As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, demand for cleaning services is on the rise as thousands of retailers and restaurant operators seek to disinfect their spaces and hope to put customer fears at ease.

In fact, the cleaning industry is experiencing above-average growth of 10% in the U.S alone – is your business ready to capitalize on this trend and build up a strong client base?

After all, your cleaning service is the last line of defense between a struggling business and COVID-19 related losses. As long as you market your services right, and assure your clients that you can help them ensure cleanliness and hygiene at their workspaces, you can undoubtedly benefit from these developments.

Here are a few ways to do just that:

Keep Up To Date With CDC's Recommended Disinfecting Procedures

Battling the deadly coronavirus requires you to use the best quality tools – from alcohol-based disinfectants to high-powered ultraviolet lights.

As such, your service should strictly adhere to CDC recommended procedures, as well as EPA-registered disinfectants to kill bacteria. Many clients will refer to you for expert advice on clean up and disinfection – so stock up on supplies and stay up to date on ever-changing cleaning protocols and safety requirements.

Moreover, you should also follow OSHA standards that detail how to disinfect and dispose of infected materials as biohazard waste. Provide your cleanup technicians with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and full-face respirator masks to wear at all times.

Be transparent on how you go about cleaning their premises: this can help to ease their concerns and reassure them that they can rely on your services to keep them safe.

Promote Your Cleaning Service Online

Your best bet at promoting your cleaning service is to market your services online through social media. After all, 55% of U.S. adults get their news from sites like Facebook and Twitter, so take advantage of these free platforms to boost your business.

Restaurants and other public spaces are looking for a disinfection service that is quick and efficient.

So, post content that helps people understand your service and how you can help them reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus.

Create a list of your target markets: What geographic areas can you best serve? What kinds of buildings and facilities – retail shops, restaurants, corporate offices - are you looking to target? Determine this ahead of time, so you can laser-focus your marketing efforts and save money.

Develop a marketing plan and produce materials you need to inform customers – and be seen by clients who need your help. Carefully consider your competitive differentiators and your target market.

Use posters and flyers to get your local promotions running.

Use our disinfection services poster templates to create promotional content for your cleaning service. We also have a category dedicated to the COVID-19 crisis. Use these templates to create laser focused ads for your COVID-19 marketing plan.

Don't forget to include the pricing and contact info on your posters and flyers so people can easily order your services.

Proactive Outreach To Build Your Client Base

Talk to other businesses in your area and neighboring districts, and reach out to them offering your cleaning services. Convince them on why you're an expert in the field – and why they need you.

Traditional marketing methods, such as distributing flyers to promote your services, will work very well when reaching out to your local prospects.

Collaborate with your local chamber of commerce and offer online awareness webinars regarding sanitation and how to maintain it.

Customers and prospects can access your webinars from the safety and comfort of their homes. Be sure to suggest your services throughout the webinar. Spread the word!

You can also offer a Q&A session to answer common questions people might have regarding cleanliness and safety protocol. Get in front of customers by using paid ads on Google Search and Maps, so you're the first result they see when they're searching for cleaning and sanitation services in their locality.

Also, take the time to craft persuasive emails that will capture your prospects' attention and encourage them to take you on as partners in a fight against coronavirus. You likely have an email list that you can use to reach out to existing customers.

When they sign up for your emails, you know that customers trust your business and want to receive service information.

While there are several resources with tips on crafting a convincing email, email marketing services like Constant Contact can help you create a successful email marketing campaign.

Update Your Online Profiles

Your website is the best possible way to let your prospective and current customers know how you are dealing with the COVID-19 situation and serving them during these difficult times.

Updating your website can help you rank well in search results and beat your competitors.

Blog frequently to set yourself apart as an authority figure in the industry, and include detailed information as well as visuals on how people can avoid getting sick by ensuring cleanliness. Cover all topics that help people understand how your service works.

From content on how to wash your hands to information on disinfecting and wiping down surfaces in the home, your content provides your website visitors with value.

For example, many people wear gloves to protect themselves from contacting infected surfaces. However, they fail to apply adequate safety protocols in taking them off and disposing of them. Consequently, this CDC poster on how to remove gloves does the trick!

Share this content on your social media and other online outlets. You can also refer to the CDC website within your blogs to build credibility.

Promote Your Service Through Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

72% of people get news from friends and family, which makes word-of-mouth the most popular channel for sharing positive experiences.

Therefore, if you can master what marketers identify as the most valuable form of marketing, you can earn your clients' trust as well as drive sales for your company.

As such, you should ask your clients to refer your business to others. Encourage them to do so when they're most excited about the work you do – that is when the job is complete, and they are inspecting your work. Moreover, you should also carry business cards that you can easily share to help make the referral process easier for all parties.

Take Advanced Pest Control, for example:

Owner Jim Sinkuc carefully researched EPA-approved cleaning chemicals and used expert directives to turn his fogging machines into mass disinfection machines against the coronavirus. Promoting the service to his existing clients not only helped ease customers' concerns but also boosted his business through word of mouth alone.

Since then, he's doubled his staff and hired new workers to help him operate his disinfection machines.

In Conclusion

Spread awareness about your cleaning business and service, and remember to take proper precautions for your customers and your employees.

With a variety of tools at your disposal, there are endless ways to connect users and help them understand how your service can help them combat the virus.

Your online marketing initiatives campaign can boost your revenue and generate better ROI for your cleaning service, especially when you channel the right resources to help you do the job.

Let's get started!