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89% of customers are more likely to buy again after receiving great service.
And that’s an essential stat for service-based businesses, which have the keyword “service” right in the name.
But for that, you need a solid marketing strategy that puts the customer experience front and center.
Unlike product companies, you’re not selling something tangible; your business runs on trust, expertise, and customer relationships.
That’s why your marketing efforts need to go beyond the basics of promotion.
To make that happen, you need a solid grasp of service marketing, and this guide breaks it all down for you.
We will cover:
P.S.: P.S. Struggling to find the right influencers? inBeat.co has you covered. With multiple search filters like location, language, follower count, and more, you can easily find the perfect match for your service brand. Plus, our free tools, including an engagement rate calculator and fake followers checker, help ensure the authenticity of the influencers you choose. Book a free demo now!
Marketing for service businesses is promoting and selling intangible services by highlighting their value, building trust, and creating a positive customer experience.
Unlike tangible products, intangible services cannot be physically touched or stored.
Instead, their value lies in the expertise, experience, and customer outcomes. Some examples include:
There are several approaches you can take when marketing service-based businesses, each with its own benefits depending on your goals and target audience.
Understanding these different types can help you tailor your strategy for maximum impact.
“Whereas product designers focus on the characteristics buyers will value, service designers do better to focus on the experiences customers want to have. For example, customers may attribute convenience or friendly interaction to your service brand.” (Frances X. Frei, Harvard Business Review)
This involves marketing services to other businesses.
Tools like billboards, white papers, email campaigns, and a strong Google Business Profile establish trust and attract prospective clients.
B2C marketing for service businesses focuses on connecting directly with individual customers by addressing their specific needs and preferences.
And for that, you can use different digital marketing tactics.
Social media marketing, for example, creates instant touchpoints, which makes it easier to build trust and showcase the human side of your services.
SEO content marketing helps educate and inform customers, demonstrating your expertise while guiding them toward making decisions.
Influencer collaborations are also great because they amplify credibility, particularly in trust-heavy industries like fitness training or personal coaching.
The point of all these strategies is to streamline the customer journey by first creating meaningful engagement.
This kind of engagement is essential for selling intangible offerings like services.
External marketing targets potential customers through tools like Google Ads, Search Engine Marketing, and promotional plans.
The aim is to reach a wider audience in a competitive industry.
Post-purchase marketing focuses on engaging customers after they’ve made a purchase.
It aims to nurture relationships, encourage repeat business, and build loyalty through follow-ups, reviews, and personalized content.
The goal is to turn satisfied customers into long-term clients.
Internal marketing ensures employees understand the company’s values and feel motivated to deliver excellent service.
A well-aligned team is the key to building a positive customer experience.
Outbound marketing involves reaching out to potential customers through direct methods like email campaigns, advertisements, and telemarketing.
It’s effective for making initial connections in the service industry, plus you’re attracting a wider audience fast.
Inbound marketing, on the other hand, attracts customers by providing valuable content such as blogs, SEO strategies, and social media posts that draw them in naturally.
It focuses on creating a strong online presence to build trust and engagement over time.
Innovative marketing ideas can help your service-based business stand out and attract new clients while maintaining strong relationships with existing ones.
Some fresh ideas to enhance your service marketing strategies are:
One of the best ways to demonstrate the value of your services is by showing how they create meaningful change for your clients.
Transformation stories are great here because they show clear results.
These results provide social proof and appeal to potential customers.
Examples:
You can share these stories as part of your social media marketing strategy through photos, videos, or time-lapse content.
Pro tip: Videos work especially well. In fact, 96%of marketers believe that this form of media helps users better understand their services.
Interactive tools like short pricing quizzes are an excellent way to engage prospective clients.
These quizzes simplify the purchase decision and guide users through the customer journey.
Examples:
One of our pro tips is to include an option for users to book a service immediately after receiving the quiz results.
VIP membership and subscription plans ensure repeat business while offering exclusive perks to loyal customers.
These plans appeal to customers looking for convenience and consistent quality.
Examples:
These plans appeal to customers looking for cost savings and consistent quality, so make sure to highlight these features.
Linking the revenue of your services to local causes can build goodwill and strengthen customer relationships.
This strategy also helps establish your business as a socially responsible service provider.
Examples:
You can promote these campaigns through social media posts, local press, and partnerships to reach a wider audience.
Think of micro-influencers as your digital word-of-mouth marketers.
They have smaller, highly engaged audiences that are perfect for showcasing your services authentically.
You can use influencer discovery platforms like inBeat.co to find authentic influencers based on your niche.
Examples:
A great way to strengthen your partnerships with influencers is to offer free services in exchange for authentic content and reviews.
