10 Water Damage Marketing Ideas

Marketing is always one of the most difficult pieces of the puzzle when growing a business. Do you pursue digital marketing or traditional media? Where should you allocate the budget for maximum effect? What are the best marketing channels that fit with the current business model? 

All of these questions and more must be considered before launching a marketing campaign. Fortunately, marketing for water damage restoration companies can be demystified as there are several media that will generally work for almost any service-based company. The key is almost always consistent messaging, a seamless customer experience, and a solid service offering.

#1 Emergency Response Plans

Emergency response plans (ERPs) for water damage restoration companies are a great way to establish relationships with commercial properties before any damage ever occurs. These ERPs are software platforms that spell out exactly what needs to be done and who the material providers are so that commercial properties can be ready when disaster strikes. Tools like Restoration ERP’s software can be white labeled and branded with your own logos and offer value-add features such as a Matterport integration. This sounds great on an operational level, but how does this ultimately function as a sales and marketing tool?

ERPs help get your foot in the door with local commercial properties with an unparalleled value-add that other restoration companies simply cannot offer. Before any services are rendered or even needed, your water damage restoration company is already front of mind and will be the first company called when restoration services are needed. This changes the sales and marketing paradigm completely. Instead of retroactively chasing customers who have a problem and want the quickest and cheapest solution, your company has proactively established a relationship and has already out-competed the other restoration companies in your area. Instead of “defensive” marketing tactics, Restoration ERP helps you go on the offense and close deals before they materialize; you beat the competition with months or years of a headstart instead of racing to the bottom of the quote pile.

#2 Website 

20 years ago, a Yellow Pages ad in a phone book would have been enough to reach people and businesses in need of water damage restoration. However, almost everyone today finds companies through search engine queries and a company’s digital presence. A good website will include all of the different service offerings as well as give the prospect an immediate way to take action and contact your company. The websites that convert the highest number of prospects are those that offer an excellent customer experience and effectively communicate a company’s USP. Finally, one of the latest trends in marketing is creating a knowledge base so that your company is seen as an industry thought leader. This helps build credibility and frequently takes the form of blog posts or different video collections.

#3 Social Media Marketing

Social media plays a crucial role in marketing strategies but is often poorly managed or ignored. Failing to effectively engage with social media means potentially losing out on valuable business and the chance to connect with your target audience. By actively managing your presence on social platforms, your business maintains a consistent brand identity and becomes more visible. This accessibility not only makes it easier for potential customers to find and interact with you but also builds trust in your services. Customers need to perceive your business as trustworthy and operated by real people. While creating a business page offers inherent advantages, going the extra mile by sharing photos of recent work, updates, tips, infographics, and other useful content can enhance your impact. Interacting with users who engage with your content personalizes their experience, adding a layer of authenticity and reliability that is invaluable.

#4 Email Marketing

Chances are you’re already gathering email addresses from your clients, and if not, now is the time to start. However, simply collecting this valuable data and letting it go unused is a missed opportunity. Failing to send out monthly newsletters means you’re overlooking a crucial chance to engage with your audience. Given the volume of emails we all receive daily, your newsletter must stand out by offering valuable information and resources. For those in the restoration industry, topics could range from how to prevent frozen pipes, tips for hurricane season preparation, and identifying the signs of water damage.

But your newsletter’s potential doesn’t end there. It serves as a channel to communicate with property managers, insurance agents, and other key stakeholders you interact with regularly. By segmenting your mailing list, you can tailor newsletters specifically to each group. Engaging your audience through contests and sharing company updates are just a couple of ways to involve every part of the restoration community. Remember to continually refresh your email list with new contacts as you gather them, ensuring your outreach efforts are as effective as possible.

#5 Google My Business

Geographical presence is crucial, especially in the restoration sector. A key strategy to ensure visibility to potential clients is through creating and updating a Google My Business (GMB) profile. Water damage restoration companies should verify the accuracy of the contact information, including phone numbers, website, and either the physical address or the area served. Make sure your business is accurately categorized according to the services you provide, such as “Water damage restoration service” or “Fire damage restoration service.” Additionally, it’s important to detail your service areas, operational hours, and the specific services you offer, ensuring they are appropriately categorized within your business type.

