Everyone in Home Watch Education will tell you that referrals are the way to go. In my previous post, Is Google Search important for Home Watch, I make a comparison between two different home watch companies and talk about how digital marketing is better for your business in the long run. In this article, I get more specific as to why your business should invest in digital marketing vs solely relying on referrals.
Here are a few reasons why a home watch business should not rely solely on referrals:
- Limited Reach: Relying on referrals limits your reach to your existing network. You may miss out on potential clients outside your immediate circle of influence.
- Inconsistent Referral Volume: Referrals can be unpredictable. You may receive a lot of referrals one month and very few the next, which can make it challenging to plan and maintain a steady flow of business.
- Lack of Control: When you rely on referrals, you are putting the fate of your business in the hands of others. You have no control over when or if someone refers you, and you may only sometimes know why someone referred you or what their expectations are.
- Over-Reliance: Depending too heavily on referrals can create a false sense of security and make you complacent. You may become less focused on marketing and promoting your business, which can lead to a decline in business over time.
Why a home watch business should instead invest in digital marketing:
- Greater Reach: With digital marketing, you have the potential to reach a much larger audience than with referrals alone. You can target specific demographics and geographic areas through social media advertising, email marketing, and search engine optimization.
- Consistent Lead Generation: Unlike referrals, which can be unpredictable, digital marketing can provide a constant flow of leads to your business. Investing in search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising ensures your business is visible to potential clients actively searching for home watch services.
- Cost-Effective: While referrals can be a cost-effective marketing strategy, digital marketing can often provide a higher return on investment. With the ability to track and analyze the performance of your campaigns, you can adjust your strategy to ensure that you are getting the most out of your marketing budget.
- Improved Brand Awareness: By investing in digital marketing, you can build brand awareness and establish your business as a trusted authority in the home watch industry. You can provide valuable information to potential clients and build a loyal following through social media, email marketing, and content marketing.
- Better Control: With digital marketing, you have more control over your messaging and the targeting of your campaigns. You can ensure your message is consistent across all channels and adjust your campaigns based on the performance data.
- Referrals Will Come: If you build a successful digital marketing strategy and provide good service and support, you will receive referrals from those customers.
In summary, while referrals can be a valuable source of business for a home watch company, digital marketing can provide a more consistent flow of leads and a greater reach. By investing in digital marketing, your home watch business can improve brand awareness, control messaging, receive referrals, and ultimately grow.
