When it comes to marketing any home services product, it’s important to keep the end goal in mind. Whether you’re talking about a plumbing company, HVAC, Security Company or any other home services business, recurring revenue from annual inspections, regular service and upgrades allow steady growth over time, but almost all live or die by the flow of new customers.

Consistently staying on the consumer radar with a digital marketing strategy is a great way to keep that flow steady and predictable. Online marketing efforts are a slower burn, but they also tend to be less expensive and easier to track than TV, radio, billboard or print campaigns. We’ve worked with independent security alarm companies across Virginia and the Midwest and are happy to share a few strategies we’ve found to be successful.

Set Your Sites on Generating New Business

You owe it to your clients to operate successfully so you can continue providing the great service they deserve. Don’t feel uncomfortable or awkward about asking for referrals. “We’d love your feedback. And if you had a positive experience, please share it online on our Facebook page.”

It’s important to have a vision and mission that include objectives like keeping people safe, educating the public and giving back to the community, but don’t feel guilty if these objectives also further the goal of bringing in new business. It is possible for a company to do good in this world while bringing home a profit. This is an education strategy and it benefits both the company and the community in which they live and work.

Build a Marketing Strategy That Pushes Everything Forward

Companies with a written plan are ten times more likely to succeed than those that jump in feet first with no clearly defined plan and objectives.

The first thing we recommend is to identify your target market or markets. Whether it’s marketing to high-end homeowners, farmers, the government, manufacturers or small businesses -- identify a clear and profitable market that you want to serve and focus all your energy marketing to those customers.

Building a security company marketing strategy may include many of the traditional marketing avenues, but your competition will win out if your company doesn’t have a strong online presence. Even if a prospect sees a great TV ad or remembers a great billboard from earlier in the day, the first thing they’ll do is go to their computer, smartphone, or tablet and check you out online. 

Have the Answers Your Security Customers Seek

When a potential security customer looks up your business, you have to be there to catch them at this critical moment. Something has driven them to this action. It may be a pain point, like a recent break-in in the neighborhood, or it may just be a question about how to operate a particular alarm keypad. If you provide the answer, clients will see you as the authority in your field and may elect to do business with your security company over a competitor. 70% of the decision making process has already been made when a potential customer contacts you, so help them get to this point with content and be ready to close the deal.

Disqualifying Security Customers with Website Content

Don’t be afraid to educate people with content that could drive away those that don’t fall in your target market. That helps you qualify leads and get more of the customers you want. If you only want high-end homes that are 3,500+ sqft, don’t be afraid to tell first time home buyers to consider getting quotes from a trusted competitor or trying a specific DIY system in your content.

That customer might remember you as an expert someday if they find themselves in your target market or come across someone that falls in your target market. Dissuading undesirable clients from contacting you can save everyone’s time, increase close rates and improve profit margins.

Digital Marketing Strategies Are Evolving

Be wary of marketing companies offering promises to push your business up in the Google Rankings with SEO and keywords, because, according to Google, their programmers are working around the clock to perfect algorithms that will see past these artificial inflation approaches.

Instead, focus on a slow and steady approach of answering your customer’s questions. Be wary about how much money you sink into PPC campaigns, because 90+% of search traffic is never going to click on paid advertising. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches to find out what drives the largest number of desirable clients to your sales funnel.

Help Customers Invite You into Their Homes

It takes an incredible amount of trust to invite a company into your home and allow them to help watch over the safety of your family. When a loved one recommends your alarm company, you’ve just bridged this enormous gap in mere seconds.

We’ve found that a thoughtful content plan is a great way to stay in touch with those customers and continue building that trust. Interacting with a customer that trusts you and your company breaks down barriers and makes your sales guys’ jobs that much easier.

Face It - Your Customers Are Online

Like it or not, the majority of people are online in some capacity. Boomers, Generation X and now millennials are pretty much the market for security systems. We see a bit of an older crowd in the B2B market, but believe it or not many are tech savvy. When a 70-year-old business owners Google about security cameras streaming to his mobile phone, you know it’s time to build a smart online presence for your security company. For steady growth and year after year results, have an active digital presence, make an impact on your community and serve your target market the content they want.

Out of all the venues for advertising, digital is one of the least expensive, easiest to track, monitor and maintain and is gaining momentum and influence every day. Better than that, it gives you consistency and keeps you top of mind.

Being there for your alarm customers in the digital space with answers to their questions is the best way to generate more business, leads and trust and stay in contact with potential customers throughout the entire buying process.

Example of Security Alarm Company Marketing Campaign success

Contact us today if you’d like help developing an effective digital marketing strategy for your security company.