When followers find an influencer who reflects their own values, personality, or image, and that influencer promotes a product that appears congruent with her or his usual style, followers tend to align their perceptions of the product with the implied perceptions of the influencer. (Daniel Belanche et al., Understanding influencer marketing: The role of congruence between influencers, products, and consumers)
Numbers don’t lie, and they can be your best bet in marketing.
Sharing reliable data about your performance attracts potential customers by showing that you deliver real results.
Examples:
These metrics should appear prominently on your website and social media to stand out from competitors.
Who doesn’t love a good challenge? It’s a fun way to engage your audience while subtly showcasing your services.
Plus, challenges encourage user-generated content, which gives you extra exposure.
Examples:
For additional exposure, you can ask the participants to share their progress under a specific hashtag on social media platforms and tag your business.
Knowing how to effectively market your service-based business is crucial to standing out in a crowded market and attracting the right clients.
This 7-step guide by inBeat experts will help you build a successful marketing strategy for your service-based business.
You can’t market effectively if you don’t know who you’re talking to.
Thus, building detailed customer personas is crucial as they help you understand your ideal customers’ needs, challenges, and what they’re looking for in a service provider.
Let’s see how to create them:
For instance, a cleaning service might target “Busy Professionals Needing a Sparkling Home,” while a tutoring business could focus on “Parents Seeking Academic Support for Their Kids.”
Clear goals keep your marketing focused and measurable.
For service-based businesses, your objectives should align with customer acquisition, retention, or satisfaction.
Some examples of service-specific goals are:
When you tie your goals to specific metrics, it’s easier to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed.
Why should customers choose your service over others? Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the key to standing out.
Since service businesses rely heavily on trust and expertise, your message should highlight these strengths.
Progressive Casualty Insurance has nailed this part.
In case you didn’t know, their immediate-response vans show up at accidents to help right away—faster than police or tow trucks.
Customers love it, and it slashes fraud and legal costs, making the service pay for itself. However, this extra service is more expensive.
That’s why this company does something very bold: they show competitor quotes alongside their own.
It’s not just about being nice; it’s smart.
They only insure people at the right price, letting competitors take unprofitable customers.
It’s a win-win—great service for customers and smarter business for Progressive.
A few steps to develop your own strong USP include:
A cleaning service might say, “Affordable deep cleaning tailored to your schedule.” Meanwhile, a plumbing business could promote “Emergency services that solve your issue on the first visit.”
For service businesses, it’s crucial to meet potential customers on the platforms they already use to search for and engage with services like yours.
Key channels for service businesses include:
For example, a personal training service might use Instagram to showcase workout tips and client transformations.
Conversely, a legal consultation firm might invest in Google Ads and content marketing to attract potential clients searching for legal advice.
Content marketing is your chance to show potential customers why you’re the expert.
It’s not about generic tips; it’s about providing value that speaks directly to the needs of your audience.
Setting an appropriate budget and allocating resources effectively is crucial for service-based businesses to maximize their marketing efforts.
The focus should be on strategies that deliver the best return on investment while ensuring long-term growth.
Start by identifying high-performing channels that consistently drive results.
For instance, if Google Ads generates a steady flow of inquiries, consider dedicating a larger portion of your budget to this platform to amplify your reach.
Pro tip: It’s very important to balance paid campaigns and organic efforts. While investing in paid ads can offer immediate visibility, don’t underestimate the value of organic strategies such as SEO-optimized content and generating positive customer reviews.
Successful marketing for service businesses requires continuous monitoring and adjustments to align with customer needs and industry trends.
Tracking your marketing efforts allows you to identify what’s working, address areas for improvement, and optimize your approach to achieve the best results.
The key metrics that service-based businesses should monitor include:
For example, if a campaign offering discounted trial sessions for a fitness studio isn’t generating sign-ups, analyze the campaign data to identify potential issues.
You might find that the offer isn’t reaching the right audience or that the messaging doesn’t emphasize the value of the trial.
Adjusting the target demographics, reworking the ad copy to highlight key benefits, or testing a different platform like Instagram instead of Facebook can help improve performance.
P.S. Platforms like inBeat.co make this process easier by offering free tools to track, analyze, and optimize your marketing efforts, such as calculators for ROI, bounce rate, click-through rate, and more.
If you're running a service-based business that caters to a local audience, these five tips by inBeat experts will help you stand out and attract more clients in your area.
Trust is the foundation of every service business.
Start by showcasing positive customer reviews on your website and social media posts.
Satisfied customers sharing their experiences serves as powerful social proof, which helps potential clients feel confident in choosing your services.
Free customer support is another great strategy here, and Intuit is a good example.
Call centers aren’t cheap, especially when the job requires both tech expertise and great people skills.
But Intuit founder Scott Cook saw something others missed: those customer calls offer real-time feedback that can shape better products.
Intuit even has product developers answering calls to understand users’ frustrations directly.