For example, within a water damage restoration service category, you might list services like water extraction, cleanup of water damage, drying services, cleanup of sewage backups, and repairs after water damage, tailored to what your business specifically provides. Incorporating photos enhances the authenticity of your business, showing potential customers the real work you perform. Similarly, managing reviews on your GMB profile, whether they are positive or negative, demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and feedback, highlighting your dedication to the customer experience.

#6 Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is the counterbalance to paid advertising and helps your business attract customers through organic content and organic rankings. SEO optimizes your website structure and the content on your website to help reach people who are already searching for weather damage restoration services. When you combine visibility with meeting the right prospect at the right time, the results can be a flood of qualified prospects who genuinely need the services that you’re offering. The best part? There is very little marginal cost to acquire an additional prospect. Working with a reputable SEO agency can help demystify the SEO process and create a shortcut to a successful campaign that will yield results for months and years to come.

#7 Trade Conventions

Trade conventions that attract prospects with commercial properties can be an excellent way to meet future customers. While a digital presence is important, there’s still nothing like a warm smile and firm handshake to create a human connection and seal the deal. Trade conventions also assume that business will be conducted so there are no taboos about talking business with different prospects, unlike the way that cold calling or cold emailing might feel obtrusive. People are also willing to give you several minutes to understand your business’s offering and to see if your business would be a good fit for theirs. In fact, a solid two-day convention can yield dozens of warm leads that are asking for proposals. When combined with value-added software like Restoration ERP, the prospects often find themselves wondering how they could turn down such an amazing deal. 

#8 Insurance Agent Marketing

In comparison to the other marketing strategies on this list, insurance agent marketing falls outside of digital marketing and relies on good old-fashioned relationships. Restoration companies and insurance companies almost always come in a package deal. This is good news for restoration companies as this creates a great relationship-driven way to reach new clients. 

Despite the corporate names behind an insurance company, purchasing insurance is a highly relational experience because of the rapport developed with the insurance producer. If your restoration company can create relationships with commercial insurance producers in the local area, they can recommend your services to commercial properties. Word-of-mouth marketing is also one of the most effective ways to reach new customers so having the weight of relationships behind the recommendation can be extremely effective.

#9 Plumber Marketing

Like insurance agent marketing, plumber marketing can be a great way to reach new customers. Whenever a plumber is called, there may be some sort of water damage or even mold damage that will need to be remediated. This puts the plumber in a very unique position of being able to discover a problem and then recommend a solution (a restoration company) to the property owner or manager. When restoration companies establish relationships with individual plumbers and plumbing companies, they get to be the first solution offered to a problem that many property owners didn’t even know existed. Much like marketing through insurance agents, this approach does require relationship-building. Traditional approaches such as lunches, game tickets, and more can be a great way to reach this demographic as well as by offering financial incentives for referrals.

#10 Google Ads (PPC/LSA)

Last, but certainly not least, Google Ads and other PPC ads can be a great way to reach commercial property managers. Of all of the different marketing avenues, PPC is one of the highest-impact marketing methods and can yield $2 of revenue for every $1 spent in ads. PPC ads work by allowing your company to appear near the top of the search results when someone enters a relevant query such as “Restoration company in my area.” The great part of Google ads and other PPC ads is that they’re highly targeted and intent-driven–the people executing a certain search are likely the people who want your services. PPC ads can be complicated, however, there are four basic parts: account creation, keyword selection, ad creation, and bidding/budget. For the best results, we recommend working with our partner PPC agency.

Final Thoughts

Building the right marketing plan for your water damage restoration company can feel daunting in the beginning. However, with the right strategies and the right software, a robust and well-implemented marketing plan can build a pipeline of leads that will help grow your revenue. Restoration ERP is one of the restoration industry’s favorite software solutions that acts as an advanced value-added program to help close customers and build a strong client base. For more information on how Restoration ERP works and how you can use it as a sales and marketing tool for your company, get in touch with us today. 

We offer sales and marketing support to help you grow your business by getting a foot in the door with an offer that commercial properties find hard to refuse. Get in touch with us today for a demonstration of how Restoration ERP works and to see all of the features. Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns, our talented customer success team is standing by ready to help!