As laundromat investors look to increase their customer base or get their business off the ground, we often get a lot of questions about marketing and how to market a laundromat. It’s not easy. More and more people are tuning out traditional, run-of-the-mill advertisements and customers are savvier than ever when it comes to researching businesses and deciding how to spend their money. So, what can laundromats do to stand out and actually connect with their target audience? Great question. But first, let’s look at some of the things not to do. Here are some of the common marketing mistakes we see laundromat owners make.
Mistake #1: You don’t have a website (or an updated one).
Even though it’s pretty clear this whole internet thing isn’t going away any time soon, many small businesses are still living in the digital Dark Ages. Approximately 40% of small businesses don’t have a website, even though more than 90% of adults use the internet and 97% of users go online to find local businesses. In today’s digital-first age, relying only on word-of-mouth, signage, or traditional advertising methods may be holding your laundromat business back. Not only does a website help local searchers find your business, it also adds a sense of legitimacy, professionalism, and authenticity to your business. If people can’t easily find your laundromat online, they’ll likely turn to the nearest competitor.
Now, you may already have a website. That’s great. But when was the last time you gave it some attention? Due to lack of time, resources, and expertise, many small businesses, including laundromats, have websites that are old and outdated. At the very least, you want current contact information, hours of operation, and images of your equipment to help attract customers to your business. Since more and more searches are being done on mobile, you’ll also want to make sure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for local search.
Mistake #2: You don’t have an active social presence.
Much like having a website, having a strong social media presence is another way to add legitimacy to your laundry business. Social media can also be a great way to connect with customers and provide top-notch customer service. Facebook alone serves 2.37 billion monthly users, at least some of which are current or potential customers. If you’re not active on social, there’s no better time than now to do some research and figure out what platforms might work best for your business.
If your laundromat is active on social media, there’s always room for improvement. Maybe you could increase your social advertising budget, work to improve your response time to comments and messages, update images and important account information, or just dedicate more time to social media in general.
Mistake #3: You’re not tracking your results.
Just as you spend time tracking and monitoring your laundry equipment performance, you have to track and monitor your marketing efforts as well. Knowing and understanding how a particular platform or marketing strategy is performing helps you make better business decisions and understand whether it’s worth investing time and money. There are tons of free and paid marketing tools that can help you track your marketing efforts, both online and offline. The data you collect through marketing efforts also helps you better understand your customers’ needs and connect with them more efficiently.
Mistake #4: You’re not keeping up with the trends and best practices.
Marketing is constantly changing, especially in the digital space. Social platforms change their algorithms and features almost as often and we change our clothes. What’s considered a best practice today may be obsolete a few months later, and buzzworthy trends and viral content may be old news within days or even hours. While keeping up with the latest marketing news, research, and strategies is time-consuming, it’s a crucial step for marketing success. Otherwise, it’s likely your marketing efforts will fall short and not resonate with your target audience. Setting Google Alerts, reading top marketing-related blogs, and using RSS feeds can be great ways to help you keep up on what’s happening in the marketing industry.
Mistake #5: You don’t have a documented marketing plan/strategy.
Too many businesses put money into marketing without a solid strategy or plan behind it. That’s setting yourself up for problems and negative results down the road. How do you know where to go when you don’t have clear directions to get there? A solid marketing plan is crucial to marketing success for a number of reasons. First, it helps you make educated decisions. You’ll be able to clearly see what your marketing goals are and determine which channels and strategies are best to reach them. Secondly, it enables other members of your team to work more efficiently. Since you’re all working off the same marketing strategy, your business partners, employees, and outside marketing agencies can help you execute your plan. And, finally, a marketing plan also helps you set, stick to, and track your marketing budget so you don’t overspend.
Avoid these mistakes
We hope that by discussing some of the top mistakes we see laundromat owners and small businesses make, you can avoid making similar mistakes when marketing your laundromat. If you have more questions about marketing or investing in a laundromat, the laundry experts at Speed Queen are always here to help.
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