Advertising for Cleaning Services: 13 Ideas for 2023

Cleaning company advertising strategies

By
Jane Pardo | Updated December 29, 2022

Advertising your cleaning business can be challenging when you have a tight ad budget. 

The great news is there are numerous ways to advertise your services without spending too much. 

You don’t have to break the bank to skyrocket your sales. 

Follow these free cleaning services advertising methods to bolster your advertising plan and get a constant stream of leads. 

1. Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition 

Before anything else, determine the number one reason why people should choose your company for professional cleaning. 

Pinpoint that one thing that gives you an edge over the competition. 

Your unique selling proposition, which you can define in one or two short sentences, makes your business stand out. 

For example, your USP could be: 

  • Stain removal experts with a 100% stain removal guarantee. 
  • Eco-friendly cleaners that use all-natural products for green cleaning. 
  • Commercial cleaning experts with disinfectant specialists. 
  • Your neighborhood house cleaners with the fastest response time. 

Pro Tip: Find out what your competition is lacking or not doing well. Avoid simply copying others. You want to think of something that will make your cleaning business more memorable to prospects. 

2. Revamp Your Referral Program 

An excellent referral system is a powerful method to encourage people to refer your cleaning business to others and raise brand awareness. 

So, how do you improve your referral system? 

Update your incentives. 

If your current referral offer isn’t working, consider enticing your market with better incentives. You can ask your existing customers about the types of bonuses and awards they would love to receive for successful referrals. 

Send newsletters regularly. 

Stay in touch with existing customers by sending a monthly email newsletter or weekly updates. You can draw their attention with special promotions, discounts, new services, new packages, social media updates, valuable cleaning tips, and upcoming local events. 

Feature your referral offer in all channels. 

Spread out the word! Make it easy for people to share your referral offer with others, whether you’re posting it on your website, social media pages, or email campaigns. 

Go the extra mile. 

Train your crew to be 100% friendly, attentive, and caring. The more likable your team is, the happier your customers will be to refer your business to their friends. 

referral program tips

Pro Tip: You can also get referrals from your employees, so it’s best to create a referral program that incentivizes your personnel.

3. Offer Irresistible Deals and Discounts 

Creating an amazing offer is a stellar cleaning services advertising strategy to keep new cleaning leads coming and build loyalty among current customers. 

Think of a money-saving deal your prospects just couldn’t resist, whether you’re running a commercial or house cleaning business. 

You can offer: 

  • Significant discounts for new customers
  • Package discounts
  • Off-season specials to get your company busy year-round 

4. Be a Podcast Guest 

Listening to podcasts has become an incredibly popular activity for people worldwide, especially during the pandemic when isolation made people explore indoor hobbies. 

Take advantage of podcast guest opportunities to promote your cleaning business. You could share must-know house cleaning tips and intriguing cleaning stories on popular cleaning and organizing podcasts to attract leads and grow your cleaning business

You can even start your own cleaning podcast. With persistence, you could build traction and gain a large audience after several months.

5. Hold Educational Webinars 

Webinars effectively convert prospects into paying customers, as attendees are typically already interested in your brand and covered topics. 

Focus on subjects that your ideal customers crave to know. For example, a house cleaning company can hold a webinar about cleaning strategies to fight viruses. 

Presenting topics that interest your target audience is an excellent way to increase leads and expand your email list. The more people who subscribe to your webinars, the bigger your opportunity for lead generation. 

Pro Tip: Invite experts to co-host your webinar on trending topics. For example, you could enlist a medical professional to explain the basics of viruses and how to combat them indoors through proper, regular cleaning.

6. Optimize Your Online Business Listings 

Your customers find you online through various review sites and directories, so you should ensure your business listings are accurate, well-optimized, and up to date. 

When people type search terms like “best home cleaning business New York,” you want to be on the first page of the search results. 

See if you’re listed on these sites and update your online listings today: 

  • Google Business Profile
  • Yellow Pages
  • Yelp
  • Home Advisor
  • Angi (Formerly Angie’s List)
  • Three Best Rated
  • Better Business Bureau
  • Whitepages
  • Nextdoor
  • Thumbtack

Your Google Business Profile is the most crucial listing you should constantly update. Google typically shows Google business listings on page one when people search for local services. 

Plus, an optimized Google Business Profile account means it’s easier for your clients to find your cleaning company using Google Maps. 

Inaccurate details may pull you lower on the search results. This means you should always update your information across all sites where your business is listed online, particularly if your operation hours change during the holidays. 

Check if you accurately provided the following information: 

  • Company name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Business category
  • Operation hours

Pro Tip: Fill your business profiles with crisp photos of your cleaning company and successful cleaning jobs, like before-and-after shots. You can regularly post updates to boost customer engagement and keep your profiles active. 

7. Generate Reviews to Boost Credibility

That means actively asking your happy, satisfied clients to give you a glowing review online after a successful cleaning job. 

Your cleaning crew can leave a simple thank-you note. Or, you can also send a warm email expressing your heartfelt gratitude and subtly requesting your customers to post a positive online review. 

It’s best to personalize your email by addressing your customer using their first name, talking in a conversational tone, and mentioning the cleaning service they used. 

Make it easy for your customers to leave a review by adding a review link to your email. You can also include a short CTA in your newsletters, like “Tell us what you loved about your most recent experience with our cleaning services!” Or casually mention it on a social media post.  

Great reviews can do wonders for your cleaning company, as people tend to trust what actual customers say. Your prospects are more likely to choose your services if they see your high-star ratings and amazing reviews. 

