Five Digital Media “Musts”

1. Five Digital Media “Musts” Michael Sokolowski Executive Vice President Coin Laundry Association www.coinlaundry.org www.planetlaundry.com michael@coinlaundry.org

2. Five Digital Media “Musts” • Don’t have any digital media presence? Here’s where to start • Good news about using digital media to promote your business • Most options are low-cost or no-cost • Digital media works! • Here’s a list of first steps you can take to get started…now!

3. 1. Claim Your Listing on Google

4. Claim Your Listing on Google • More of the core laundry customers use smartphones • A series of surveys found that iPhone purchases grew fastest among people with annual household incomes between $25,000 and $50,000. • The growth rate in this group was 48 percent, compared with just 16 percent among people with incomes above $100,000. • Think about how a new customer is likely to use their phone to locate a business or service they need

5. Claim Your Listing on Google • Google is the largest search engine in the world and the 2nd busiest website overall • 72% of all web searches happen through Google

6. Claim Your Listing on Google To come up on the maps that accompany search results It’s FREE! “Claim” your business via Google:google.com/local/add/businessCenter Optimize your listing and beat your competition. • Create your business profile. • The more information you list, the more likely you’ll be found. • Save it. • Copy/paste this profile information to Yelp and Merchant Circle.

7. 2. Get a Website

8. Get a Website • 82% of laundry owners don’t have a website or don’t advertise their website. • 77% of all customers research online first! • Key component of digital media program

9. Get a Website CLA builds and hosts a free laundry website for each store owner through LaundryWeb Network • A FREE 4-page website • Website Design: 3 laundry templates • Upload your info in an easy-to-use online form • Each site includes • Store Address • Hours of operation • Map on every page • Photos • Contact Us • Services Listing Fully customizable for text content, sidebar information and SEO.

10. 3. Search Engine Optimization

11. Search Engine Optimization • is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search enginesresults. • In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users.

12. Search Engine Optimization • A website does little good if our potential customers aren’t finding it when they are searching for laundry services

13. Search Engine Optimization CLA’s LaundryWeb Network Also Provides help with SEO • Clean website code for enhanced SEO performance • Plugin installation for individual SEO page customization • Location listing • Google map • Hours of operation Guidance Tutorials Search Engine Optimization • Wordpress how-to use and administer their website • Google Analytics • SEO • Domain purchase and forward

14. 4. Embrace Social Media

15. Embrace Social Media • Establish a presence on the major social media venues and update regularly • Word-of-Mouth has moved! • Today’s consumer has control • Peer recommendations drive buying decisions today

16. Embrace Social Media • Facebook • Facebook boasts more than 600 million active users; 50% of whom use the page on a daily basis. • Twitter • Answer the question, “what are you doing now?” Fastest growing social network with more than 200 million users • Foursquare • Foursquare allows users to “check in” via a smartphone app or SMS. Users share their location with the public while collecting points and virtual badges.

17. Embrace Social Media-Facebook • Where do I Start? • Create a Facebook page. • Do NOT create a personal profile (one with email address). • Profiles = people. • Pages = businesses. • Check for existing Facebook Places page for your business. Claim that instead. • Why should I market my business on Facebook? • Your customers are here. • Competitors might be already • Easy to create your page. • Easy to update your page. • Share all types of info in almost any format. • Helps with search engine placement. • Influence of Facebook Friends

18. Embrace Social Media-Twitter • What Good Would it do Me? • Twitter is used for • Customer service • Sharing immediate info • Gather real-time market feedback • Lead generation • Build relationships with customers • Marketing • Share coupons, discounts, special events

19. Embrace Social Media-Foursquare • How a Business Benefits from Foursquare • Benefit from customers check-ins • Attract new customers • Reward loyal ones • Offer Specials • Mobile coupons • Prizes or discounts • Shown to users when checking in at or near you How Your Customers Use Foursquare • Customers “check-in” where they’re at • This lets their friends know where they are. • Figure out where friends are. • Collect points, prize “badges” (all automatic) and coupons, for going about your everyday business.

20. Embrace Social Media-Foursquare

21. 5. E-mail Marketing

22. E-mail Marketing • Send regular, branded and formatted email communications to your customers • Your email list of customers and prospects may be the most valuable asset to your overall marketing plan • Balance useful information with your promotional message • Good content builds readership • Build your e-mail list

23. E-mail Marketing • Tips for your e-newsletters: • Keep it short and easy to scan • Design for the preview pane • Create a strong subject line • Select a reputable email marketing service • e.g. Constant Contact, Bronto, iContact

24. Now is the Time!

25. Now is the Time! • The basic dynamic of promoting all businesses has fundamentally and forever changed • Aggressive promotion of laundries has lagged most other businesses • We must adapt to these new realities or risk declining profitability • Embrace the new age of marketing and prosper!