6 Tips for Getting Painting Leads Through the Winter Months
Well, we’ve hit that time of year…
People are doing more online shopping for gifts, toys, and holiday specials than they are for painting services. Nearly across the board our painting clients are feeling that seasonal dip in leads. So, what can you do? Here’s a snapshot of a few successful strategies.
Idea #1: Offer a Strong Christmas/Holiday Special for Interior Work
Make it a strong call to action with an enticing discount for December work only. A number of our clients are offering as much as 20% off new contracts signed in December, and some even stipulate completing the work this month as well.Idea #2: Offer a Longer-Term “Winter Special”
Lower the discount just a bit, and extend it through, say, January or February. Book now, paint later (and SAVE). This is an enticing offer, especially for people who are too busy before Christmas to even think about painting. If you want to ramp up the call to action, announce how many spots are available at that special rate! “Just 5 spots left to fill…”Idea #3: Explain the WHY Behind the Special Pricing
Many of our clients rarely offer discounts of any kind, making this a perfect opportunity to share an explanation behind this unicorn savings. If you’re trying to keep your calendar full and your team busy, let clients/prospects know! Not in a needy way, but in a matter-of-fact, transparent manner. People appreciate this openness, and they’ll likely respond well to the reminder that you care for the team of employees that you’re responsible for.Idea #4: Get the Word Out!
The best discount in the world is worthless if nobody knows about it. Email campaigns to your existing client list, Google My Business Offers, Facebook offers (in addition to regular posts), website overlays that pop up for new visitors, and the list goes on. Here’s a custom Facebook banner we put together for a client. Clean, crisp, festive, and it gets the message across!
Idea #5: Share Photos of the Type of Work People Would Be Interested In Right Now
As an example, do you offer cabinet painting services? If you have room for a couple more projects, let folks know! Share photos on Facebook of the type of work you do, and announce that you can fit in 2 more projects before Christmas on a first come, first serve basis. Then, boost that post to your target audience(s). On Facebook and Instagram especially, half your job is to plant ideas in prospective clients’ minds. Let them have an emotional reaction! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen comments on client posts that say, “I NEED this in my house!” That’s what you want to see.Idea #6: Stay Consistent and PLAN AHEAD
Keep your posts flowing, share your photos and videos, and make sure your services and brand are top-of-mind. And remember, it pays to begin this type of planning well in advance for next year. See what works THIS season, take careful notes, and then roll out your strategy in September or October. Drawing on historical data will always help you make the best choices in a proactive fashion. If you’re reading this and don’t really have a plan, investing in marketing management services can be a real asset. Knowing your numbers, knowing your goals, and going into each season with a strategy is key, helping to smooth out the dips and valleys that come with seasonally-driven (or weather-dependent!) services. So, what’s working (or not working) for YOUR marketing this winter? Let us know below!
About David Chism
David Chism started his business out of a passion for helping small contracting businesses grow, be more profitable and become better known to their target clients. One lifelong hobby of David is using techie gadgets. So this blog is a place where he writes about technology, marketing ideas, just for fun (humor), personal thoughts on small business and more.
