New Guide to Pressure Washing Marketing Strategies

18 MIN READ
Power Wash Strategies

Pressure washing marketing has changed. Facebook ads and SEO are replacing magazine ads and TV commercials, leveling the playing field for local contractors to compete on a larger scale.

It’s not enough to survive in such a saturated market. You need to cut through the noise and get noticed. And to do that, you need to take a different road. You need to make your services desirable and well-known, and you need to continually adapt your strategy to stand out from the crowd. That’s where power washing marketing will be your MVP.

Pressure washing marketing strategies will help you attract, engage, and convert customers by meeting your customers where they already are. But when you consider the digital landscape, it can be hard to keep up with the competition if you’re not a marketing expert—or if you don’t have a full-time marketing team to manage your campaign.

So, how do you keep your head above the water? Better yet, how can you learn to swim? Here’s a hint: Don’t start advertising everywhere. Just because your competition is in the newspaper or advertising on Facebook doesn’t mean that’s the smartest move for your company.

Instead, you’re going to create a long-term, sustainable, forward-thinking marketing strategy for your power washing company. Here’s how to get started.


Pressure Washing Customers’ Mindset Is Changing

You already know that the pressure washing industry is fast-paced. You’re always picking up phones, responding to emails, and following up with new leads

. Now, you’ll need to keep up with changes to your customers’ mindset so you can adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.

You might have sensed that homeowners are changing the way they make decisions about their services—along with how and when they made them—as a result of the pandemic. More consumers are shifting to digital platforms for their day-to-day needs, from ordering groceries to hiring their next home services company.  

The growth of online shopping isn’t slowing anytime soon, with a clear consumer trend toward value-based purchases as more consumers spend more time at home.

“With increased time spent in the home, consumers experienced a mindset shift and were forced to create a comfortable workspace in their home. For many, this initial home improvement project led to additional maintenance and home improvement,” said Allison Allen, Manager of Marketing Services at Company 119. 

“Spending more time at home during the workweek as well as on weekends due to the pandemic gave homeowners the opportunity to see much-needed maintenance and improvements,” continues Allen. “House washes, deck and patio installs, landscape improvements, and more were prioritized because homeowners now had the opportunity to enjoy their home like never before. In addition, spending more time ‘in the neighborhood’ has fostered a ‘keeping up with the Jones’ mindset.”

With the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie, as well as the rise of Amazon Home Services and Google Local Services, customers have more options at their fingertips than ever before. They’re starting to look at home services as commodities, with a deeper focus on reviews, response time, and pricing.

On top of that, more customers are choosing businesses that offer multichannel communication for easy, convenient, quick communication on their preferred channel. According to a 2019 survey, 56 percent of people would rather message a business (on a social media platform or website) than call them for customer service. At the same time, 63 percent of customers would switch to a business that offers text messaging as a communication channel.

You’re probably wondering, “What does this mean for my pressure washing marketing strategy?”

Moving forward, you’ll need to reconsider your paid search strategy and streamline your communications. If something doesn’t work out, try something else. If you’re not actively taking steps to maximize your marketing efforts and get the most out of your leads, you risk losing business to the competition.

 


What Are Your Pressure Washing Competitors Doing?

Now more than ever, power washing companies are working to build a strong online presence, adapt their digital marketing to the newest trends, and search for automation opportunities. To level up your business, you need to start with the basics. That means researching what your biggest competitors are doing.

But you’re not going to copy your competitors’ strategy. You’re going to take a 360-degree view to grow and differentiate your business from the competition. It all boils down to creating a memorable experience for customers in a crowded landscape—and it pays to take a holistic approach. Here’s what’s working for some of the biggest names in the pressure washing industry.

 

1. Social Media

Major players in the industry are investing in programmatic ads on social media to drive business growth—and for good reason. Social media makes it easy to find isolated groups of customers to market to. Your target audience might gather themselves within Facebook groups, on the Nextdoor app, or on Instagram. It’s up to you to figure out exactly where they are—and then create compelling, captivating ads to grab their attention in a sea of status updates.