Plus, positive reviews tell Google you’re running a trusted, authentic business, increasing your SEO score. 

Pro Tip: Address negative reviews immediately to manage your online reputation. You can ask dissatisfied customers how your company can do better. Give them special discounts, encouraging them to try your services again and leave more positive reviews next time. 

8. Use Customer Personas

Knowing your target market is essential in tailoring your advertising strategies and avoiding wasting funds. 

If you want your cleaning services advertising strategy to work, choose your ideal prospects to attract qualified leads and make more sales. 

It helps to create customer personas, which represent your target customers. 

Ask yourself these questions to identify your ideal customers: 

  • Which households, professions, and businesses generate the highest revenue for my cleaning business? 
  • What are the characteristics of my target customers? 

When targeting individual consumers, determine your best customers based on: 

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Location
  • Income Level
  • Education
  • Profession
  • Family Size
  • Homeownership

If you’re targeting a business market, identify your preferred: 

  • Geographic location 
  • Company size
  • Industries
  • Annual revenue
  • Number of employees 

Creating customer personas helps you tailor your advertising campaigns to the needs and wants of your prospects, increasing the likelihood of reaching your ideal client types. 

You can accomplish effective and persuasive campaigns to generate leads without wasting time, money, and effort on the wrong leads. Your content advertising will revolve around search-optimized content that focuses on the interests of your target audience. 

9. Choose the Social Platforms Your Customers Love

Instead of juggling numerous social networks, why not choose one or two platforms where you can find most of your target market? Invest time to learn how to fully leverage your chosen platforms and build a large following. 

For example, you can create an Instagram profile that regularly showcases your best results, the friendly disposition of your team, and the satisfied faces of happy clients. 

Determine the social media sites where your customers will likely engage with your brand. 

Your social media advertising efforts will pay off with increased leads and sales. 

10. Run a Contest to Boost Brand Awareness

A simple contest can stir excitement and get people talking about your cleaning business. 

You don’t have to spend much on prizes; simple freebies and amazing discounts can entice your target audience. 

Here are quick contest ideas to promote your cleaning business: 

  • Photo voting contest to drive traffic to your website where people will vote for their favorite entry
  • Share and comment to win contest to increase brand awareness and customer engagement
  • Surprise gift contest in which you pick random followers and give them cleaning vouchers

11. Build Relationships With Other Businesses 

Teaming up with relevant businesses is an excellent cleaning services advertising strategy to promote your cleaning business. 

Industry partnerships are invaluable in gaining new leads. 

General contractors could refer you for cleaning jobs. Property managers can hire you to clean rental properties or recommend your services to tenants. 

Real estate managers may need a cleaning company to spruce up properties.

You can also ask cafes, restaurants, hardware stores, and bookstores if they’re willing to put up a small sign about your cleaning business. This is an excellent advertising method if you’re a new company, hosting a special event, or running a promotional contest. 

It’s best to nurture business connections to get exposed to various lead generation and networking opportunities. 

Pro Tip: Attend trade shows and expo events to meet other business owners. You can join your local chamber of commerce and other local organizations to put down roots in your community. Give discounts in return for recommending your cleaning business. 

12. Get Involved With Community Events 

It’s a good idea to find ways to give back to your community to raise awareness, establish trust, and get free exposure for your cleaning company. 

Plus, it helps improve employee morale and allows you to discover valuable new talent. 

You can share a local event on your website, social media posts, and newsletter to let everyone know about your participation. 

Explore the following ways for community involvement: 

  • Donate time: Offer paid time off to encourage your team to join local projects, like beach cleanup activities, as volunteers and enjoy a team-building activity. 
  • Start a donation drive: Encourage your team, customers, and followers to donate supplies to a charitable organization. 
  • Offer cleaning discounts as prizes: You can provide vouchers and gift certificates for your cleaning services as rewards for charity raffle contests. 

Pro Tip: Make sure your employees wear custom-printed shirts to make people recognize your cleaning business. Snap clear photos to share on social media and your blog. 

13. Track Your Performance With Google Analytics

Do you know which parts of your cleaning services advertising work for your cleaning business? 

Be sure to track your results using tools like Google Analytics. This free tool offers a free way to track statistics such as your website visitors, their location, what pages they check, and how long they stay on websites. 

Evaluate your results and take action based on those results. For example, your results could mean you need a lead capture form on your About Us page to capture the leads who are interested in your business. 

FAQs About Free Cleaning Advertising Strategies

What’s the best method to advertise my cleaning business?

The best free advertising method is obtaining referrals from advocates. These are people who highly value your services and willing to recommend you to everyone they know. 

Deliver a superb customer experience to cultivate trust. The more people appreciate your business, the more they will spontaneously spread the word about your cleaning services.

Are there free online advertising tools I can use for lead generation?

Mailchimp, one of the most highly-rated email advertising software for small businesses, offers a free plan for email advertising. Other free advertising tools include Google Analytics, Canva, Ahrefs, Hootsuite, and Google Trends.

Final Thoughts: Expand Your Client Base With Free, Tried-and-True Promotion Methods

When it comes to lead generation, you can never go wrong with the cleaning services advertising strategies above. 

Test out different advertising methods, and monitor your performance to determine which ones work for your cleaning business. 

Written by Jane Pardo

Jane Pardo

Jane Pardo is a senior contributing writer who lends insight into digital marketing methods and business solutions. She regularly writes at Scalebloom to help business owners take their online marketing to the next level.