You’ve probably got a personal Facebook page of your own where you post pictures of your kids, pets, and your dinner. But what about your carpet cleaning business? What in the world should you be posting there?
Here are my top seven suggestions for professional carpet cleaners:
- Before/After Photos.
If you scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, you’ll probably notice that just about every business and news outlet has a photo to accompany their post. That’s because photos get 83% more engagement than any other type of post (text, link, video, etc.).
Before/after shots do a great job selling your services. Plus, they appeal more to women (the primary target market for carpet cleaners).
Women tend to respond more favorably to ads/imagery that demonstrates how a product/service works and achieves its objectives. Don’t just tell women that you’re great at cleaning carpet, SHOW them your work to convince them that you’re the professional they want to hire.
Just snap a quick photo or two with a cell phone while on the job (with your customer’s permission, of course). There are plenty of free apps for smartphones or tablets that will mash up the photos and create attractive side-by-side collages.
Write a post that includes a call to action like, “Check out the difference we made on this carpet/couch/hard floor! It looks brand new! Give us a call at ###-###-#### to schedule your next cleaning.”
2. Videos.
Facebook is a great way to cross-promote your YouTube channel (if you have one). If you don’t have a YouTube channel, don’t worry. You can post videos directly to Facebook the same way you do photos.
Again, I’m a big fan of before/after shots, so I’d recommend a closeup of your wand moving across dirty carpet, upholstery, or tile leaving a noticeably clean area. There’s something almost hypnotic about watching dirt disappear.
You don’t need to take a long video or work in any fancy editing or animation, by the way. Most people are scrolling through their newsfeeds quite quickly, and will pause for just a few moments to watch a short clip—think 10 seconds long.
The text that accompanies the video could say, “LIKE this post if you LOVE clean carpet like we do! Call ###-###-#### to schedule an appointment today!”
- Coupons!
Wouldn’t you just love it if you were on a job and Mrs. Jones reaches for her phone and says, “Oh wait, I saw your coupon on Facebook the other day. Can we add the upholstery deal? I wasn’t going to get that old armchair cleaned, but when I saw your coupon, I just couldn’t pass it up.”
A money-saving deal that changes every month—even something small, like $20 off upholstery cleaning—is a great way to keep your customers checking back on your Facebook page on a regular basis.
Be sure to mention your Facebook deals on your website and in your email signature. “Connect with us on Facebook for special coupons and seasonal savings!”
- Did You Know We Offered. . .
Most carpet cleaners offer lots of different services: upholstery cleaning, spot removal, pet odor treatment, leather cleaning, hard surface cleaning, even water damage restoration. And chances are, your customer only hired you for one of those services. So why not let her know about everything else you do?
Not only is your customer more likely to think of you when she needs one of those services in the future, but she’ll also think to recommend you to a friend. “ABC Carpet Cleaning only cleaned my carpet, but they did a great job. I saw on Facebook that they also clean tile floors. You should give them a call.”
Here’s where a photo really comes in handy. Take a photo of you or your techs at work performing each service you provide. Post them in a steady rotation each month along with a message like, “Did you know we also clean hard floors? Ask about our whole house cleaning special the next time we’re in your home. We’d love to get your place clean from wall to wall.”
- A FREE Tip.
People come to Facebook to be entertained, informed, inspired, and educated. They’re looking for information of value—and you have plenty of knowledge to share!
Between your years of experience and all those IICRC courses, you know a lot about keeping things clean. So why not share a nugget or two with your customers?
Here are some examples:
- Tip from the pros: The majority of dirt in your home is tracked in on the bottoms of shoes. Keep your carpet and floors cleaner longer by taking shoes off at the door and using entryway mats.
- Carpet Cleaning Tip: If you spill something on your carpet, use a clean, white towel to BLOT it up as much as possible. Don’t pour water on the spill, as you can make it soak deeper into the padding.
- Expert Advice: Change or clean out your vacuum filter often. Clogged filters choke your vacuum, so it won’t do a good job of removing dust and dirt from your floor.
Easy, right? This is all stuff you know. Add a photo to go along with each one and you’ve got a series of winning posts.
- Technician Spotlight.
Have a new face on your team? Introduce your new tech through Facebook.
“Please join us in welcoming John Doe to the ABC Carpet Cleaning family. John recently completed the IICRC Carpet Cleaning Technician course, and he is eager to put his knowledge to work. He’s a big fan of Star Wars movies and knows how to cook up a mean burger on the grill too. Welcome, John!”
Are you a solo owner/operator? You can also sing your own praises and celebrate your milestones.
“ABC Carpet Cleaning has been in business for 5 years today! I’m so thankful to all my loyal customers. Thank you for your business and your support.”
- Your family (maybe).
Many people like to keep their business and personal lives separate, but sometimes—if you do it right—you can let the two mix. People like doing business with people after, all. We like knowing that the business we’ve hired has real people with real lives running it.
Many carpet cleaning companies describe themselves as being “family owned and operated,” so why not enlist the whole family to help out with your marketing materials?
Ask a friend to take a photo of your happy, smiling family (you, your spouse, your kids, and even your dog) standing in front of the carpet cleaning van. BOOM! You’ve just got your new Facebook cover photo, not to mention a powerful image you can use in lots of other marketing materials.
What NOT to Post on Facebook:
This post wouldn’t be complete without a few words of warning about what you should NEVER, EVER, EVER post on Facebook from your business page:
- Your political views.
The quickest way to drive off your customers is to mix politics with business. Your customers don’t care which party or candidate you support. They just want clean carpet and upholstery.
- Photos of you or your techs partying or drinking.
Even if it’s after hours, New Year’s Eve, or at the company holiday party. A photo of you or your techs holding up a can of beer or a margarita doesn’t belong on your business page. You’ll have your customers wondering if you or your technicians are sober while working in their home or business.
- Off-color jokes.
Yes, even the REALLY funny ones. Anything more risqué than a knock-knock joke a first-grader might tell shouldn’t make it onto your Facebook page.
- Photos of a customer’s home/business without their permission.
You can get something formal in writing if you want, but with most people you can just get their verbal permission. Just ask, “Do you mind if I snap a photo and post this on Facebook? I’m pretty proud of how this came out for you.”
- Vulgar language.
Ok, so you’re probably thinking of just the BIG ones, right? When it comes to business, even milder ones like “crap,” “damn,” “bull,” and “hell” shouldn’t be part of your business vocabulary. It’s just unprofessional.
Like these tips? There’s plenty more where this came from! Fill out the Contact Me Form on my site and let’s chat about how I can help your business grow its social media presense.
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