{"id":12112,"date":"2022-09-22T08:43:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T13:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/?p=12112"},"modified":"2022-09-22T08:43:01","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T13:43:01","slug":"join-the-conversation-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/join-the-conversation-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Join the Conversation, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Build Your Laundry\u2019s Brand Through Social Media Marketing<\/h2>\n

[This is the second of a two-part feature on how laundromat owners can use social media to market their businesses and build their brands. You can read Part 1 here<\/a>.]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Long-time laundromat owner Patti Fielding, who operates Embassy Laundromat in Lowell, Mass., mainly has focused on Facebook as her social media platform of choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cFacebook is great because, if customers respond to my posts, their friends will see who they\u2019re engaging with,\u201d Fielding said. \u201cEven if they aren\u2019t necessarily considering promoting my laundry through \u2018word of mouth\u2019 advertising, they still are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fielding, who manages her business\u2019 social media marketing program, had ample personal experience when getting started to feel comfortable using social platforms to get the word out about her laundromat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also learned a lot online from other businesses, as far as what they do to increase awareness and encourage their customers to engage with their content,\u201d she explained, adding that she typically spends about two hours per week creating and overseeing her store\u2019s social accounts.<\/p>\n

Fielding noted the types of content that seem to work best and receive the most engagement for her laundry business occur when customers win something of value at her store or when they are asked to respond to a specific question.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf all you do is post content, without getting your customers involved, you might get a \u2018like,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut, when you ask for input, it enables and encourages others to get involved. Also, videos seem to spur activity as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter all, social media is just that \u2013 social. If people merely want to read something, they\u2019ll go to your website, but many people find value in being part of some kind of community, which is why there are so many social media groups. In general, people enjoy \u2013 and thrive off of \u2013 communicating with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fielding recommends that laundromat owners who are looking to boost engagement hold some sort of online contest, where they ask their customers to respond to their social media post, as well as share it on their own personal account pages.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, it\u2019s word of mouth advertising in the digital world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Be sure to document all of the fun and exciting events that occur at your laundromat, Fielding advised. She pointed to events at Embassy Laundromat where Santa Claus visited the store, as well as cross-promotions held in conjunction with other area businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, we get the most reaction when we give away as a prize or we get personal with our customers, such as asking for prayers and so on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

By far, the biggest mistake to avoid?<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t battle with someone on social media,\u201d Fielding warned. \u201cHow you treat people online is a reflection of who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social Media for Full-Service Profits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kent Wales, owner of Happy Laundry and Dry Cleaning in Spokane, Wash., utilizes Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to promote his operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, I think of the social platforms as a good form of brand advertising for our business,\u201d he said. \u201cTo be clear, we use them only for our commercial and residential pickup-and-delivery business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wales breaks down the strengths of the various platforms this way:<\/p>\n