I own a small mobile detailing business that has grown considerably these past few years with no advertising besides my website, Instagram, and trailer with my logo. My target customers are high-income people who are too busy to drop their car off to get detailed. I offer monthly detailing to a few of these people already but want to expand it.
There are two neighborhoods I have in mind that I have done work in before that I think would have my target clients. $1.5M+ houses with multiple nice cars each. How would I go about trying to get more customers in only these specific neighborhoods? No door-knocking. I don’t necessarily want to sell myself to them but more get my name out to them so they know that this type of service is offered in their neighborhood already. Customers tell me what a good idea it is to have me keep their car cleaned every month and didn’t know a service like that existed before me.
What would be the most effective way to get my name to these people only? I have already asked for referrals from my current customers.
I’m the type of person you are marketing towards. I have had HORRIFIC luck with mobile detailers, even ones that cater to high end vehicles, and so has everyone I know in a similar situation. If I were in your shoes I would do the following
If it’s a major city there are semi-secret facebook groups for this group of people. A good review posted in one of these results in a ton of work. If you can somehow figure out how to access one via a customer, it would be an instant increase in your business. This group doesn’t like people begging for reviews - I would leave a flier with every customer that you are trying to increase business, if they are members of fb groups or word of mouth you will give them an x% discount for a review.
Also, please advertise that you use the two bucket method, grit guards, only use lambswool or premium MF, you use X brand drying towels. STRESS this. It’s been my biggest issue - I’ll ask them to do two bucket method, they do it once or twice, then if I’m not there they BLAST through the wash with one mitt barely rinsing it.
For “budget” services it’s almost always flat fee. For “premium” services you often pay hourly. For washing my nicer cars, I do not care if you take your time, I want it done correctly. I’m always leary of the $150 mobile detail because I know the guy is trying to knock out my cars and move on.
Third thing, look into facebook ads. I don’t use instagram or tik tok or whatever trending thing. If you’re going to market to me, it has to be via facebook, linkedin, nextdoor. Door knocking won’t work, and ads taped to my mailbox will never be returned. I personally like see service providers who have youtube channels. It gives great insight into the type of work they do. Maybe make a video on how to do a high end DIY wash. Make the video short but with lots of info - prefer slightly warm water, not too hot or it can take off any coatings, etc etc etc.
Last, let’s say it’s two neighborhoods, 200 houses each. You could send out 400 mailers. It would cost you $200 to blindly mail a postcard to every single home. Be REALLY smart about the design of the postcard, stressing attention to detail, stress that you don’t even do budget washes period. ZERO typos, zero extra info, be direct, classy, look at how higher end limo and armed guard services market. There aren’t cartoon character or whatever. Have a QR code to scan for your website that explains your wash process in detail (I know QR codes are “dangerous” but us borderline boomers don’t know that yet). Again, go to great lengths about two buckets, grit cards, rinsing mitt after every pass, drying towels are properly washed/dried then sealed in tupperware crates so they don’t get dusty.