11 best cleaning business marketing strategies for 2022

You’ve started a cleaning business (or you’re looking into it), and you want to know the answer to perhaps the most crucial small business question: How do I get clients for a cleaning business?

First of all: Congratulations on starting a new business venture in the cleaning industry! Your choice to become a cleaning business owner means that you get to be your own boss, earn income on your terms, and grow your business as far as you desire.

We’ve put together a list of ideas to help you build a marketing plan that can attract potential clients to your cleaning business. Whether you’re a residential cleaning company or a commercial cleaning business, this list will help you build your client roster through paid and free means so that your cleaning company can gain traction, grow in popularity, and secure long-term clients who love to work with you.

Let’s dive in!

How to get clients for your cleaning business

1) Develop your value proposition

There’s something special about your cleaning business that makes it stand out among other local businesses. Identify what you offer that is different from your competition and articulate it in your advertising. It takes time and repetition for prospective clients to remember precisely what makes you unique, so ensure that your value proposition is stated clearly and consistently on your website and other marketing materials.

2) Use direct mail

Cleaning companies can still succeed with both house cleaning and commercial cleaning clients with direct mail. Whether it’s a flier, a coupon with your business card attached, or a letter sealed in an envelope, a piece of marketing straight to the mailbox of your prospective clients can reach them at just the right time to prompt them to reach out to you to book with you or to learn more about your services.

3) Leverage social media

Social media content on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok can help you establish your brand and earn the attention of new customers with images, videos, articles, and captions. You can direct traffic to your website, link to a calendar where they can book services with you, or send them to a landing page where you can capture their email address in exchange for a promotional offering like a discount. However you choose to use social media, make sure that this critical marketing tool is part of your overall marketing strategy.

4) Make videos

Instagram Reels and TikTok are growing in popularity, and YouTube is still a powerful search engine for those looking for cleaning content in video form. You can use these platforms to get the word out about your company and its capabilities through helpful, informative video content that answers your target demographic's most burning questions.

Do some keyword research via Google Trends, SEMrush, or another keyword tool to determine what your clients most want to know and then create video content to address those areas.

While this may not turn into a booking directly, you will establish your brand authority and start to be top of mind for residents and companies in your area who need your services.

5) Create a website

An online presence is essential to build authority and trust in your market and inform clients about your company, its services, and your contact information. That’s what a website offers. When you build your website, you'll want to make sure that you can secure a domain name that matches your business name or at least comes very close.

While some may want to go the DIY route, this is an area where you may want to invest in a quality web designer who can work with you to create a website that is fast, well laid out, and easy for your potential customers to use. While DIY websites can work, you’re likely to grow faster and farther with a website built professionally to suit the needs of your visitors.

Once the website is up, make sure you register it with Google My Business and link to important pages such as social media and Yelp. This will help you gain visibility in your local service area, as Google will identify your location and boost your pages for those searching in your area.

6) Make it easy to book with you

Many cleaning companies still take bookings over the phone, but you can earn business by providing a quick and easy way to book with you online. Consider integrating an interactive calendar or booking system into your website to allow clients to select your services based on your availability.

7) Use email marketing

Once you start to build an email list, whether through your website, social media, landing pages, or a combination of the above, you can email your list regularly with news and promotions. This helps keep you in your ideal client's mind so that when they’re ready to purchase cleaning services, you’re who they think about.

You can also help earn more business with current clients through targeted email marketing campaigns designed to illuminate the need for additional services beyond what your clients already use you for. Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to earn business, so ensure that you start building that list ASAP.

8) Create a referral program

Word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to grow your business. A referral program provides the incentive to current clients to spread the word about your business. Give clients a discount or a free service in exchange for a referral, and make sure that the referee is incentivized as well. Don’t feel like you have to give too much to earn a referral. Even a 10% discount can encourage clients to share your business information with others in their community.

9) Start a blog

A blog takes time and search engine optimization (SEO) knowledge to build, run, and maintain. It also takes time to earn traffic to your website. It is not a “quick win” strategy. It helps you gain visibility, brand authority, traffic to your website over time, and most importantly, new clients.

Some who want fast marketing strategies may not want to spend the time on a blog. However, the power of a blog is its ability to drive clients straight to the booking page without you ever having to engage with them—if it’s built correctly, of course. When you have searchable, targeted, well-structured, and interlinked content on your blog, you can attract customers at varying parts of their buyer’s journey.

Whether your ideal customer is just getting started in their search or they're ready to book today, your blog can draw them to your website, keep their attention, and eventually convince them to work with you. If you plan to be in business for years to come, a blog is a fantastic way to gain traction and earn new business.

10) Use paid advertising

Think about paid advertising online instead of—or in addition to—a blog, which is considered organic traffic. This can be paid ads on websites through Google Ads, YouTube commercials, sponsored online content, or search engine marketing (SEM.)

This type of marketing can cost a lot of money to see a return and can be tricky to figure out. However, once you learn how to make it work for you, the payoff can be sizable. It gets your company right in front of the eyes of your target audience when they’re searching for relevant queries on Google, Bing, or YouTube, and can even display your company’s advertising to your target market when they’re visiting non-related sites online.

If you choose to go the route of paid ads, consider hiring a well-versed specialist in SEM or other paid advertising to cut down on cost as you figure out the paid strategy that works for you.

11) Earn positive reviews

Potential customers want to purchase goods and services from companies they trust. Testimonials from happy clients can help build that trust. Follow up with your cleaning clients after they receive your cleaning services to hear feedback and to earn a review. Use the positive reviews on your website, social media, in emails, and in any direct mailings you do. Continue to update your testimonials regularly as new clients provide feedback to keep them fresh and current.

Cleaning business marketing strategies: Conclusion and summary

You’re now ready with the strategies you need to gain popularity and grow your cleaning business. As you tend to the other essential parts of your business, such as securing proper insurance and applying for your cleaning business license, start implementing these marketing ideas to help you earn business with clients who want to work with you again and again.

For your reference, here’s a quick summary of the marketing strategies detailed in this guide:

1. Develop your value proposition: Learn what makes you different in your market and advertise accordingly
2. Use direct mail: Never underestimate the power of a flier right in someone’s mailbox
3. Leverage social media: Choose one or multiple platforms and establish a presence to gain notoriety and popularity
4. Make videos: TikTok and Instagram Reels are both great ways to show how you do what you do with quick, entertaining videos
5. Create a website: An online presence is imperative. Make sure it has your contact info, your services, and information about your company
6. Make it easy to book with you: Add an interactive calendar to your website so that interested clients can book with you easily online
7. Use email marketing: You can capture emails from your website and social media and market directly to their email inbox with news and promotions
8. Create a referral program: Give your current clients an incentive to share the word about your business with their contacts
9. Start a blog: Share information your clients want to know on a regularly updated blog to gain organic, free traffic to your website over time.
10. Use search engine marketing (SEM): Leverage paid Google or social media ads to get your business in front of the right eyes
11. Earn positive reviews: Follow up with your clients to hear their feedback and share positive reviews on your website and social media to earn the trust of new clients

Huckleberry provides cleaning business insurance you can count on

Before marketing your services, make sure your business is covered with the right insurance. At Huckleberry, we offer comprehensive insurance policies for cleaning businesses and janitorial businesses. Secure your fast and free business insurance quote today.