With social media, it’s a lot easier and a lot less expensive than it used to be to get in front of new customers. You’re meeting your customer where they’re already familiar with buying. And you’re making it easier for prospects to find your business. Social media is becoming a basic requirement for small businesses: If you don’t have a Facebook page with the location info filled in, your potential customers will go straight to the competition.

Of course, you’re not selling a product, so selling on Facebook will require some strategizing. Our advice? Stop selling to yourself. We’ve found that most of our clients are budget-oriented, while most of their buyers are value-oriented. If you want to close more sales, you have to figure out what makes your company valuable. Focus on your customers’ pain points. Then, use targeted social media ads to show prospects exactly how you can add value to their lives.

 

2. Video

As a business owner, you need to connect with your customers where they’re at, in the way that they want to be connected with. If you don’t have a social strategy built into your marketing plan, this is your sign to start. And the best way to get in front of your prospects right now is through video. 

If you haven’t considered the power of video to grow your brand, it’s time to double down on the effort. In 2020, 96 percent of customers increased their online video consumption, and 9 out of 10 viewers said they wanted to see more video content from brands. In 2021, the average person is predicted to watch 100 minutes per day of online video. In 2022, according to Wyzowl, people are watching an average of 19 hours of online video a week. You already have an audience. The question is, are they consuming your content?

We get it. You’re probably thinking, “Where do I start? I don’t know how to create videos and it’s too expensive.” You’re in luck—getting started with video is a lot easier (and more affordable) than it seems. And powerful, impactful video marketing can make all the difference for your pressure washing marketing strategy.

In times of uncertainty, people are searching for something to feel grounded. They’re tired of hard sales pitches. So, when you create video content, make authenticity your top priority. Talk how you would normally talk. Don’t be afraid to bring the energy and presence that your customers would get from you in person. That’s the approach that WyattWorks, a family-owned plumbing business in the Cleveland area, took to developing digital video content for their new website: They wanted to truly show the people behind their home services brand. They focused their digital videos on building rapport with their customers, highlighting their plumbing expertise, and delivering helpful how-to content.

Video is all about sharing useful content and building credibility. It can help you better connect with your existing customers and target new customers with shareable, digestible content. It’s driving the industry forward—and you don’t want to get left behind. 

 

3. Mobile Ads

“Hey Google, find me a power washer.”

More homeowners are using local search engines like Google to find local businesses—all from the palm of their hand. When a consumer searches for a local service on a smartphone, they’ll see ads, sponsored links, and organic search results. According to Google, 91 percent of people look up information on their smartphone when they want to know about, find, do, or buy something, and 51 percent have discovered a new company with mobile search. 

If local homeowners aren’t discovering your business when they search for “power washing near me,” they’re probably clicking onto your competitor’s website. How can you make sure they’re finding your business?

The answer is simple. You’re going to create compelling, engaging ads with Google’s Local Services Ads program. Local Services Ads are pretty similar to Google’s search ads in terms of placement. They appear just above organic search results, making it easy for users to find businesses.

Unlike your average paid ad, Local Services Ads are a bit more exclusive. Money isn’t enough to buy you the top spot. Google is particular about who’s eligible for these ads—and only the best companies make the cut. That means you’re going to have to pass a background check, submit a license number, provide proof of insurance, and navigate a few other steps to qualify.

The process might sound daunting, but it’s worth it. Your ads will appear on Google Search and the Local Services site when local homeowners search for pressure washing services. This way,  it’ll be easy to find you when they need you most.

 


 

pressure washing patio

Effective Pressure Washing Marketing Strategies

How can you account for shifts in your customers’ mindset? First, you’ll need to step back and reevaluate your marketing strategy. What keywords are you targeting? Are you wasting time and money on paid ads that aren’t reaching the right people? Are you ignoring leads that aren’t ready to hire you?

