The email marketing crash course for home services providers

Are you looking for a proven way to ramp up marketing for your home services business? You’ve come to the right place.

Email marketing is a reliable choice for home service providers. While it can seem a little daunting on the front end, it’s actually easy to launch a basic email marketing plan. In fact, you could do it yourself—even starting today, if you want. You just need some foundational information to get going.

In this article, we’ll explain what email marketing is, who you can send marketing emails to, and a 6-step plan for getting started right away.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is any email-based messaging that aims to promote your business and build relationships with potential and current clients. It’s intended to help people connect with your company.

The goal is to keep them up to date on new developments, current promotions, and other things going on with your business. All of that ultimately helps create new opportunities for you—and new profit.

While good email marketing can be one of the most effective modes of driving revenue, it’s important to go about it the right way.

Email campaigns should never be spammy or pushy. People will remember these negative feelings when making consumer choices. But email campaigns should encourage folks to buy your services.

It’s a balancing act. Keep reading to learn how to pull it off.

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Who to send emails to

You should send emails to both existing and prospective clients. The goal is to build loyalty and drive revenue from current clients while introducing your brand to potential new clients.

You can do both at once, but you can also optimize your email campaigns for these groups separately.

You could, for example, promote a sale on kitchen remodels to current clients while offering bathroom renovation tips to prospective clients to build trust. It’s all about knowing what the homeowners you work with will find valuable.

How to get started

Unsure of how to get an email marketing campaign started? It’s not as hard as it might sound.

Here are 6 strategies you can use to create a highly effective email marketing campaign right away.

1. Plan your content

Planning your content is the critical first step. The most effective campaigns are well-planned.

That means several things.

• You use the same cadence when sending messages. For example, don’t send 4 messages the same week and then nothing for a month. Instead, spread those 4 messages over 4 weeks, sending one per week.
• Send messages that are organized and structured. Plan your messages in advance. Know what you plan to say in your next several messages before you send the first one.
• Send messages at the optimal time. There are tools that can pick the best time for you. If you’re just starting out and don’t want to pay for a tool, studies show that emails sent on Saturday at midnight perform surprisingly well.
• Think about timing and messaging from the homeowner’s perspective. For example, don’t send marketing emails for massive home improvement projects during the last week of December. Your customers and prospects aren’t likely to start planning renovations that week.

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2. Slowly increase your urgency

Strategically increasing urgency is a tactic used by many email marketers.

For example, if you have a special offer you’d like to announce, you can begin promoting it before the offer actually starts.

1. Begin with emails that include nothing but tips and informative content. Initially, homeowners won’t see any urgency in those messages. But those emails will you build trust.
2. Follow those initial emails with an announcement of the promotion. Provide details and encourage folks to take you up on the limited-time offer.
3. Finally, focus on the fact that the promotion is ending. Send “last call” emails that aren’t pushy but are candid about the end of the promotion.

3. Incentivize homeowners to sign up for your emails

Your email marketing can only be successful if there are people to send emails to. Luckily, increasing the number of homeowners on your email list is easier than you might think.

When folks visit your website, ask them to join your email list. To give them a little encouragement to sign up, consider offering a small incentive.

The incentive should have legitimate value, but it doesn’t need to be massive to attract more people. It could be as simple as entering them in a drawing for a modest discount on future services. Or give them access to a free downloadable resource, like a tutorial for a small DIY project.

4. Send short emails

Data shows that the highest-performing emails are short. Very short.

Email messages that are 50 to 125 words perform noticeably better than longer emails. That’s only enough space for 2-3 relatively short paragraphs.

How do you pull that off?

Keep your emails concise and to the point. For example, this section of this article is 71 words long. Try to match the tone, clarity and direct approach we’ve taken here.

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5. Offer valuable content

A great way to distinguish yourself from other home services providers is to offer truly valuable content.

Too many email campaigns focus exclusively on closing new business. That makes emails feel pushy, which can be off-putting. Instead of focusing exclusively on what you want, think about what homeowners in your area want.

Try to find a balance between being growing your business and providing genuine value to potential customers.

For example, if the cold season is coming up, include two or three quick ideas for winterizing their homes. Toward the end of the email, you can also mention related services you offer.

By leading with value, you’ve given them a real reason to pay attention to your emails. And you’re building trust. That makes it more likely that they’ll be receptive to your sales pitch at the end.

6. Create good looking emails

Customers respond best to emails that look professional and well put together.

If you don’t have a graphic design background, that’s okay. There are user-friendly websites out there (like Canva or Desygner) you can use to create professional-looking emails, newsletters and flyers.

You can also take advantage of automated email marketing services, like Mailchimp.

Wrapping up

Home service providers have access to a massive market of homeowners. To reach out and make the best impression, simply follow these tips.

In no time, you’ll have an effective email marketing strategy. And you’ll be growing your pool of clients before you know it.

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