The key to being successful and earn handsome revenues as a locksmith lies in smart marketing and advertising. Advertising is what will make your prospective clients aware of your presence and bring in job offers.
Whether it is rekeying or replacement of lost keys, changing of locks, repair for safes or setting up a new security system for one’s home, people require the services of locksmith almost perennially.
Here are the 12 essential commandments every locksmith should pay heed to, to be able to market their business right:
- Choose your advertising budget well - It is essential to choose the advertising avenues with great care, so that you do not go overboard and hurt your budget adversely. As a rule, the lower your marketing budget, the more creative and smart ways to advertise you will have to think of, to make the most of your budget, along with spending more time doing so.
- Free website vs your own domain - The idea of free websites may work fine for a while, but they take a long time to update and then the company hosting them can remove them from internet at any point of time. It is safer and wiser to build a website using your domain name – even if it seems like an expensive choice at first – as you will be investing in building an online business for your own branding.
- Blogging - Hugely recommended, as a blog is practically free and brings in organic traffic all the time. Dedicating some time to writing content every day is a practice that will bring steady revenues over time.
- Use Google AdWords - Locksmith business ads have been observed to have a high penetration rate via pay-per-click advertising, since services are urgent at most times.
- Flyers distribution - While most people may simply throw ad flyers and the retention rate is as poor as 1 job in 700, these are very cheap and a few thousand may cost you less than USD 100.
- Direct ads to mailboxes - Promotional letters or smartly designed magnets / keychains can be delivered directly into people’s mailboxes - - in the areas that can be serviced by you.
- Business cards - The most basic yet effective step, since distributing your cards to prospective clients can be serve as a great reminder in times of locksmithing emergencies.
- Referral discounts - This is the oldest promotion method in history, yet very fruitful as well. Offering a special discount for customers who recommended you to a friend or family member would be a great idea, since there is no advertising cost, and it brings good revenues.
- Marketing via hardware stores - Visiting all the hardware and key-cutting stores in your area and entering a two-way referral marketing deal with them is a great idea, as it is free of cost and mutually beneficial.
- Stickers on walls and stairwells - Printing relevant information on attractive-looking posters and sticking them in public places will yield good results in terms of revenues.
- Magnets on doors - Distributing magnets with relevant information in areas you intend to service is a cost-effective promotion method.
- Telemarketing/ Bulk SMSs - The oldest advertising method in the book, but these do work owing to their direct approach and high retention.
