How to Market a Cleaning Business: 10 Strategies that Actually Work

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It can take a lot of trial and error to find a marketing strategy that works for you. You might know what your ideal client looks like, but not how to reach them, or maybe you’re trying to sell a new service to an audience who needs some education. 

Whatever your marketing plans, the 10 strategies we list here will get you in front of the right people, right now. Let’s go get you some new cleaning clients.

Quick Look: 10 Marketing Strategies for Cleaning Businesses

1. Own Your Niche

Focusing on your competition isn’t usually the best way to grow your business. But paying attention to what they offer, how they offer it, and when they offer it can help you find gaps in their marketing strategies. These are gaps you can fill!

Before diving into specific marketing channels, you’ll need to get clear on who your ideal clients are and what they need. Cleaning is a big market with many competitors — some might say it’s saturated. But this doesn’t mean you should feel discouraged! 

Honing in on a specific market for your cleaning services will help you stand out from the crowd and help you attract ideal clients. Start by answering one question: what pain point does your cleaning business solve for clients? 

Who your ideal client is will dictate a lot about where you should focus your marketing efforts. Busy parents are mostly reachable on Facebook, but Instagram or YouTube might be a better place to find young professionals who don’t want to spend time cleaning. Targeted digital advertising will typically reach a younger demographic within a local area, while print ads or direct mail can reach an older clientele. 

How to take action

Develop a simple client persona for your ideal client. Write down who they are, how old they are, where they live, and what their lifestyle is like.

This exercise will help you target your marketing efforts and speak directly to the needs of each client, whether that’s in your ads, social media posts, or email campaigns. It’s also helpful to write down so you know exactly who you’re not trying to reach.

2. Focus on Digital Marketing and Strong SEO

SEO is the foundation of any effective digital marketing strategy, but a lot of small business owners get overwhelmed by it. With AI Overviews and LLM search taking over legacy search engines like Google, it may sound too technical for you to get into — and this is not true!

Despite all of the changes AI has brought to search, the basics remain the same. You still need to optimize your website with the right keywords. Make sure your page titles and meta descriptions are clear and compelling for your ideal client. For example, a homepage title like “Trusted Maid Services in [City] | Dependable Quality You Can Count On” tells potential clients exactly what they can expect from you.

Listing your business on other platforms also boosts visibility. You add another source AI can cite in answers when you list on platforms like Yelp, Angi, and Nextdoor. Keeping your business’s name, address, phone number, and website URL uniform helps improve your listings there, but also means you borrow the SEO excellence these companies have invested in over decades, which makes it easier for clients to find and trust your services.

Your Google Business Profile is another easy way to show up in search. It works kind of like your business’s digital front door — when people add “near me” to a search, you’ll show up at the top. Keeping this updated with the latest info, responding to reviews quickly, and adding new photos regularly shows that you’re active and builds both trust and engagement with potential clients.

How to take action

Make a small list of keywords you want your service to rank for. Choose keywords that match the cleaning services you offer, like “eco-friendly house cleaning in [Your City]” or “urgent cleaning services near me.” Use these to help your website appear in searches when potential clients need those specific services.

If your on-page SEO is already done, try building out your Google Business Profile, with the goal of making your local area’s Map Pack. Creating service pages that highlight the specific areas of town you serve can really speak to potential clients.

3. Create and Run Regular Paid Ads

When done right, paid ads can attract immediate interest from new clients. Google and Meta both have advertising platforms that allow for deeply targeted campaigns. This means reaching specific neighborhoods, audience interests, or other psychographic information, so you get the best bang for your buck. 

Original, well-designed ads still have the highest impact in digital display advertising. As audiences increasingly see and dismiss AI-generated content online, an original photograph or graphic design will stand out. Investing a little bit here will help you in the long term.

Using location-sensitive keywords like “house cleaning services near me” or “maid service in [City]” both in the ad copy and in the settings when you create your campaign will ensure your ads show up when someone searches for a cleaner in your area. Regularly test your ads to see which keywords are bringing the best results.

Another idea is to create targeted ads that focus on your niche. For example, if your focus is on eco-friendly cleaning, consider ads that show off the benefits of natural, family-safe products. 

How to take action

Schedule a consultation with a photographer or graphic designer, or open up Canva if you’re feeling confident. Create a few ad mockups and share them with someone you trust, a business partner, cleaner, or friend, for feedback. 

