5 Easy Tips for Marketing Your Laundromat on a Budget in Category Store Marketing
Looking for big marketing results for your laundromat for little money? Here are a few marketing ideas for commercial laundry owners looking to market their business on a budget. For more ideas on ways you can better promote your laundry business, consult your Dexter Authorized Distributor.
- Purchase unused advertising space at deep discounts. Did you know that many newspapers and radio stations sell their unsold advertising space for deep discounts to last minute advertisers? Commonly known at radio stations’ as "Run of Station" and newspapers as "Run of Paper”, this means that the station or paper runs your ad whenever they have open space or time. On radio, that might mean very early in the morning or late at night. For newspapers, it might mean you don’t get to choose when your ad runs or the placement. When the publication is at deadline, rather than filling an empty space with filler copy, they can place your ad there for a bargain price. Also, look for identical ads appearing twice in a publication. Sometimes a magazine or newspaper will run an ad in a second spot for free if there’s an empty space at press time. Talk to your advertising representatives and see what discounts they can offer for when one of those empty spaces comes open. You might be able to save up to 50% or more by taking advantage of these last minute opportunities.
- Everyone does laundry, so give everyone your business card. Be sure to keep your business cards everywhere so you’re ready to hand them out anytime. Keep your cards in your wallet, organizer, briefcase, your car, your spouses’ car, in the office, home office, and by the front door. Hand them out generously. Stick them in your paid bills, give them to waitresses, taxi drivers, etc. Post your business card wherever you go...grocery store bulletin boards, apartment buildings, college campus boards, etc. You can even stuck them on peoples windshields. For best results put your contact information on one side of the card and a mini-advertisement or coupon for your laundromat on the other side. You never know what kind of opportunities might come of it!
- Advertise through your voice mail message. Make your phone message or voice mail says something about your commercial laundry business and the services you provide. When people call your laundromat during closed hours or busy times, this may be your only opportunity to tell them about your products or services. Take advantage of this chance to tell them about your business.
- Non-traditional advertising can yield extra ordinary results. Don’t limit your advertising to newspaper, yellow pages, TV and radio, especially when you’re on a budget. It takes a little bit of time, but be sure to check for some of the overlooked (and not to mention) cheaply priced bargain advertising opportunities in your area. Consider advertising in church, college and high school newspapers and yearbooks, online classified ad websites such as Craigs List, local entertainment and tourist magazines, bulletin boards and more. Also, if you’re a member of your chamber of commerce or other association, be sure to check out what advertising opportunities and/or mailing lists are available. Many of these opportunities are available for free or for a very small charge.
- Grow your business by giving back. Did you know that giving to your favorite charity can also be a great way to grow your business? Consider asking non-profit organizations and clubs in your area to advertise for your laundromat in exchange for raising money for them. In exchange, you could donate to the non-profit organization by giving them a cut of the business they bring into your store(s). For example, if they encourage individuals to come into your laundry on a particular day, you could donate 20% of your sales that day to their cause. They could then advertise to their members and to the community to get prospects into your store that day, which will increase their chances to get more money---which means more business for your laundry and a tax write-off! Ask your Dexter Authorized Distributor about how Dexter’s Easy Card System can help you create custom promotions including those for charitable organizations.