Projects, meetings, long office hours. With all this going on who has time to post on Facebook? Well if you’re a small home remodeling company you probably don’t have the resources like some of the big dogs in the yard that can afford internal marketing teams. The marketing tactics I’m about to present require minimal time commitment, but can add some needed polish to your company’s brand without spending your Saturdays in front of your computer screen.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
62% of consumers want visual search capability more than any other emerging technology and that amount will only increase on the years. Look, most small business owners understand the need for social media and an appealing website, but more often than I can count I find websites that are lacking strong visuals. Instead I find project galleries with photos similar in quality to poor resolution bigfoot footage.

Please, please do yourself and the Internet a favor and place greater emphasis on your company’s graphic representation, including logos, advertising, and web design. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, then find a company that can do it for you. The title of this section says it all–for years researchers have conducted studies proving that image content can dramatically influence website engagement. Every home service company from new home builders to landscapers rely heavily on visual appeal to attract new customers. So when you find yourself gearing up for the next big projects, just know that a first-class portfolio of sample work goes a long way to encourage new clients.

Let’s Make it Personal
There are a number of social platforms that can spread your message across a large number of consumers almost effortlessly. Even as digital marketers we ofttimes lose ourselves in automations and forget that personal interaction is a key ingredient to relationship building. So, no matter what you hear, a firm handshake and eye contact still has a lasting impression. As a business owner you represent your company’s brand even in the off-hours so promoting yourself as an upstanding citizen can help boost customer loyalty. A trusting relationship goes a long way in earning repeat business and establishing a good reputation. There’s nothing like a familiar face, especially when it comes to the home service industry. There are numerous reasons to appreciate your existing customer relationships. Mainly because they’re vital for your bottom line. Studies have shown increasing customer retention by as little as 5% can boost profits between 25-95%.

Why? Because existing customers are also a most sought after source of unpaid advertising. Treat your customers right, and they not only come back, but recommend you to friends and neighbors. The ripple effect is real, so it matters how clients view every interaction.

Here’s a story of what occurred in my neighborhood. One of the landscapers that tended to several lawns on my street would occasionally bring his daughter with him. She’d have a nice cold sweet tea or a bottle of water ready for him after each lawn was mowed. After a few visits some of the cyclist in the neighborhood would give here a few bucks for some bottled water on their way out. From time to time, the father would chat with a few of the passing neighbors as his daughter handed out his bottled water. A few weeks later, you’d see he had a few additional lawns to his landscaping portfolio. Fast forward a few years, that simple gesture of sharing with the neighbors grew into an annual community event sponsored by several local food vendors and home service companies. The event is pretty low-key, but it still offers contractors/owners a chance for face-to-face interaction with the residents. Was this the landscapers original intention? Definitely not, he was simply being neighborly. But it was an opportunity to interact with any number of potential clients in a no-pressure environment.

Did I mention there is BBQ? Well there’s always BBQ!

It’s a pretty good story. If you like to hear some of the details of how this event evolved, I’m willing to share. Call me anytime.

Allow your customers to sing your praises
Home contractors shared notoriously low trust among customers, a trend well documented anecdotally across social media throughout the years. That makes loyal customers all the more valuable. These clients are founded in a trusting relationship with you, making them more willing to proceed with various other home projects. However, increasing repeat projects and referrals takes a lot of work on your part. If you’re still not a big dog in the yard, you probably wear all the hats throughout the day: from manager to salesperson. And it’s that lack of time that makes it difficult to implement a full marketing plan onto an already overloaded work schedule without enlisting some aide.

Your biggest weapon in obtaining and retaining new clients is your overall customer satisfaction and your relationship skills. Allow your happy customers to sell your business through reviews on Facebook, referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. According to Nielsen, 92% of people around the world said they trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising. If your customers are willing to sing your praises, then offer them something in return – everyone loves a discount. Creating a referral program for customers takes little effort and is a double bonus: an opportunity to close on an existing prospect while benefiting from some advertising in return. Some home service professionals offer their customers free maintenance or upgrades if their referral signs on. Whatever you decide for your customers, make sure to remind them occasionally throughout the project.

Remember, these customers are one of your best assets that can lend an authentic voice to your brand’s promotions, so TREAT THEM RIGHT!