In fact, the laundry industry as a whole is currently in a period of self-discovery. But change isn’t a bad thing! You have been given a golden ticket, an opportunity to dig deep and decide who you as a business are – and who you will become.

That golden ticket? Your online audience. Here’s how to make the best of it:

1. Identify your Target Audience

You have to begin thinking of marketing as a big game hunt: No successful hunter is going to just waltz into the woods with zero preparation and expect to bag a trophy elk.

First they identify their target, “what am I hunting?”

Then they uncover what drives them, mating habits, diet, migration patterns.

Only after they have all of the information will a hunter take that knowledge and begin the chase.

You are the hunter (metaphorically speaking, of course).

So lets begin.

The first step in the process is to select your target. So answer the question, “Who are my key customers?”

If you collect demographic data this would be a good time to pull that out and take a gander at your “ideal customer”. If you aren’t collecting demographic data, start.

Use what data you do have to start creating accurate Buyer Personas. When you get them right, these personas will help guide every decision throughout the rest of the process.

Are you located in a suburban area or next to a housing development? Perhaps your key customers are parents with small children in the local area who don’t have access to a washer and dryer at home – or who do high volume loads.

Are you near a college or university? Perhaps your key customers are students who would prefer to use your facilities instead of the mildew infested dorm laundry.

The list can go on and on.

Each one of these buyer personas has distinct motivations which drive their purchasing behavior – and there are more than the few ideas I’ve listed here. If you can anticipate those motivations, you can capitalize on their need.

2. Establish your Value

Your average customer begins their search for most services online. As soon as they begin searching they are bombarded by hundreds of options all competing for their business and ultimately their loyalty.

How is it that anyone can stand out? It’s simple:

Find the one thing you are good at and do it extremely well.

The entire success of your business hinges upon your ability to provide value to your customers. With so many options why should they choose you? That is the story you are trying to tell with your laundry marketing campaign.

You can offer pickup and delivery for hardworking professionals. You can create a study corner to help students get out of the dank cold laundry room on campus. You could even create an area for children for the stressed out parents in your community.

These are just a few examples. It’s up to you to take the concepts and apply them to your situation in a way that’s marketable and approachable.

3. Choose your Weapon

At this point you have established your target audience by building your ideal buyer persona. You’ve taken that information and have established your businesses value to your customers.

Now it’s time to put the pieces together.

There are multiple ways to initiate a marketing campaign, which we will cover in another post soon. For now, I want to motivate you to start moving in the right direction instead of stalling out.

We’ve already discussed how most customers begin their search online – so the most logical place to begin an inbound lead campaign is on your website by creating landing pages.

If you have not created a Facebook and Instagram page for your business you need to seriously consider it.

Start implementing ways to create a captive audience.

The next step in the process? Share content.

All of those great ideas we discussed? Time to take pictures and say a blurb about what you are doing to set yourself apart from your competitors.

Those customers who you see every week? Ask if they would write you a review or tell you why they choose to do business at your location.

Above all else, look for ways to leverage your established brand and get it in front of more people. That process starts with understanding your audience and how they find information, which is why most of the advice in this post is geared toward helping you understand the process instead of giving a concrete plan of action. Start with this advice, and you’ll be a step ahead when it comes to implementing your ideas.