07 3124 0244 07 3124 0244

Marketing a Service Business

Posted 28 Jan '16

So, how do you differentiate your business in the market when you have something intangible?

Every other guy is saying their service is professional, reliable and personal. It might not be, but are they really going to say “Hey, I’m unreliable and probably won’t return your call for a week” when trying to attract clients? It is okay to say these things but this alone will not make your business different from every other guy out there.

Your new client can’t see it, touch it or take it out for a test ride before they buy it, so how do you show them you are the real deal? It’s about focusing on building a brand that is uniquely you and putting effort into client relationships that will last. No flings in this biz!

7 Tips for Marketing a Service Business

  1. HAVE A QUALITY SERVICE

This goes without saying, but really, no marketing can outdo poor service. Being on-time, delivering the exact results you said you would and communicating with your clients. These all need to be top of mind when providing your service. This will get you referrals and testimonials – which will get you more work and increase your business exposure.

  1. BUILD YOUR BRAND

Know with conviction what makes your service different to your competitor down the road. What are you doing differently? What added value do you give to your client’s lives? What problem are you solving for your client and how do you communicate this? For example, a masseuse could offer a child minding service, or a mechanic service shop could offer a free breakfast while their clients wait for their car. Adding value like this could really set you apart from the rest!

  1. FOCUS ON MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS

People do business with people they trust. It’s no secret that in today’s market it’s all about the connection a client has with your brand. By actually giving a damn about the people you are servicing, and demonstrating this through how you run your service business, building relationships is this easy bit.

Maintaining them is what you need to focus on, getting their contact details when a client does business with you so you can continue to communicate with them whether it be monthly, quarterly or what ever makes sense for your business – keeping in contact allows your business to remain top of mind when your client might need your service again.

  1. GET YOUR BRAND OUT THERE

Don’t hide yourself or your business by only advertising in your local and spending time at home when you have no work on. Make sure your business is found by sign writing your car/s, having promotional material to give to your clients and alliances, having a responsive website, doing a mixture of advertising suitable for your industry, printing flyers to distribute to your target market, being active on social channels online (ie facebook, linkedin, Instagram) and attending networking or local business events relevant to your target market.

  1. GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY

Having a service based business will generally mean that your primary target market will be the local area that your business is based. A great way to become the go-to person for your industry would be to get yourself known in the local community. You could get involved by sponsoring local events or having a trade stall at them, finding a charity that is cohesive with your brand that you can sponsor to gain exposure from and give back to the community.

  1. REGISTER ON LOCAL ONLINE DIRECTORIES AND LOCAL ADWORDS CAMPAIGNS

Kick your online strategy into gear in 2016. Make sure you are on all local free online directories like, Yellow Pages, Google Plus, True Local, Gum Tree, Hot Frog, Brisbane-Australia Directory, Start Local etc. Being registered on these sites will help with your SEO (especially Google Plus). If you want to sign up for paid service finder directories that are frequently used by customers Service Seeking, Oneflare and HiPages are some good ones to start!

Also consider a local Adwords campaign to kick your website to the top of the search results in Google. Before doing this ensure that you do some research and work with a trusted Adwords company that know what they are talking about! Otherwise you will waste your money.

  1. FOLLOW UP QUOTES AND OFFER ADDED VALUE

Following up quotes for service based businesses is something we can’t talk enough about. If you take anything away from this article, know that you following up a quote will almost always increase your chance of winning the work. It’s not about feeling like a creepy stalker and annoying the customer to accept your quote, but to informally touching base to ensure that they received the quote and finding out whether they have any questions or queries. This will show your potential client that you do care about their needs and are ready to offer value and be available for them!

Focusing on these 7 tips (or even starting with one or two) and integrating them into the way you do business would be a great way to get started!

 For help with your Brisbane business call us today on 07 3124 0244

Related News

How Running a Small Business Prepared Me for Motherhood

Running a small business and motherhood may seem worlds apart but as I’ve spent the last 18 months adapting to the role of mum and I've realised the surprising similarities between these two roles. Both require unwavering dedication, resilience, and the ability to juggle multiple responsibilities. In this blog, I'll share the invaluable lessons I've learned from running a small business that has uniquely prepared me for the journey of motherhood.

Empire Partner in Business Feature: Cornerstone Advice

Cornerstone Advice provides financial planning and mortgage broking services.  They specialise in working with busy families and professionals to establish a financial roadmap that maximises their financial opportunities alongside establishing a backup plan to protect against the unexpected.

Learn how to Boost your financial future with SMSF & Property

Australia's real estate market has long been considered a safe and lucrative investment avenue. With a stable economy and a consistently growing property market, it's no wonder that many Australians view property as a key component of their investment portfolio. One pain point we often hear from clients is the fact that their superannuation fund doesn’t directly invest into property. In this article we are going to explore the only legal way to borrow and acquire property in super which is via a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF).