Locksmithing has been a viable career choice for hundreds of years. At any point in history when locks have been in existence, experts have been needed to get at those locks on behalf of those who haven’t been able to do it.
What’s changed over the years is the way locksmiths ply their trade. That’s largely because of changes in technology. That includes the way that locksmiths generate enough business to feed their families.
The reality is locksmithing has become a very competitive industry. In order to compete for business in any community, professional locksmiths have to be willing to turn to digital marketing campaigns as a means of getting exposure. That includes having the willingness to create a viable website and make effective and efficient use of social media.
Reasons Why Locksmiths Should Rely on Digital Marketing
There are several very good reasons why locksmiths should be using digital marketing efforts to maintain and grow their businesses. No reason is more obvious than the fact that prospective customers use social media and the internet in growing numbers to secure goods and services.
Here’s another reality. If a locksmith is unwilling to use digital marketing options, they will, in fact, be putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage. We know that because we just stated above that social media and the internet are exactly where prospective customers are going when they need a locksmith.
Finally, most locksmiths are running small shops. The staff might include nothing more than themselves or perhaps a partner or two with a small handful of employees. When running a small business, a locksmith entrepreneur will have very little time to market the business. By turning to a digital marketing campaign, they can let the internet create exposure while the staff is out serving the needs of customers. Focusing on good customer service is the right thing to do if a business is interested in creating a loyal customer base.
How a Digital Marketing Campaign Can Make a Difference
After pushing the point that locksmiths need to use the internet and digital marketing campaigns to generate new business, it makes sense to discuss how such efforts can make a difference. With that in mind, here are four ways that a digital marketing campaign can help create business for a professional locksmith.
1. Targeting Local Marketing Efforts
People in San Francisco aren’t looking for a locksmith in Los Angeles. That’s why locksmiths need to gear their digital marketing campaigns to their local communities. To do that, SEO needs to be heavily slanted to the city and even the neighborhoods in question. Local targeting can be done with a focus on search page results (SERPs) for a “locksmith near me”, e.g. car locksmith near me.
2. Create an Easy-to-Use Website
A majority of the time someone needs a locksmith, they find themselves in a difficult situation. What they need is easy and immediate access to a locksmith that’s readily available and can get to them in a hurry. With a website that is easy to find and navigate, customers are more likely to jump and make the call for help.
3. Get Listed With Google’s “Google My Business”
Google maintains a directory of businesses by area and industry. If your business has a website with any viable SEO, your business is probably listed in the “Google My Business” directory. With that said, the included information might be minimal, which will result in your business getting a low listing. You do have the ability to locate your listing and add information. That will help drive your listing toward the top.
4. Securing Testimonials and Reviews
There is a concept called “social proof.” The concept relates to the idea that customers can help you create a social standing within the locksmithing community simply by adding reviews and testimonials to social media sites and business rating websites. You should never leave a customer without suggesting to go to the internet and review your company if they liked the service you provided.
Reminder: Don’t forget to use relevant locksmith keywords when focusing on SEO.