Advertising a Service Business | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Advertising a service business such as an accounting firm or a human resources outplacement company is different than formulating a marketing campaign for a product. Consumers can see and touch a product, be it a pair of sneakers or a bottle of shampoo. Not so with a service.

With a service business, there's more emphasis on trust. Prospects must want to trust you before they'll buy. When advertising a service business, consider the following:

Clearly demonstrate your experience to give customers a comfort level that what you offer is professional and valuable.
Maintain quality control so that your services are consistently good no matter which employee is providing them.
Ask satisfied customers to serve as references to help promote your service to others.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider a vertical strategy

If you sell your service to a particular vertical segment, consider advertising and marketing avenues that appeal to the particular niches or industries your company has targeted.

I recommend: BtoB, an online magazine for marketing strategists, offers a downloadable guide to vertical marketing. If you're a contractor looking to reach an audience of business or home buyer customers, check out EveryContractor.com, while real estate agents might consider advertising on RealEstateAgent.com to drum up business in their specific locale.

Take space in the online Yellow Pages

With more and more of your prospects and customers online, it pays to advertise in online Yellow Pages listings. Online listings go further than traditional listings in that they also provide maps and directions.

I recommend: Verizon SuperPages, YellowPages.com and Yahoo Yellow Pages are just a few of the venues you can choose from. WebSitePros is one of many companies offering services to help businesses design and place ads locally, statewide or nationally in the top online Yellow Page directories.

Launch an email newsletter and/or email marketing campaign

If you've managed to create an email list of customers and prospective clients, you might consider reaching out to them via that medium. Email is a relatively inexpensive and effective way to get your business' name out there, provided you can avoid being lumped in with all the spam clogging people's inboxes.

I recommend: Constant Contact offers a reasonably priced email marketing tool. Marketing Sherpa sells a $197 Buyer's Guide to Email Service Providers, which has detailed profiles of 64 vendors to help you select the best partner. The MarketingProfs blog discusses email marketing tips and trends, among other tactics. The SpamCon.org Foundation offers tips on conducting a spam-free email marketing campaign.

Master the art of online search or find someone who can help you

Internet search engines such as Google are fast becoming the tool for finding local businesses. As a result, you need to take steps to ensure your business comes up high in the rankings when a potential customer does an online search on your service category and particular geographic area — painting contractors in Philadelphia, for example.

I recommend: RegisterLocal can help you get listed in local business directories online. Microsoft's Submit-It tools, which start at $49, promise to help small businesses manage the search engine optimization process without having to hire a professional. To enlist professional help, consult the directory on SeoPros.org, a not-for-profit professional organization of search engine consultants.

Word-of-mouth-marketing

There is no better way to get people interested than having your service come highly recommended by others they respect and trust. Cultivate a high level of customer service and put a referral program in place that will encourage your clients to pass on the word.

I recommend: Consider joining a local business networking organization such as Business Network International to jump-start your referral program. Online communities like Judy's Book and Angie's List, both word-of-mouth, online networks for consumers, are another great avenue for service providers from local contractors to accountants to get the word out about their businesses. For more word-of-mouth ideas, visit the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Know who you're targeting. If you're a specialist, it's fairly straightforward to identify your audience. But even generalist service providers are aiming at specific groups — make sure you are advertising in those vehicles that speak to them.
Be sure your message plays up a key benefit of your service. Your advertising should differentiate your service or play up your niche — i.e, affordable landscape architectural services, for example, or an accounting firm specializing in helping musicians, artists, and writers.
Consider advertising and marketing an on-going process. Don't expect to run one ad or send out a single direct-mail campaign and get immediate results.
Don't overlook the value of word-of-mouth referrals. Ask customers and people you know to refer you and make sure to articulate what makes a good referral for your service business.

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