Low-cost advertising
Low-budget Facebook ads are a great way to create pool and hot tub water-testing awareness. The small investment will pay off in hundreds or even thousands of dollars in sales over the lifetime of the customer.
The following is a simple Facebook ad retailers can set up. This is not an exhaustive tutorial, but rather a general outline. For those who are not tech savvy, retailers can also hire an expert in pool and hot tub marketing to set this up for them.
Using Facebook ads manager, a simple ad can be created with the ‘Reach’ or ‘Engagement’ objective. This will let the ad reach as many people for as little money as possible. Next, using the targeting tool, select a simple radius surrounding the store. Then, under the ‘Detailed targeting’ section, it is possible for retailers to target their ad based on interests and behaviours of users. For example, ‘swimming pools’ would be a great option to test first.
Finally, retailers can create a simple ad with an eye-catching image announcing water tests are available and what are the benefits of getting a water test. The ad should end with a simple call to action such as “bring in a water sample” and explain what is going to happen once customers get their water tested.
Retailers can set a low budget (e.g. $3 to $5 per day) and let the ad run indefinitely, changing up the creative occasionally.
Water tests are a low-commitment way for people to test out the customer service of their local pool store. They are a great way to tap into additional revenue sources like service, referrals, and future pool and hot tub sales. Strong promotion of the water-testing station creates additional foot traffic and gives people a reason to visit the showroom regularly.
Ben Poggemiller is the co-owner of Urban Life Pools & Hot Tubs in Steinbach, Man. He also owns Hungry Fox Marketing, a marketing agency that helps other retailers improve their sales and marketing processes by making sales easier and more profitable. He can be reached via email at ben@myurbanlife.ca.
