First They Follow, Then They Buy

Spotlight Your Business in Wash Weekly!

Instagram can be a game-changer for bringing new clients to your laundromat or laundry service. 

Don’t be misled by vanity metrics (follower counts, likes, views, etc.) All those things can be bought with a click of a button. Only one thing matters in this social laundry game.

CONVERSIONS! 

Everything else is just a dopamine hit. If your laundry business serves a local area in  West Chicago, Illinois what the hell does it matter if you have 1k followers from Florida? 

Unless you plan on using your laundromat to build up your social media following to become an influencer and sell other services then go for it. Otherwise you want– no need—local people and businesses connected to you on social media to convert into sales.

We’ve been using Instagram for nearly 10 years now (not as much as we used to, need to get back in the game. Slacking), and new clients are still finding us through there.

Gaining followers is just one piece of the puzzle. The real test is whether or not you can convert those followers into paying clients, so I want to share how we did it.

Posting Content

The idea of posting content can be overwhelming, especially with so much advice about what to post, when, and how often. Here’s what worked for us: 

Experiment to find what resonates. Test different types of content to see what engages your audience. Consider sharing:

• Point-of-view videos showing a walkthrough of the store, using the machines, using wash-and-fold services, etc.
• Bios of team members
• Video or pictures highlighting business partnerships and collaborations
• How-to videos giving cleaning tips
• Announcements and special events
• Client testimonials or Google Ratings
• Your story as a business owner

Stay consistent. Consistency is key to building a following and keeping your business top of mind. 

Batch content and schedule. Create content in batches and use Facebook Creator to schedule posts or a third party software for other platforms if you post on more than one.

Instagram Ads

Instagram ads are an awesome way to grow your audience by getting your business in front of people who aren’t following your account.

They’re easy to set up and manage, but here are a few tips to maximize your success:

• Limit your target audience to your geographic area.
• Choose an age range that aligns with your current client base.
• Create an engaging ad that’ll make them stop scrolling.

Please make sure you take note of the first point. I can’t tell you how many times I go on Instagram or Facebook and see an ad from a laundry company in the mid west or west coast. That’s just a waste of ad dollars.

Hiring a Content Creator

We hired a full-time content creator to help us take pictures and create video content, but you don’t need a full-time hire to be successful on Instagram. You could also:

• Hire someone part-time.
• Use an independent contractor a few hours/week.
• Ask a current employee if they’re interested in creating content for additional hours.
• Using AI to generate images and content for you

Thinking about, the thinking of laundry:
Why is your laundry business posting on social?
Is it working?

Contests and Giveaways

We ran contests and giveaways featuring promotions and discount coupon codes that clients could redeem in store.

This also allowed us to track the performance of our Instagram account.

Collaborations

Lastly, we collaborated with other Instagram accounts to promote each other’s content. This helped us expand our reach and attract new clients. Think about businesses in your area that attract a similar clientele such as:

• Local residents who are active on social
• Barber shops and beauty salons
• Bakeries
• Grocery stores
• Supermarkets
• Delis
• Fashion
• Retail
• Vintage stores and thrift shops

All of these strategies helped us grow our Instagram following and convert them to clients. Give them a try to see which ones work for you.

That's all I got for you today.
Waleed
🏴‍☠️ ✌️

p.s. Stay connected on Linkedin and YouTube for more thoughts and strategies!

Echoing the wisdom of Neil Patel

People aren’t signing up to your list because they like you. They’re signing up because they believe you can help them with their problem.

Thanks for reading this edition of Wash Weekly. I hope you enjoyed the topic this week.