A comprehensive marketing strategy is the fuel you need to ignite your business growth. And, of course, you’re going to need to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in the pressure washing industry to keep your business at the top. 

Here’s how to take your power washing digital marketing strategy to the next level so you can hit the ground running.

 

1. Programmatic Advertising

Let’s start with a simple definition of programmatic advertising: the real-time buying and selling of ad inventory. If you’re not sure what programmatic is, think about it as the opposite of traditional advertising. In traditional advertising models, buyers and sellers negotiate terms offline, which can quickly drain time, money, and resources.

Meanwhile, programmatic happens online using real-time, automated buying. Unlike traditional advertising, you can track the success of your ad campaign with detailed data. 

So, how can programmatic help you get the most out of your marketing budget? 

“Consumers are spending more time on their mobile devices and watching streaming television,” says Allen. “Programmatic is effective for brand awareness and driving leads into the sales funnel.  With more eyes on devices digesting content, advertisers have a new opportunity.”

Let’s take Pristine Clean and The Gutter Boys, two Northeast Ohio-based home services companies, as an example. Pristine Clean and The Gutter Boys launched their programmatic campaigns in early 2021. We combined their intuition—for example, knowing that more people are searching for pressure washing companies online when it’s warm and sunny outside—with complex algorithms to show their ads to the right people on mobile and connected TV (CTV) devices at exactly the right time.

With flexible budgets and dynamic bid adjustments, they engaged leads in real-time, even adjusting their spending on rainy days when nobody was picking up the phone to schedule a home power wash. Targeted ads helped draw new customers into the sales funnel and leave a lasting impression. In fact, the brands found that over 25 percent of homeowners who contacted them had seen an ad from their business in the last month.

Of course, programmatic isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for pressure washing companies. To spend your media dollars effectively, you’ll need to use data to improve your ads. So, how can you target the right people at the right time with the power of programmatic?

  • Invest in automation. If you’re using PPC ads to soar to the top of Google’s search results, paid automation is going to be a game-changer. After all, when a local homeowner searches for “pressure washing near me,” you want to be the first result they see. With compelling, strategically placed ads, you’ll be able to increase your efficiency and reach a wider audience.
  • Use social media to your advantage. Online shopping is on the rise—and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Even though you’re selling a service, social media ads can help you engage more leads. With programmatic advertising, you can create personalized Facebook ads for individual users, with the ad format, CTA, and other components tailored to the specific user they’re being displayed to. With so many companies fighting for attention, programmatic is the tool you need to get noticed.
  • Cut through the noise with video. Paid media doesn’t end at text ads or images. With the power of video media, you can showcase your results, provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at your process, and show leads how satisfied your clients are with testimonials. Video ads can play an important role in generating brand awareness, building consumer trust, and converting more leads.

 

2. Paid Search

We hear it from our clients all the time: “I’m spending tons of money on Google search ads, but I don’t know if my ads are actually working.” Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

The truth is that paid search can be incredibly effective—as long as you’re doing it right. Paid ads give you more visibility on the first page of Google, which can have a huge impact on your bottom line. That instant lift in website traffic and conversions can give you the competitive edge you’ve been looking for.

The success of your paid ads depends on a few factors, including whether you’re targeting the right keywords, writing compelling copy, directing users to an optimized landing page, and more. If you’re tired of wasting precious marketing dollars, it’s time to review your paid search strategy. 

