How To Grow Laundry Delivery Customers | 4 Tactics For Success

You’ve probably heard that marketing is the wave of the laundromat industry’s future.

But do you know why?

It’s true that marketing is an effective way to advertise and grow your laundry delivery business, but few owners know how to do it well. In fact, laundromats can increase their total revenue by 20 - 30% by adding delivery services—and you can maximize that output with a strategic approach to marketing.

In this article, we go beyond traditional advertising, shining a light on just how necessary marketing is and the top four marketing strategies proven to drive laundromat pickup and delivery revenue. Distilling this into your marketing will allow you to grow laundry delivery customers and get future people excited about what you have to offer. 

Managing a pickup and delivery service for your laundromat requires careful coordination and robust logistics to ensure timely and reliable service.

Understand your local market

Before building a strategic marketing plan, you need to define the potential customers in your local market. This will help you tailor your marketing efforts to ensure success. Ask yourself, which customers in my area would most benefit from my laundry delivery services? And, what problems do they have that I have the power to solve? Each pickup and delivery customer segment comes with its unique needs and preferences that can influence your marketing strategy.

• Hotels and hospitality: Hotels and bed-and-breakfasts often require frequent and reliable laundry services to maintain their stock of linens and uniforms. Partnering with these businesses can provide a steady stream of high-value, weekly bulk orders.

• Apartment complexes: Residents of apartment complexes appreciate the convenience of laundry pickup and delivery services, particularly in urban areas where in-unit washers and dryers are hard to come by. Even if apartment buildings have shared washers and dryers, many residents will prefer the convenience and time-savings they get from patronizing your laundry delivering business. Offering scheduled pickup and drop-off times, allows these customers to easily integrate your services into their busy lives.

• Large families: Families with children tend to drown in a never-ending cycle of laundry. Your pickup and delivery services can take a major daily chore off of their plates. Promoting laundry delivery to these households by providing discounts on large orders or family packages will put you on the right track.

• Working professionals: Time-strapped professionals, especially those working long hours or irregular shifts, value services that fit seamlessly into their busy schedules. Offering flexible pickup and delivery times, express services, or easy-to-use mobile booking can cater well to this demographic.

According to a survey by the Coin Laundry Association, laundry businesses that have integrated pickup and delivery services report an average increase in monthly revenue ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the scale of operations and local demand. Targeting the right customer groups will empower you to maximize the potential of your laundry pickup and delivery services. By researching the needs and roadblocks of your ideal customers, you can cater your marketing efforts and drive profitable revenue.

Top four marketing tactics to grow your laundry delivery business 

You may not know much about marketing and that’s ok. A powerful laundry delivering marketing program can be boiled down to four core strategies. With these actionable marketing best practices, you’ll be able to attract and retain customers, empowering you to grow your laundry business and solidify yourself as a community need. While the strategies are simple and straight forward, they do take a bit of commitment and leg work to implement, but with this easy, comprehensive guide, you’ll have the full blueprint for success.

1. Optimize your online presence

Even if you don’t fancy yourself a marketing whizz, you probably know how important it is to have a strong online presence nowadays. In fact, one in four shoppers won’t visit a brick and mortar store they can’t find online. So, if you don’t at least have a website, you’re automatically eliminating at least 25% of your potential customers. Here are the best actionable steps to make sure your laundry delivering business shows up well in online searches. 

Broaden your digital footprint

The first step to an effective marketing program is laying a solid foundation with your online presence. Here are the main things to do to ensure you always show up in Google searches:

• Mobile-friendly websites: The average website receives a whopping 313% more visits from mobile devices than desktop computers. With the growing reliance on mobile devices, it’s 100% essential that your website is optimized for mobile devices. This will increase your visibility and boost your search engine rankings (which makes it a whole lot easier for potential customers to find you first).

• Local SEO (search engine optimization): Make it easy for people in your area to find your laundromat online when they search for laundry services nearby. This involves adding specific terms to your website that people might use to search for a laundromat in your location, like "laundry services in [your city]." Also, set up a free profile for your laundromat on Google My Business, so your business shows up on Google Maps and local search results. 

• Reserve with Google Integration: Use 'Reserve with Google' so customers can book laundry pickups and deliveries directly from Google Search and Maps. This integration makes it Uber convenient for customers to use your services and increases your overall accessibility.

