NEW ORLEANS — Every Laundromat needs to be using social media. That’s the message from The Coin Laundry Association, and with more than 500 social media outlets, one will fit everyone’s needs. With more than 6 million mobile subscribers worldwide, searches have quadrupled in a single year, according to CLA’s Jamie Sewell.
Where does that leave the laundry industry? With more than half of a Laundromat’s customers looking for business information on a mobile device. For the baby boomers who make up the fastest growing user group on Facebook, Twitter and Google +, that means a Laundromat needs to be on social media now. Twitter shows 79% of its users are now in the 45-65 age range, with 56% of Google’s growth attributed to that age group, and Facebook has 45% of its growth for which to thank the group. Yelp is another outlet with the tools to help a business grow.
Using research tools, any Laundromat owner can take advantage of social media, determining which outlet is right for your business and target market. While many owners say they don’t have the time, Sewell says, “You don’t have a choice,” suggesting that if the owner doesn’t take the time perhaps a family member or an employee would be the right person for the job.
Using social media is all about building relationships for you and your business as well as helping you deliver value to your customers. According to CLA data, Yelp businesses saw about $8,000 more in revenue after using the social media. The data also indicates that cross-promotions on more than one social media outlet is the way to go.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].