Customer traffic light? Time to step up your laundromat’s marketing efforts

Many laundromat owners have a great facility, high-quality commercial laundry equipment, and advanced laundry technology, but they’re still struggling. They have all the ingredients of a successful laundromat business, but they stumble in getting the word out to attract new customers. If you’re fighting to spread the word about your laundry business, have no fear. We’ve put together some easy ways to help you promote your laundromat in the community. 

Get active online 

Increasing online marketing efforts is one of the best ways both new and existing laundromat owners can help market their businesses. In fact, “near me” or “close by” Google searches grew by more than 900% over recent years. There’s no better time than now to dedicate more resources to online marketing and boosting your laundromat’s online presence. Here are a few suggestions to help your laundry business see success online: 

• Create or update a website that includes up-to-date photos of your business and important contact details (such as your address, phone, email, and social channels). 

• Complete or update your social profiles, such as Facebook. 
• Shorten response time for comments, messages, and emails. 
• Budget for social advertising. 
• Start a laundry blog that focuses on laundry tips and tricks your customers can use. 
• Start collecting email addresses and launch an email campaign to better connect with existing customers. 

• Update your Google My Business profile and other local listings to make it easy for people in the area to find you. 

Host an event 

While laundry is generally considered a “chore,” you can make it fun by hosting an event and turning your laundromat into a go-to destination for new and existing customers. Everyone loves entertainment, food, freebies, and giveaways, so it’s an effective strategy to generate word-of-mouth buzz and ultimately get customers in the door. Depending on your event, you may even get some attention from local media. A few events you might consider hosting at your laundromat include: 

• A grand opening to celebrate the start of your laundry business. 
• An anniversary celebration to mark achievements and honor loyal customers each year. 

• A grand re-opening to highlight major remodeling projects or equipment upgrades. 
• A Free Laundry Day that benefits the less fortunate in your community. 
• A celebration honoring major holidays such as Fourth of July, Halloween, or Christmas. 
• Customer appreciation events. 

Get involved in the community 

If you want to connect with people who live in your community, you must be active in the community. Getting involved is one of the best ways laundromat owners can boost name recognition and build relationships with customers and fellow business owners. The more people get to know you and feel a sense of connection to your business, the more likely it is they’ll turn to you to meet their laundry needs. Plus, consumers love businesses who give back to the communities in which they serve. 

• Sponsor a local sports team or organization.  
• Participate in local parades, festivals, and other community events. 
• Join the local Chamber of Commerce or other business/networking groups. 
• Collaborate with other local businesses. 

• Donate money to local charities. 
• Shop local and encourage your customers to do the same. 

Encourage referrals and reviews 

Loyal and happy customers are going to be one of the most effective marketing tools for your laundromat. 91 percent of people read online reviews to figure out what businesses and products to support. With that in mind, you should be encouraging customers to help spread the word about your laundromat as much as possible. 

• Offer rewards/incentives to customers who post a positive online review or offer feedback. Huebsch Command makes it easy to offer rewards by allowing for points on every purchase.  

• Have a mobile tablet that customers can use to leave reviews while they wait for their laundry. 
• Pass out coupons or flyers for customers to give to friends or loved ones. 
• Ask customers for reviews and feedback directly via email campaigns, social posts, or through Speed Queen Insights. 
• Provide high-quality customer service and technology that customers can’t help but talk about. 

If you have more questions about marketing your laundromat and connecting with customers, the laundry experts at Huebsch can help.