Now, hear me out before you start looking down on this idea. There are a few factors to consider. First, the world is changing and whether we like it or not, it is affecting all of our businesses. Social media plays a large part in everyones consumption of information and entertainment, but, it also affects the way people spend their money. In some cases, social media affects how someone hires out their honey do lists. As for the latter, why not take advantage of the current trends? Social media, and in this case, TikTok, can be an effective tool to show potential customers your services in short, attention-catching videos or slide shows. I will tell you how I use TikTok in conjunction withh other social media platforms to market my business. 

“I am a 43 year old window cleaner. I did not grow up with a phone in my pocket or afternoons spent surfing the inter webs.”

In fact, when I was out, I was out, and there was no connection to  me unless you happened to be there with me. My, how times have changed. In 2011, I sat in on a web  seminar about how to effectively use Instagram to market my business. It was an eye-opener  to say the least. My website wasn’t getting the hits I was expecting, and it seemed the money  spent was thrown away, as my business wasn’t showing up in Google, or any other search engine for that matter. But, the host of this seminar explained hashtags, geotagging, and linking my social  media platforms together, and how that would over time boost my visibility on the internet.

So  began my journey into social media. I started taking pictures of my work and hash tagging  #windowcleaning #windowcleaner and making sure I geotagged my locations and included my  website in the posts.

Credit: Kyle Grimes

I also linked my business Facebook profile to my Instagram profile and in  one swoop I was able to post to two platforms at once. Over time, I noticed my website hits had  gone up, too, as did my call volume. I was shocked to say the least. I sat back and watched as  other people in my profession looked down upon “social media window cleaners” or “YouTube  window cleaners” – whatever that meant. However, as time has gone by, it seems those steps are  now the norm rather than the exceptions. Most everyone these days has a social media presence.  I’m not saying the Marc Tanners of the world are using social media to boost sales, but we haven’t all been lucky enough to be in business since the 1980’s.

Now let’s talk about TikTok

Tiktok is a social media platform known for dances, trends, and  all things “woke”. But, what you may not know is there are tons of professionals using this app to effectively show and market their businesses. Window cleaners, pressure washers, and lawn care professionals all over the world are using this platform to market themselves and their services  with a catchy toon and a satisfying video. These professionals, wether some want to admit or  not, are on the leading edge of marketing their businesses. It is actually quite simple to do so. 

I’ve linked my TikTok to my instagram which is linked to my Facebook Business profile.

One  post to TikTok turns into one on instagram and one on Facebook which makes things very simple once you’ve linked the accounts. Taking a short video of a squeegee gliding across a  newly cleaned window on a sunny, blue-sky day could easily turn into a couple of bookings in no time flat. You do need to be mindful of the impression you’re giving and the music your  choosing, but if you’re doing it correctly, you can easily market yourself, your brand, and your company for no money at all. I don’t want to give the impression that once you’ve done  this all your marketing needs are going to be met. But, I do believe that if used properly, it is a  fast, easy, and free method to market your business. Adding this to your already in-place  marketing strategies will only boost your online visibility.  

Now, I can tell you that since I’ve started using my Tiktok to market my business and services, I have,  on a dozen or more occasions, gotten a call, or a message, or an occasional walker-by say “Hey, I’ve seen you on TikTok”. What an ice breaker! Some random stranger comes across  some random yum-yum on TikTok cleaning windows, and a week later I’m at their home or  business cleaning their glass. Now, will this happen to all of you ? Probably not. However, chances are, if you are diligent with your posting content, I am confident you will see some feedback and some business floating your way.

When providing a service like we do, I feel it is important to  separate yourself from your others in your area. Why not take advantage of something that is a) free to you, b) that is fast and easy, and c) will only take a few minutes of your time after a job or while on a break in the shade or the warmth of your vehicle? If you follow the steps I  mentioned above and do some of your own research, I think you will see the effectiveness of  using TikTok along with other social media platforms to market your brand and business. I am by no means stating that what I’ve mentioned above is the “only way” or the “right way” – I am only  sharing my experiences with these methods and the results I’ve gotten from them.

I’ve  never paid for google front page listings. I’ve only used the method above to boost my google  visibility.

-By T-Squeegee