Here’s what you should be focusing on:

  • Finding the right keywords. With Google Keyword Planner, you can determine what keywords people are using to search for your pressure washing services. Google Keyword Planner will give you a list of potential keywords, along with data on how many people are searching for that term, how much competition you’re up against, and how much each keyword is likely to cost-per-click.
  • Reviewing your match types. Too many pressure washing businesses use broad match keywords because it’s the default match type. With broad match keywords, ads are shown when people search for your specific keywords, along with hundreds (or even thousands) of other variations—with every click costing you. To avoid blowing through your marketing budget, think about which match types to use. Then, create a good negative keyword list before you start creating ads.
  • Setting realistic goals. Maybe your goal is to get as many clicks as possible—but is that really true? Can your business handle 100 new inquiries each day? Marketing campaigns without realistic goals are inevitably going to waste money. Before you launch your campaign, think about what you want to achieve, set goals, and evaluate your results regularly.
  • Tracking your results. If you’re not tracking your return on investment, it’s time to start. One of the best things about online advertising is that everything can be measured. With paid ads, you can see how many people are clicking on your ads, how much it costs, and how many people take action (i.e., schedule an appointment or fill out a submission form). Start by setting up your conversion tracking in Google Analytics so you can measure which of your marketing efforts bring the best returns.

To shine and polish your paid search strategy, you need to test everything. Test all of your marketing, test your ads, test your ad copy, and figure out what tactics bring you closer to achieving your goals.

 

3. Recapturing Lost Leads

We’ve got some news for you, and it might come as a surprise: Your marketing strategy shouldn’t stop at lead generation. Your power washing lead generation strategy is an important piece of the puzzle, but most leads who visit your website aren’t ready to invest in pressure washing. 

Consider this: Only 8 percent of visitors are ready to buy the first time they visit your website. That means that at least 92 percent of visitors are reading your blog posts, checking out your landing pages, and then forgetting about you. So, what do you do? Ignore them and let them slip out of your sales funnel?

Of course not. You need an effective strategy to recapture lost leads. You’ve already done the hard part by reeling them in. But if you want to stop leaving money on the table, you need to continue engaging with the leads who are stuck in the middle of your funnel—caught somewhere between their first conversion and a pressure washing appointment.

Here are some proven lost lead tactics so you can start capturing every ounce of value from your leads: 

  • Use email marketing to stay at the top of their minds. With so many pressure washing companies competing for the same leads, you have to continually work hard to turn leads into customers. So, start by rethinking your email content. Re-introduce yourself, personalize your emails with targeted content and incentives, and stop sending hard sales pitches. Our clients have built strong relationships with leads by sending triggered emails when website visitors complete an action, like downloading gated content or visiting certain web pages.
  • Retarget lost leads on social media. Recapturing lost leads goes far beyond email nurturing. By retargeting lost leads on social media, you’ll keep your brand front and center by bringing “window shoppers” back when they’re ready to buy. Each time your ads land in front of a lead, your brand gains traction and more recognition. Then, when they’re finally ready to pressure wash their driveway, you’ll be the one they call.
  • Create targeted content for every stage of the funnel. SEO can help you drive organic web traffic, but what’s next? To engage lost leads, you’ll need to strategically nurture them with targeted content. Your marketing automation platform can help you identify, segment, and target leads at different stages of the funnel as you scale your lead nurturing strategy.

Ready to start converting more leads into appointments? Check out our full guide to recapturing lost leads for everything you need to plug those leaks in your sales funnel—from awareness marketing during the off-season to building relationships with qualified leads.

 


 

strategy icon Cut Through the Noise With the Right Power Washing Marketing Strategy

The right digital marketing strategy can make a dramatic impact on your bottom line, but you already know that. Instead of doing business as usual, you need to reinvent your power washing company with an effective, strategic marketing campaign that will help you survive and thrive. 

It’s time to start paying attention to the competition, giving your customers what they want, and getting the most out of every single lead you’ve captured. To win at pressure washing marketing, you need a marketing partner that you can rely on.

As a marketing firm, we’ve partnered with some of the largest power washing companies in the industry. We leave the power washing to you, but we’ll help serve your business in a different way—with calculated, targeted digital marketing. If you have any questions about your power washing marketing strategy, we’re ready to help you get the job done right.

Reach Out to Our Team

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