Residential cleaning services are a $1.2 billion industry that has grown, on average, 6.6% each year for the past decade. Starting a house cleaning business can be great, as it allows business owners to set their own hours and rates and to be their own boss.

However, professional cleaning is a highly competitive industry to enter. As a result, success in this career hinges on business owners knowing how to advertise their cleaning services effectively. This guide will walk you through the top marketing strategies for cleaning business owners, setting you up for success in the industry.

Importance of marketing for cleaning businesses

The steady year-over-year growth of the cleaning industry in the United States means that this is a highly competitive field to be in. 

The low barrier to entry for this career means that just about anyone can start a residential cleaning business. Having strong marketing strategies for cleaning businesses is critical to thriving in this field. Marketing allows you to nurture new leads, position yourself as a cleaning expert, and ensure your cleaning services look more desirable than your competition’s.

Tips for cleaning business marketing

Many marketing ideas these days hinge on having a strong digital presence. Before you begin implementing the tips, make sure you’ve covered the basics. Build a strong, SEO-friendly website for your cleaning business and set up a social media account.

As you develop your marketing strategies for your cleaning business, consider carving out your own niche. For example, there is currently a strong demand for eco-friendly cleaning services. If you can position yourself as a leader in a niche cleaning industry, you may prove that you have something to offer potential clients above and beyond what your competitors can offer. It may also be easier to stand out in a crowded market.

The 6 best house cleaning marketing ideas

Implementing a variety of marketing strategies for cleaning business owners can help you generate new leads faster. As a result, you may be able to charge higher rates and pick and choose your favorite clients rather than having to take on any client willing to hire you. If you’re looking to bolster your bottom line, start with these six house cleaning marketing ideas.

1. Email marketing

Email marketing has a massive potential to help your business. The ROI for email marketing is high, and it boasts numerous benefits for your small business.

Email marketing also has the benefit of being more accessible to get into. Since you can’t send marketing email without consent, consider leaving postcards behind with a promotion for $10 off their next service when they subscribe to your email list. Leave a few extra postcards in case your customers want to share the promotion with friends or neighbors.

Starting an email newsletter can help you nurture new leads and stay in touch with your customers. Perhaps include a call to action in your newsletters, encouraging recipients to forward the email to a friend. 

Implement an easy-to-use sign-up form on your website, and create an incentive to encourage people to join your email list. For example, you could offer to send tips for removing everyday stains to anyone who signs up for your newsletter.

2. Social media marketing

Seventy-five percent of the world’s eligible population is currently active on social media, and they’re spending an average of two and a half hours on their sites of choice. From Facebook to TikTok, your social media accounts allow you to communicate in real-time with existing clients and potential new leads.

TikTok, which boasts one billion active users each month, is a great place for posting short-form video content to engage clients and generate new leads.

example of a good cleaning business TikTok profile
This residential cleaning business has managed to acquire over 6,000 followers. We love how they’ve used a real face as their profile image, have quickly described their services in their profile, and have linked to their business’s website for any clients who want to follow up with them.

Keep in mind that it’s not enough to simply have social media accounts. To glean the greatest benefit from social media marketing, you need to actively participate. Consider implementing a social media calendar to improve your marketing success. Use images and videos as well as text to communicate with your audience. Be timely in responding to comments and direct messages. 

3. Content marketing

Content marketing refers to the creation of compelling content that drives user engagement. This can include video content, social media content, or blog content. Almost half of people from age 18 to 49 read blogs, so you will want to capture part of that audience.  

The reason for this is simple. When you create engaging posts backed by strong keyword research, your business has the ability to rank higher in search engines. This can drive organic traffic to your website.

If you’re just getting started with content marketing strategies for your cleaning business, implement a blogging schedule to help you stay on track and monitor your consistency.

4. Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing

Pay-per-click marketing, also known as PPC marketing, refers to any time you advertise through a third party and pay when customers click on your content. This could include banner advertisements, social media ads, or Google Ads.

To get the most out of your PPC marketing, be sure to use geo-targeting. By selecting a local audience, you won’t waste money advertising to people outside of your service area. Geo-targeted PPC advertisements are hyper-focused, improving your overall ROI.

5. SMS marketing

SMS marketing involves using text messages to send information to clients or leads. The FCC requires that businesses have people opt-in to receiving SMS marketing messages. As long as you comply with these regulations, SMS marketing can be extremely beneficial to your business.

More than half of consumers respond to text messages within five minutes, making this an efficient form of marketing for timely information. Additionally, click-through rates for SMS marketing are higher than for any other form of digital marketing.

To make the most of your SMS marketing, consider making it a two-way conversation. Nearly three-quarters of consumers prefer it when they can return texts and converse with a real person rather than simply receiving messages from bots.

6. Social proof marketing

Word-of-mouth advertising remains important in the cleaning industry. Since conversations have gone digital, word-of-mouth has followed suit. While some customers will invariably refer friends face-to-face, asking for reviews that you can post on your social media account or website can provide proof of your good work to prospective clients who aren’t yet part of your network.

Social proof can make your business seem more reputable and build trust with clients who don’t know you. 

example of sharing reviews on your website
Check out how On Deck Cleaning Co. linked to their reviews page right on their website and featured several customer reviews on their home page. This is a great example of using social proof to generate trust with potential customers who may be investigating your brand for the first time.

You can leverage social proof marketing by offering referral benefits or service discounts for customers who leave online reviews. Keep in mind that while it is legal to incentivize customers to leave reviews, you must disclose that those reviews were paid for in some way.

Implement top marketing strategies for cleaning business owners today

Given the cleaning industry’s continued growth and evolution, marketing strategies for cleaning businesses have had to shift accordingly. To succeed in this industry, your marketing plan should include a range of modern marketing tactics. You can leverage your digital presence to promote your local business while maintaining tried-and-true techniques like word-of-mouth marketing. 

Get started today by optimizing your website and establishing your social media accounts. Then, simply choose one of the six marketing strategies above to begin implementing. Tackling new marketing strategies one at a time can make them feel more manageable. Take the first step today and set up one social media profile for your business!