Information technology has changed almost everything about how we do business in the modern world. Despite this, many local-level businesses have fallen far behind when it comes to online marketing. This is especially true of small and medium-sized septic service companies.
SMBs in the septic service industry are infamous for neglecting their online presence and commercial outreach needs. If this is true of your company, we have good and bad news. The bad news is that you are missing out on a potentially massive amount of valuable contracts. The good news is that it means you still have a chance to beat the competition in your service area.
So, let’s take a brief look at the how and why of online marketing for septic service SMBs.
How Online Marketing Could Put Your Septic Service Business Over the Top
Before seeking to engage with almost any service, the phone book is dead and physical signage is all but useless. Today, more than 97% of would-be buyers search online. The question is, will they even find you?
The Benefits of Local Online Marketing
1. Local marketing can fit any budget
Local-level marketing can be as affordable or as lavish as you wish. If you’re creative, it can cost next to nothing. Fliers, business cards, and social media posts are super cost-effective.
2. Home-court advantage
As long as you have a physical presence in your service area, your online marketing efforts can only improve your existing brand awareness. The key is to do effective SEO.
3. Learn more about the people you serve
All of your outreach efforts will increase the amount of contact you have with your marketing demographics. The better you understand them, the more you will be able to speak their language in ad copy.
4. Be a local hero
Every good local septic service is a hero to the people they serve. You deliver on a very basic and immediate need. Lean into that image with heroic imagery and language. Let them know you’ll be there when they need you.
5. Max out SEO results
With your local presence, once they see you online and then in real life, it provides strong brand awareness reinforcement. Make sure your SEO and local signage match up visually and linguistically.
Online Marketing Best Practices
1. Network with other local SMBs
Getting into advertising partnerships with other local businesses can help you online and IRL. Having business cards on the desk at local dentist offices and other locations creates a sense of community that people will want to support.
2. Use local SEO
It’s easy to forget the difference between general SEO and local SEO. Local SEO integrates keywords with local interests, facts, and regional history. It includes phases like "near me," and references to local interests.
3. Use interactive marketing
Events, and engaging with local customers online and in social media groups are important. Asking for feedback, and offering participation rewards and incentives of all kinds are great ideas. Getting involved in local events whenever possible is also a smart move.
4. Work with local review writers
Offering services to local reviewers can help build an audience that is savvy and who does their research before making a purchase. It’s usually best to not offer reviewers freebies and discounts as it degrades their credibility with the audience.
5. Quality web development
Finally, make sure your website is responsive, professional-looking, and smartly designed. Have a mobile-friendly version of your site, because more than 90% of buyers search on their phones most of the time.
Tips for Local-Level Online Marketing
1. Optimize for local searches
This goes back to local SEO, but it bears repeating because if you fail to integrate local language you could end up in searches far outside your service area, which does you no good at all.
2. Don’t forget your address, phone number, and hours of operation
Make sure you incorporate all of your contact info in your ad copy.
3. Have multiple points of contact
Give your customers several ways to get in touch; email, phone, physical address, chat widget, online contact field, and so on.
4. Regular social media activity
If you can, interact on social media regularly.
5. Interact with your audience
Your customers love to feel listened to and they are crazy about being listened to publicly. So use social media to give them the attention they deserve.