Create two versions of the same ad, and measure the effectiveness of each. This is called running an A/B test, which will help you understand which type of ad has a bigger impact on your audience.  

4. Use Organic Social Media

On social media, you’re competing in the attention economy, not the business economy. Posting on social media is free, but it will cost you time to find the right angle that keeps attention on your accounts. 

Despite the investment, it’s a no-brainer to make the most of social media. People want to follow businesses that feel authentic and approachable — and this feeling is only getting stronger as AI changes digital marketing!

Standing out online and running a strong social media marketing campaign is a great way to introduce yourself, your business, and your values to your market. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok command the greatest share of attention online, which means these platforms are where you’ll likely find most cleaning clients hanging out. 

Rather than directly marketing to followers or using aggressive tactics like requesting to follow everyone who follows you, try showing followers what it’s like to run your business, or post before-and-after photos. Show your personality, and let clients see the faces behind the brand — after all, it’s those faces they’ll be inviting into their homes and businesses. Becoming a daily presence online means you stay top of mind when your followers are ready to find a cleaning service. 

With a Business account on any of these platforms, you can also join local groups where your target clients are already active. These include pages run for or by homeowners’ associations, local parents’ groups, and community forums, suppliers, colleagues, and fellow cleaners. Respect each group’s rules and offer useful advice when it’s relevant. 

TikTok and YouTube require a bit of a different strategy because of their video focus. Every social media platform has a video element now, like Facebook and Instagram Stories or Reels — video has become one of the best ways to connect with potential clients. 

But the good news is that even a short, friendly video can go a long way in building trust and familiarity with your audience. Focusing on creating for TikTok or YouTube can also be more efficient in the long-term if you’re comfortable with creating front-facing content; you can redistribute content from TikTok to Instagram Reels and Facebook and stretch it out in between filming days. 

How to take action

Record a quick, smartphone-friendly intro video where you introduce yourself and share a bit about why you started your cleaning service. Post it on your website and social media accounts. See which of the platforms reaches a wider audience, and focus your effort on creating for that platform. Here are a few video ideas:

• Share simple cleaning tips or hacks for common household messes. (Clients love quick, actionable advice!)
• Ask your top clients to share a video clip testimonial. Nothing speaks louder than happy clients sharing their experiences
• Give a glimpse of your team working behind the scenes. Instagram and Facebook Stories are a great place for this
• Create short videos explaining your core services, like deep cleaning, move-out cleaning, or post-construction cleaning — a clear breakdown helps clients understand exactly what they’re getting 

5. Build (and Nurture) an Email List

Email marketing is the highest-converting marketing channel because you have a direct line to clients’ inboxes. But this is a privilege you should not take for granted.

Do not confuse email marketing with email communications. These are separate endeavors and should be separate lists — if someone unsubscribes from your newsletter, you’ll still want them to get appointment notifications!

With separate email lists or segments, you can create a newsletter that serves as your place to nurture client relationships and increase conversions. A great place to start, whether you’ve emailed clients before or not, is to write a short welcome sequence: 

1. Email 1: Welcome new customers, introduce yourself, and invite new subscribers into your business
2. Email 2: Share your mission statement and acknowledge their first appointment expectations
3. Email 3: After the appointment, thank them for choosing your cleaning business!

After this introductory sequence, you can send clients newsletters with helpful cleaning tips to keep them engaged, share advice, and remind them of your expertise. Newsletters offer a bit of flexibility because you can write them in a more personal voice. Try your hand at developing a tone or voice that shows off your personality, and customers might find your emails entertaining to read!

Throughout the email, offer special seasonal discounts or bonuses around peak cleaning times, like after the holidays or during spring cleaning. These serve as a reward to customers who read your newsletters and get you some sweet repeat business.

How to take action

Get set up with an email service provider to ensure compliance with email marketing laws. At ZenMaid, many of our customers use Mailchimp. Then, plan out three editions of a monthly newsletter — what would you include?

6. Partner with Local Businesses

Collaborating with other businesses in your area is a powerful way to get exposure and expand your client base. You can collaborate on posts, videos, or live events on social media and share your business with their followers; you can also align your company aspirationally by partnering with higher-end brands or luxury service providers. 

Think about businesses that serve a similar audience, such as real estate agencies, moving companies, or even gyms. Most of these companies will also have active social media accounts, or brick and mortar stores, or both, which give you many options for partnerships.

