Monday, March 21, 2011

Home Inspection Marketing, Get Linkedin!

Network Marketing is a great FREE way for anyone to grow their business!    For today, I'd like to discuss Linkedin.   Linkedin is used by many business professionals to promote and advertise their businesses.  It is also used to post job postings and actively search for potential employees and business associates.   So, how can this help home inspectors?

There are over 35 million people using Linkedin, not all in your service area granted, but nevertheless, that's an awful lot of people you can promote your business name to without paying a penny!    There are already many home inspectors on Linkedin, so if your competitors are using it, don't you think you should be, too?   There are tons of Realtors using Linkedin, and are they not one of the target audiences you try to reach with your home inspection marketing efforts?

There really is not a single downside that I can think of as to why a home inspector, or home inspection company, would not want to be part of this free networking community!

Setting up your profile is easy.   The setup is a step by step, very straight forward process.  By ensuring you use key phases like "home inspection", "building inspecting", "property inspector" and "home inspector" in your profile, and past places of work, you will improve how you rank in the searches.

You'll have an opportunity to draft a summary of what it is that makes your company or services special. Here's where you'll want to focus on the value you offer.   Talk about what you do differently from your competitors.

You will benefit by being able to put a direct link back to your website in your profile as well as a link to other network marketing sites you may use (facebook, twitter).  There will even be a place to tell other users how they can get in touch with you i.e. phone or email.

Then, to add even more marketing value to your new Linkedin account, you can do a search to see if some of your former clients are on Linkedin and, if they are, ask them to provide a Linkedin recommendation about your services.    This is like collecting testimonials for others that view your profile to see.

You can build your own list of connections, like Realtors or Mortgage Brokers or even potential future home buyers themselves that are currently on Linkedin.

When you first go to set up the account, you'll even have an option to have Linkedin reference your current email database to search and see if anyone you have in your email contact list is on Linkedin and then automatically suggest the connection to you.

So, if you haven't already "Linkedin", I suggest you get going.    You just never know where your next lead will come from!

To connect with us on Linkedin, just follow the provided link near the top right of this blog.   Once viewing our Linkedin profile you'll see a "join today" icon at the top right of the page. 

Here's a direct link: http://www.linkedin.com/

Happy Inspecting!

Sharon Purtill, Canspec Home Publishing

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Realtors have used this idea for years....

Let's talk about putting a twist on a marketing idea that Realtors have used for years.   I'm sure at one time or another you've recieved a "Just Sold" or "Just Listed" postcard at your door.  Well, here's a way to put a twist on this old idea and make it very effective for your home inspection business!

First, you'll want to pick postcards that say "Just Inspected", include your logo and other important information about your company and the specialized services or extra value you offer.  The cards should be generic.   What I mean by this is there will be no actual street address of the home "Just Inspected".  Instead, the cards will say something like "We've just inspected a home in your neighbourhood".

Keep your "Just Inspected" postcards in your vehicle at all times.   Now, every time you are leaving an inspection and pass a home for sale on your way out of the immediate area - stop, pull into the driveway of the home for sale and go up to the door and leave your "Just Inspected" postcard there for the vendor to find.  

The great thing about "Just Inspected" postcards is it is absolutely targeted marketing.  I think you'll agree most people that have their house for sale will be in need of another home.   This means your postcard is targeting those that are most likely going to be in the market for your services.   Realtors don't get this kind of target results with their postcards.  This is because they usually blanket an area in the hopes that a percentage of the homes receiving their cards may be thinking of buying or selling.    When you only drop your cards to homes already listed for sale, you should expect to see far greater results for your very targeted marketing efforts!   No postage required, only a few minutes of your time to stop and deliver as you drive through neigbourhoods where you do, or perhaps would like to do, business.

Now, here's a link to one marketing/printing company that is already doing these cards for inspectors.  This will give you an idea of the design ideas for your cards.    You can disregard the cost because this is based on mailing your cards for you.   While this is an option, mailing your "Just Inspected" postcards wont get you the targeted results you will get if you hand deliver them only to homes already listed for sale.  

Here's the link http://www.colourtech.com/generalstore/postcards-homeinspect.php

Something else to consider is a door hanger with your "Just Inspected" message instead of a postcard.  This option allows for a perforated business card at the bottom which the home owner can easily remove.   This product is also available from the company at the link above.

I hope you find this idea interesting and I wish you much success in your home inspection business!

Sharon Purtill,
Canspec Home Publishing