Many home services business owners' close shops during the annual holiday slowdown. Few people seek out home services like construction projects or schedule electrical work around the holidays. Here is where I am going to advocate that instead of closing or tightening your ad budgets you celebrate the season in your community and with your staff. Make it joyful and fun and you will reap reward
You might be surprised to learn that this time of year offers many unique holiday marketing opportunities for home services businesses. All it takes is a little creativity and holiday spirit. Not sure where to start? Here are 16 marketing ideas to help you get the most out of the holiday season.
- Leverage your offseason slowdown
Consider the authentic approach. Customers are more likely to empathize with an honest disclosure that business is slow over the holidays. Here are a few compelling ways you can connect with prospects during your offseason:
Offer a unique bonus for customers who contract with you over the holidays, like a gift card to a local store they can use for holiday shopping. You can also keep it simple and offer a percent off sale.
Team up with another home services business to offer a holiday bundle deal. This win-win approach will help you both through the slow season while creating a valuable partnership that you can leverage for referrals in the future.
Give something back to the community. Take a paid day off with your employees to volunteer at a soup kitchen, clothing drive, or other charitable efforts in your community. This effort will generate goodwill among potential customers while helping out those in need.
- Target repeat customers
Use your customer data to create tailored marketing messages for previous clients. For example, you could offer a “holiday discount” based on the price they spent on their last service. Customize your emails to include exclusive discounts using dynamic content. Explain that you want to reward your loyal customers with a one-time-only deal that’s just for them. This is where MarketingPro and its features will pay for themselves.
- “Buy” your customers’ holiday gifts for them this year
For this holiday marketing idea, position a discount on services as a gift with purchase. If a client spends $12,000 on a project, think about how much you could afford to give back to them in the form of a gift card.
Market the bonus as paying for the client’s holiday shopping: “We want to pay for your holiday gifts this year! When you contract for a specific project, you’ll earn a bonus gift card you can use to cover your holiday shopping — on us!” This is a great reward for your clients. Think of the electrical side of your business like helping to put up your holiday lights for $ dollars earns you a gift card.
- Offer an end-of-year special
Advertise a special discount for customers who book a service within a specified timeframe. You can offer specials like:
Discount on services booked by December 31
A bonus gift certificate to use toward a service next year
Book by December 31, choose from three bonus gifts (a discount, a service add-on, or a related product, for example)
- Offer a holiday season special offering
Put together a service offering that can help clients during the holiday season. A construction company could offer a holiday light installation package or specials on projects like installing heated driveways to melt snow and ice.
If you perform landscaping services, consider adding some winter-related services like snow and ice removal.
- End-of-year check-up
If your service menu includes a maintenance element, the end of the year is a great time to remind customers to schedule a check-up. Craft a social media post or email to stay top of mind with your customers.
Consider adding online booking to your website. Customers respond well to digital self-service options. It will save you time and eliminate the risk of playing phone tag.
- Send a holiday email
Send a holiday email thanking your customers for their past business. You can offer a discount or send a card as a goodwill gesture to help grow your customer relationships.
- Make a unique video
Take your customers behind the scenes by giving them a video tour of your office space or warehouse. You could also record a holiday message from your whole team or from your family to theirs.
Use your video in email marketing campaigns, social media posts, and as part of your web content.
- Host a holiday open house
Create an ad campaign to invite your clients and prospective clients to a holiday open house.
Add a virtual element by setting up a video camera and screen and inviting clients who can’t join you in person to join the party by hopping on a video chat to catch up and enjoy some holiday cheer.
Set up a few display easels with large photos of projects you’ve completed this year. You could also give each guest a goodie bag with a discount coupon and a few small gifts.
Have Santa there for the kids. Make it a family outing. Just think of the memories you can create and show your community you care about them.
Don’t forget to set up an event on Facebook and share the open house details on your social media platforms. Remember that social media can be your friend not all people use it to complain.
- Sponsor a community donation project
Participate in a toy, food, coat drive or he gift of heat for your community. Work with other local businesses to distribute barrels around town where people can drop off donations for a local charity. When you advertise your donation drive, be sure to include all the pertinent details:
Where people can donate
What people should donate
Where the donations will end up
Where people can donate money instead
Where people can send their nominations for the gift of heat
Behind the scenes, you’ll be forging essential relationships with other local businesses.
- Hold a social media contest
Have your followers compete for the title of “Best Ugly Christmas Sweater” or fill a stocking with small candies for a “guess how many” game. Be sure to choose enticing prizes!
- Tweak your logo for the holidays
Add some sparkly lights or holly to your regular logo and update your social media feeds and your website. Your festive logo will add a nice touch to mailers and email campaigns, too. To make it less commercial you can also remind people for the reason for the season with a tag line under your logo.
- Create gift certificates for volunteers
Partner with a local charity to offer gift certificates for volunteers performing services during the holidays. Most communities have organized efforts to serve a Thanksgiving meal, wrap presents for kids in the hospital, and conduct other philanthropic activities. A small gift certificate or discount coupon is a great way to support your community and build goodwill for your brand.
- Decorate your fleet
This is one of my favorites and makes it fun for your techs. Hold a contest for them for best looking holiday truck. If your company has a fleet of vehicles, dress them up for the holidays. Add reindeer antlers to the front of your trucks or print high-quality signs with holiday messages you can display in the back window.
- 12 days of Christmas
Think about this low-cost marketing idea as it costs you nothing but your imagination. Rev up your social media accounts and start counting down to the holidays or New Year’s. Offer a new, one-day-only discount or gift with purchase each day. Start small and build up anticipation for what the final day will bring. Offer something significant and exciting on the 12th day.
- Create a festive door hanger with a bonus
Put together a holiday-themed door hanger campaign that serves as an advertisement for your business. You could offer a list of holiday gift ideas, including a magnet or other branded swag, or suggest a few festive drink recipes.
Make the most of your holiday season slowdown. Don’t hibernate for the winter but be proactive and aggressive during this time. Your staff and community will reap the joy and benefits if you are.
Don’t be afraid to try more than one of our holiday marketing ideas for home services. This is the time of year for you to be creative and show your staff and the community that you care for them and their families.
