By David Crary
Every field service business owner is looking for ways to get their name out into the community. Whether you own a snow plowing business, a landscaping business, or computer repair business, people can’t call you for a service if they don’t know you exist, right? And can you afford to post billboards all over town trying to get these potential customers’ attention? I have found one tool that has proven to bring in prospective customers year after year, and I am going to share it with you here.
Bumper stickers. You want people to hear about your business and give you a call? Invest in bumper stickers. Think of all those times you have been stuck in traffic, staring at the car in front of you. Don’t you read their bumper stickers because they catch your eye – or more realistically out of sheer boredom? Who cares why someone reads it, the point is they read it, and now your name and business are on their mind. No, they probably won’t call you the minute they see your sticker, but at least you have left some sort of impression on potential customers you may never have reached otherwise.
Cheap. Bumper stickers are some of the cheapest advertising you can buy…in a good way! A typical bumper sticker will run you maybe a couple bucks at most, and when you buy in bulk from a distributor or printing company, they will more than likely give you a discount. They are much more cost efficient because you can hand out many, instead of investing in one big billboard that doesn’t move.
Simple. Bumper stickers are easy advertising. You can place them on yours’ and your employees’ personal vehicles, as well as leave them in your office for customers to grab when they come to visit. For first time customers, provide them with a thank you letter and a bumper sticker. For the holidays, thank your customers for their service and loyalty to your company and stick a bumper sticker in with the card. They are easy to distribute and don’t take a lot of effort on your customer’s side to support you.
Easy to See. The nice thing about bumper stickers is that they travel, and their usual travel spots are within the perimeter of your business. If you are creative or have a catchy enough slogan, people will recognize your business. Plus, if you can get enough loyal customers to sport your bumper sticker on their vehicles, you can start to make a name for yourself as a business a lot of people in the area use.
People drive every day. I bet you cannot go one day without seeing a bumper sticker. Whether the car is parked outside for neighbors to see, stuck in traffic for fellow commuters to read, or parked at a restaurant where the community passes by, cars, and more importantly bumper stickers, are seen every day.
Marketing to potential customers can be a headache for many small field service businesses. They aren’t large enough to have their own marketing department and they don’t feel they have the knowledge to properly advertise themselves to their community. Bumper stickers are a simple, yet effective way to get your business’s name out there without a huge cost to the company.