Here are some ideas for local partnerships:

• Offer Move-In Specials through Real Estate Agencies: Real estate agents often work with clients who could use a fresh start in a new home. Offer them a special discount for move-in cleanings
• Partner with Moving Companies: Moving companies can refer clients who may want a professional cleaning for their old or new home
• Sponsor Local Events: Look for neighborhood events or charity runs where you can sponsor in exchange for brand exposure

How to take action

Identify three local businesses you could partner with and reach out to them with a clear proposal on how a partnership would benefit both sides. Take time to think about the offer you’re making to their clients — and make sure you sound like someone you’d want to work with!

7. Collect and Share Customer Reviews

Reviews are as good as gold in the cleaning industry. When competition is stiff, clients will turn to review platforms for extra input, especially when deciding between multiple services. 

Achieving and maintaining a high rating on Google and Yelp involves building a system to support a constant stream of new or updated reviews. Here are some tips for building that system:

• Always ask for feedback: After each job, send a quick follow-up message requesting feedback. If the client had a great experience, encourage them to leave a review.
• When someone reviews, respond: Showing you care about your client’s experience can go a long way. Thank positive reviewers, and acknowledge negative ones, either with an apology or offer to make it right.
• Share them on your website: Public reviews can be highlighted on your homepage or a dedicated testimonials page to build trust with new clients.

How to take action

After each cleaning, follow up with a quick message or email asking for feedback. Most happy clients are willing to leave a review when they’re asked. In ZenMaid, you can use the rating feature to collect feedback and find happy clients on autopilot. 

8. Retarget Prospective and Churned Clients

Take a look through your client list and mark down those who fall into these three categories:

1. Haven’t had a cleaning in the last six months
2. Canceled an appointment but haven’t rescheduled
3. Interacted with you (via newsletter, social media, etc.), but have not booked a service

These groups are your “hot leads,” or potential clients you can reach easily. Targeting these three groups with specific, tailored campaigns will bring in more revenue than a cold-lead campaign because they’ve already done some research and may feel they “know you” better than other businesses.

How to take action

For each group, design a specific retargeting campaign to serve them. If a client hasn’t booked recently, offering them a return customer discount via email may entice them to book again. If they haven’t rescheduled a canceled appointment, they may be busy and appreciate a reminder to reschedule their appointment.

Figuring out who has interacted with your newsletter or social media might take a bit more digging, but it is well worth the time and effort. Social media followers who regularly engage with your content online will be much more likely to book a service than those who don’t — pay attention to who shows up often and where they do, and run ads against that information. 

An example of this could be looking through your subscribers who open emails regularly but don’t click. Send those folks a special offer, maybe a discount or special service offered with a normal cleaning, and see who moves to book (or unsubscribe). 

9. Set Up a Referral and Rewards Program

One of your most valuable assets is an existing client who refers you to their friends or family members. Consider creating a referral program that rewards existing clients who refer new customers. This will not only encourage loyalty but also lead to a steady stream of new clients.

For every referral that books a cleaning, consider offering the referring client a discount or a free add-on service like an oven or window cleaning. Set up an email cadence reminding clients of your referral program every six months or so.

Don’t gate-keep your referral program. Include details about your referral program in your follow-up emails after cleans, on social media, and even in conversations with clients after a successful cleaning.

How to take action

Make it ridiculously easy to participate. A simple “refer a friend” form on your website or a unique code clients can share will make it easy for clients to participate. 

Then, draft a quick email to send to your current clients, letting them know about your referral program. Include a simple form or link for them to share with their friends.

10. Automate Your Customer Relationship Management Tasks

You don’t want to lose or miss a potentially big account in an influx of new clients! Before you spend all this time attracting new cleaning clients, make sure it’s easy to capture all of their information and store it for marketing purposes and outreach. 

A good place to start is an automated booking form on your website. Cleaning business software like ZenMaid makes it extremely easy to add a custom booking form that’s easy to fill out for clients and streamlines your lead generation for easy marketing, all at once. Take on email segmentation and customer communications with confidence, and grow your business with software that will scale alongside you!

That’s a Wrap

Remember that the key to winning new cleaning clients is not just about trying every strategy out there, but focusing on the ones that really work for marketing a cleaning business. When you hit it big with one strategy, keep refining it. Practice makes permanence, and permanence means a happy, steady clientele.