Need Offline marketing help for a Painting business

Firstly, What does this potential client have set up already?

Secondly, As he is only a potential client at the moment you don't want to get into the trap of overwhelming him with so many services at the beginning. Work through the process in order and show value at every step and you will have no problem upselling the rest of the services.

Thirdly, Definitely add Facebook marketing and also a mobile optimized version of site.

Set up a facebook fan page, linkedin and twiter pages. Social media management.
QR codes linked to the video series.
A free short report (or video series) on how to hire a painting company to give away for opt-ins on his site.

The painting contractor wants to get leads and direct mail is the most reliable way to do that. All the stuff you mention offering him will be good once you've already proven yourself to drive in business to him.

The last thing you want is to set up a bunch of social media stuff or SEO, then in 2 months he realizes he's not getting any jobs from you and is disappointed.

You can use the post offices "Every Door Direct" program to send out very large postcards to whole neighborhoods for ridiculously cheap. Strategize with him to find out which neighborhoods he wants to target and set up a direct mail campaign for him. Come up with a great offer, hire a designer and send the postcards out every few weeks for a couple months.

$300 will send 1200 large postcards out and you can charge him $600 or so. Get him to send as many postcards out as possible and do as many repeat mailings as possible (at least 2 or 3).

This is going to get results for him instantly. Social media, QR, SMS, SEO isn't. PPC would be your best bet besides direct mail but direct mail is going to be a lot easier to sell him on. How else can he get his business and offer into the hands of every single home in any area he wants?

After you bring him in business right away, then go for the social media, QR, SMS, SEO stuff.

I would do some research in the market and with his past clients to determine what a buying process is for someone needing a painter. Would a QR code lead to a sale? Maybe, but I don't think that's a first thing that would give you the most benefit. Would a 'how-to' Youtube series lead to sales? I'm sure it would help with your SEO efforts but I'm doubting that it would capture the attention of people looking to hire painters.

Figure out what the mental and buying process is for someone needing painting and then figure out how to strategically insert your services into that process.

I vote for direct mail and ppc advertising to get some people in quicker
Lets not forget FREE things like Craigslist and Backpage. Most cities also also have
low cost papers like Bullitin Board or Thrifty Nickel and I have noticed around here
that many small businesses have a local vendor biz card area.

Longterm I like seo,google, and video to dominate the first page for that search
Then all the facebook, twitter social media to help build long term presence.

People aren't profiting as much with Groupon anymore.
QR codes are going to be pointless for him.
PRomo video, maybe later on.
How to youtube series, good but not going to give local leads.
SMS campaign, not very smart to offer.

Does he have a website? Facebook fan page? Direct mailing? What advertising is he doing?

Don't think about all this cutting edge bull crap, because most of it won't give them a positive ROI.

You should DEFINITELY include Opt-in form with AWeber autoresponder saying: Get free newsletter on how to pick the right color for each room!

You would use this list for follow up offers...you can charge him for maintaining of this list about $50/month...

I've done some painting websites.. Very successful ones actually cuz before I was making a living online I was a painter.

For some good ideas go to painttalk.com just cruise on into their forums section about marketing and websites and see who the top posters are. Go to their websites and look at them for ideas.

When someone is looking for a painter online. All they're really looking for is a phone number to call. They don't need to be fancy or beautiful.

A thing to keep in mind is that painters aren't painting all over the place. generally they work within 20 miles of home, so be very geospecific with your page names, title tags, and meta description.

Include a "drywall-ceiling-repair-anytown" page. This page along with a "color ideas page" will get more traffic than anything other pages than the home page. Everybody that ever has a roof leak will need ceiling drywall repair, then of course it needs to be painted, all painters do drywall repair. Almost everybody that ever insulates their ceiling will fall through it... It's true trust me! They need repaired and painted.

A key word rich, geo specific page for every small city within a 20 mile radius is important... Don't forget it. 5-10 should do nicely

Oh! And a concrete floor painting page is important too. I put one on all my painting sites... Use the word epoxy in there. Like "epoxy-floor-painting-anytown/html" is a good name..

Good luck.

First you need to see where does he advertise already and then move on.
I am not saying that you should not get prepared though.

I am doing offline and online social marketing. I would offer him a FB fan page
but with a twist with a incentive on a app (tab).

That way he would get new leads and he could promote to them on a long term with
that I mean you need to be more creative then other just putting a page or fan page
up and charge a fee and run.

I also like idea of direct mailing , am starting that business this week and am
seeing big potential with it.

QR codes should link to their website of fan page, depends what are you promoting
on a card or flyer with QR code on it.

Does anyone know if Canada offers a "every door direct program"

You know, there are probably a thousand ways you "could" market a business like this, but keep the 80/20 rule in mind and remember that not all marketing methods deliver the same results, and what works well for someone in one area or industry may not work well for someone else.

If this were my business, I'd do a few things depending on how much money I had to invest in my marketing.

1) Direct mail is great if you've got the budget - but be smart and do some educational marketing so you can build a list of prospects who might not need your services now, but may use you down the road if you can keep your name in front of them on a regular basis.

2) My favorite kind of marketing because it's super effective and doesn't cost you anything upfront, is to J/V with some non-competing businesses.

Ask your client who their ideal client is, then take some time to think about who else already does business with that ideal client. What other businesses are at or inside peoples homes (assuming this is a residential painter) on a regular basis that could refer some business to you?

I'd contact some local carpet cleaners, lawn care companies or house cleaning companies and say "hey, I'd love to promote your business to my clients if you'd promote my business to yours." You could offer to swap brochures to leave when at a clients home, or considering a painting job could be worth thousands to you, offer to pay your "referral partners" a finders fee when they send a new job your way.

You could also ask them to do an endorsed mailing to their customer list, where you pay for them to send a letter recommending your services (and giving their clients a special discount offer) and you pay for the mailing and pay them a finders fee for any new clients you get out of the deal. If you have a mailing list f your own you could offer to cross promote each others services without paying finders fee, but if you're just starting out and can't reciprocate, there's nothing wrong with paying them as an "affiliate."

HTH some and good luck!

Steve