Marketing support for your online presence

It’s one thing to lay the groundwork for a high octane marketing plan, it’s another to set the wheels into motion. Here are some actionable marketing tactics you should use to grow your laundry delivery business:

• Content marketing: Develop and share useful content in the form of guides, blog posts, and flyers that addresses common customer questions about laundry care, special fabrics treatment, and tips for scheduling services. This positions your laundromat as a knowledgeable leader in the industry.

• Email marketing: Send regular newsletters with special offers, updates about new features or services, and tips for laundry care. Personalize these emails based on customer behavior and preferences to increase laundry delivery customers.

• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: Invest in PPC campaigns targeting local keywords related to laundry services. This can help drive more targeted traffic to your website, especially from people actively searching for laundry delivery services in your area.

• Social media ads and engagement: Run targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram to reach potential customers in your area. Engage with customers by responding to questions, sharing promotional content, and posting customer testimonials.

2. Promotional Offers and Loyalty Programs

Promotional offers and loyalty programs are an excellent way to create value for your customers and give yourself a competitive edge on neighboring laundry delivering businesses. It takes a deep understanding of your local market to integrate these effectively in your marketing plan.

Tailoring promotions to your target market

• Segment-specific offers: Design promotional offers that cater to the preferences and behaviors of distinct customer segments. Offer discounts on bulk washes for large families or provide express service options at a premium for busy professionals.

• Introductory offers: Attract new customers with introductory discounts or free trials. This can be especially effective for residents in newly developed apartment complexes or newly arrived members of the community.

• Seasonal promotions: Align your promotions with seasonal needs, such as offering discounts on heavy bedding washes during colder months or special rates for holiday seasons when families host guests.

Building a loyalty program

There are a few directions you can go when creating a loyalty program for your pickup and delivery services. Keep your business goals in mind when deciding which way to take it. Here are some popular examples of effective loyalty programs:

• Point-based rewards: Develop a point system where customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for free services or discounts. This encourages repeat business and builds valuable customer loyalty.

• Membership benefits: Offer a membership program with benefits like priority service, free delivery, or exclusive monthly deals. Memberships can create a sense of belonging and incentivize customers to use your services regularly.

• Referral bonuses: Encourage current customers to refer new clients by offering them a service credit for every successful referral. Increase your customer base and take advantage of word-of-mouth marketing while giving a discount to your loyal customers!

Marketing support for promotional offers and loyalty programs

Loyalty programs don’t just take off on their own. In order to maximize their impact, integrate these marketing strategies:

• Targeted email campaigns: Use email marketing to send personalized promotions and loyalty program updates to your customers. Segment your email list based on customer behaviors and preferences to ensure relevance.

• Social media promotions: Utilize social media platforms to broadcast your promotional offers and highlight the benefits of your loyalty programs. Engaging content such as customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes videos, and special offer announcements can enhance visibility and engagement.

• Online advertising: Build targeted ads on Google and Facebook to spread the word to potential customers who might be searching for laundry delivery services. Be sure to emphasize the value and benefits of your promotions and loyalty programs in your ad content.

• In-store displays and local advertising: For laundromats with physical locations, use in-store signage to promote your offers and loyalty programs. Consider local advertising in community newsletters or on local radio stations to reach a broader audience.

3. Community engagement and partnerships

Forging strong ties with your community and nurturing business partnerships are tested ways to expand your laundry delivery service's reach and endow your brand with unshakable staying power. Here are some great ways to build a network of relationships that support mutual business and community growth.

Local events and sponsorships

It takes effort and intention to build strategic partnerships. Here are a couple of great ways to get out there and starting doing it:

• Participation and sponsorship: Actively participate in or sponsor local events such as community fairs, school fundraisers, or sports events. This visibility can significantly raise your brand's profile and illustrate your commitment to the community, opening the door to lasting connections.

• Branding opportunities: Use these events to distribute branded materials like laundry bags, branded laundry goodie baskets, or discount coupons. This creates tangible reminders of your brand and services.

