depending on your event, you may even get some attention from local media. A few events you might consider hosting at your laundromat include:
● A grand opening to celebrate the start of your laundry business.
● An anniversary celebration to mark achievements and honor loyal customers each year.
● A grand re-opening to highlight major remodeling projects or equipment upgrades.
● A Free Laundry Day that benefits the less fortunate in your community.
● A celebration honoring major holidays such as Fourth of July, Halloween or Christmas.
● Customer appreciation events.
Get involved in the community
If you want to connect with people who live in your community, you have to be active in the community. Getting involved is one of the best ways laundromat owners can boost name recognition and build relationships with customers and fellow business owners. The more people get to know you and feel a sense of connection to your business, the more likely it is they’ll turn to you to meet their laundry needs. Plus, consumers love businesses who give back to the communities in which they serve.
● Sponsor a local sports team or organization.
● Participate in local parades, festivals and other community events.
● Join the local Chamber of Commerce and other networking groups.
● Collaborate with other local businesses.
● Donate to local charities.
● Shop local and encourage your customers to do the same.
Encourage referrals and reviews
Loyal and happy customers are going to be one of the most effective marketing tools. 91 percent of people read online reviews to figure out what businesses and products to support. Encourage customers to help spread the word about your laundromat as much as possible.
● Offer rewards and incentives to customers who post a positive online review or offer feedback. Speed Queen Insights makes it easy to offer rewards by allowing for points on every purchase.
● Have a mobile tablet that customers can use to leave reviews while they wait for their laundry.
● Have coupons and/or flyers for customers to give to friends or loved ones.
● Ask customers for reviews and feedback directly via email campaigns, social posts, or through Speed Queen Insights.
● Provide high-quality customer service and technology that customers can’t help but talk about.
If you have more questions about marketing your laundromat and connecting with customers, the laundry experts at Speed Queen can help.
