There are many ways you can market your business and spread the word about what you offer to gain more customers. Some laundromat owners would hire a laundromat digital marketing agency like Spynr to implement strategies like SEO or email marketing. Others may consider hiring PR agencies to increase positive attention from the local press.
Wait, PR? How will public relations help with my laundromat? PR itself can be a good laundromat marketing strategy, it isn’t only for big corporations! Here are some reasons why you should focus on PR for your laundromat’s growth.
Why Focus on Laundromat PR?
The value of PR is different from advertising. Advertising focuses on selling goods and services, which would have the audience viewing them as such. As for PR activities, they are more informational and educational. When done right, PR is like news!
And when the messaging doesn’t look like a sales pitch, audiences will be more open to them. For instance, when you educate prospective customers on topics they are interested in, they are likely to connect with you and your business.
Let’s say you work with a local newspaper on a laundry-related topic, such as stain removal. The audience will learn about your business and hopefully avail of your services as they’ll see that nobody knows more about stain removal than you do.
The Starting Point of PR
Now, where do you start? Through press releases. They are like your business’ way of welcoming yourself into the community and sharing things they would like to know about.
If you haven’t opened your laundromat yet, then the grand opening is a perfect topic for a press release, which offers opportunities to be picked up by the media. If you plan to make a press release for your grand opening, make sure it answers the five W’s (who, what, when, where, and why), and more news value to garner interest.
Focus on adding features like how your laundromat offers mobile payment, large equipment capacity, fast cycles, rewards programs, and other promos or amenities. Also, cite special activities you have planned during your opening, such as giveaways, food trucks, or live music. This can help you build a strong case and prove that your grand opening is worth sharing.
This goes the same for future press releases you plan on sharing with the press. Make sure that whatever you have to share about your laundromat is newsworthy!
More Ways to Improve Your PR
Other than press releases, there are other ways you can exert more effort into your laundromat’s PR, such as:
- Stay updated with current events and localize relevant national stories
- Give back to the community through donating or creating events, which can become great content for press releases before and after events
- Stage unique events to bring more publicity and media coverage to your business
- Build and maintain solid relationships with local media
Wrapping It Up
What are you waiting for? Look into doing PR activities for your laundromat now!