Strategic partnerships

Creating relationships with institutions that have already have a captive audience of future laundry delivery customers is a great way to secure a vast and constantly flowing customer base. Here are some excellent potential partners for your laundry delivery business:

• Apartment complexes: Partner with apartment complexes to offer exclusive laundry services to their residents. This could include setting up dedicated laundry pick-up and drop-off points or offering monthly flat-rate services tailored to residents' needs.

• Universities: If you’re situated near a college or university, collaborate with them to create laundry solutions for busy students, particularly those living in dorms. Offering semester-long packages or special student discounts can be an effective strategy.

• Business collaborations: Find out which local businesses may need help with their commercial laundry needs or offer employee benefits through your pickup and delivery services. These could be hospitality businesses like restaurants and hotels, which need regular linen and uniform cleaning.

Marketing and advertising to support community engagement and partnerships

Consider these actionable marketing tactics to help bolster your partnerships and community engagement:

• Content marketing: Share stories and updates about your community involvement and partnerships on your website and social media channels. Highlighting your community activities through short feature stories enhances your local credibility and brand loyalty.

• Event-driven marketing: Feature the events you sponsor in your marketing materials. Live social media updates, post-event highlights, and customer testimonials will help make sure your audience knows you’re showing up in and for their community. 

• Push marketing: Tap into traditional advertising methods like flyers, posters, and local newspaper ads to promote your events and partnerships. While digital is king, there are still demographics that respond well to print advertising. 

• Pull marketing: Create valuable content taht your target audience finds interesting and that reinforces your brand identity. This includes SEO-driven blog content about the benefits of professional laundry services, educational posts on garment care, and promotional videos. Don’t be afraid to let your brand shine in these materials! Funny, clever, and unique content is important to make your business stand out when the average American sees 10,000 ads per day.

4. Technological integration and customer convenience

American laundromats come from humble beginnings but this is one industry where tradition should be left in the dust. Even with the very best marketing plan, your business won’t measure up to the local laundromat competition if you ignore today’s customer expectations. Integrating technology into your laundry service can significantly enhance customer convenience and satisfaction. This way you can offer a more seamless experience for everyone. Here's how:

• Laundry delivery simplified: With Cents, you can expand your laundry services using sophisticated laundry pickup and delivery software. This platform provides you with advanced route management and access to a leading delivery network, offering your customers maximum flexibility. Give customers more options, grow your service range, and offer better delivery pricing.

• Elevated customer experience: Cents Pickup and Delivery platform makes it so customers can order exactly how they want through a custom online order page, whether via website, app, or directly through Google. The system saves preferences, notes, and details for every customer, enhancing personalized service. Automated notifications keep customers informed from pickup to return delivery, and loyalty points on every order foster customer retention and satisfaction.

• Ultimate fleet management: Manage your delivery fleet with unparalleled flexibility using the Cents mobile app designed for drivers. Customize delivery windows, services, and pricing based on service and delivery radius. The app's route optimization features allow your team to move, edit, or reschedule easily, supported by dashboards and reports that help improve route efficiency.

• Expand revenue streams: The Cents platform helps you reach new customers with online ordering and utilizes the Cents driver network for on-demand scheduling with no overhead. Direct orders from Google business listings and maps enhance visibility, allowing you to test new markets and manage laundry delivery service growth effectively through subscriptions and repeat orders.

• Cents Accelerate: Marketing is hard. And if not done right, it can be a money pit. Next-level marketing tools are integrated into the Cents platform to help build stronger relationships with your customers and drive more revenue. From a modern, SEO-optimized website that integrates with all Cents solutions to powerful email and SMS marketing tools, you have everything you need to attract, retain, and re-engage customers. Pre-designed automations and robust marketing reporting make it easy so you can focus on the important stuff: expertly serving your customers.

Conclusion

Growing your laundry delivery business in today’s competitive market takes more than just basics. You have to take a planned and strategic approach including both traditional and advanced marketing methods. You also have to make sure your service meets modern customer expectations. With the Cents Pickup & Delivery platform, you can significantly enhance your service offerings, streamline operations, and tap into new revenue streams. Don't get left behind—modernize your laundry business and maximize your market potential. Check out the Cents Pickup & Delivery platform today to see how it can transform your business.

Managing a pickup and delivery service for your laundromat requires careful coordination and robust logistics to ensure timely and reliable service.