It’s part of a commitment to improving through feedback, something Cook calls “do it right the second time” (DIRST).
The payoff is developing smarter software that reduces the need for support calls altogether.
Moreover, you can also offer guarantees or trial services that reduce the risk for prospective clients.
For instance, a plumbing service could provide a “no-leak guarantee” to assure customers that any issues will be resolved promptly or revisited at no extra cost.
This commitment builds credibility and strengthens customer relationships.
Local search engine optimization ensures your business appears in search results when potential customers look for services in your area.
For this, you would need an optimized Google Business Profile with accurate information, quality photos, and positive customer reviews.
Also, include local keywords in your marketing messages, such as city names and neighborhoods, on your website and in your content.
For example, a pet grooming service could target keywords like “mobile pet grooming in [City Name]” to appeal to busy pet owners seeking convenience.
This approach drives more qualified organic search traffic to your business pages.
Collaborating with other local businesses is an effective way to reach new audiences.
One way is to join local business groups or networking events that provide opportunities to build relationships with complementary service providers. This paves the way for mutually beneficial partnerships.
For example, a café could work with a coworking space to create a membership package that includes free coffee vouchers.
This type of collaboration introduces your business to a broader audience, strengthens community ties, and improves the customer experience by offering added convenience and value.
You can set your business apart in a competitive market by tailoring your services to meet local customer needs.
The key is to offer customized solutions that address specific preferences or challenges to ensure a high customer satisfaction rate.
For instance, you can offer personalized packages at varying rates and services so that customers can select one that best suits their requirements.
According to research, 72% of customers report engaging only with personalized marketing.
Sometimes, traditional marketing methods still make an impact.
Distribute business cards, brochures, and flyers at local events, community centers, and other high-traffic areas.
These materials can reach potential customers who may not be actively searching online.
For example, a tutoring service could leave brochures at schools or libraries, while a handyman service might post flyers in local hardware stores.
Pair this with your digital marketing strategies to create a comprehensive approach that targets both online and offline audiences.
Seeing how other businesses succeed with their marketing strategies can provide valuable insights for your own service-based business.
Let’s explore some real-life examples of service businesses that have successfully used innovative marketing tactics to grow their brand and attract loyal clients.
Lema Clinic, a premium dental clinic known for cosmetic and general dentistry, sought to enhance its online presence and attract prospective clients.
To achieve this, it developed a targeted marketing strategy that combined influencer collaborations with powerful testimonials.
The clinic partnered with influencers from the beauty, health, and lifestyle niches, such as Luliana Beregoi, Nyusha, Christina Pucean, and more.
These influencers visited the clinic for consultations and treatments and documented their experiences through Instagram stories, reels, and posts along with YouTube videos.
Dee Takes Over Cleaning, a service-based cleaning business specializing in Airbnb cleaning, leveraged Instagram to establish itself as a go-to provider in the short-term rental market.
The business targeted Airbnb hosts with a strategic mix of:
One of our sister agency inBeat’s clients, Hello Fresh, a leading meal kit delivery service, launched a creator-led content strategy.
They aimed to boost engagement and referral sign-ups and reduce cost-per-acquisition (CPA) across 17 European countries.
With over 100 local creators, the campaign used a dark posting strategy to target specific demographics with personalized, culturally relevant content.
Creators shared authentic experiences, from unboxing kits to preparing meals, showcasing the convenience and quality of Hello Fresh.
The results included:
Service-based marketing is essential for building trust, attracting prospective customers, and strengthening customer relationships.
To succeed, it’s important for businesses to focus on strategies that highlight their unique offerings, optimize their online presence, and deliver positive customer experiences.
Key Takeaways
If you want to take your service marketing efforts to the next level, inBeat.co can help. The platform features free marketing calculators to help you track essential metrics like CPA, ROAS, CPM, bounce rate, and more. These data-driven insights help optimize your campaigns based on data-driven results.
The 7 Ps of service marketing refer to the key elements that businesses should focus on when developing their service marketing strategy. The 7 Ps include Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People (your employees), Process (how the service is provided or delivered), and Physical Evidence (tangible elements that support the service). These elements shape an effective service marketing strategy.
The 7 C’s of service marketing are guidelines that focus on customer-centric marketing. They are Customer Needs, Cost, Convenience, Communication, Credibility, Customer Service, and Consistency.
The service marketing triangle focuses on the relationship between the company, employees, and customers to deliver excellent service experiences.
Types of service business marketing include direct marketing, inbound and outbound marketing, referral programs, experiential events, and social media campaigns.
To market a service-based business on social media, identify your audience first. Then, share value-driven content such as tips, tutorials, behind-the-scenes, or customer testimonials. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions to build relationships. You can also use social media ads to increase reach and target specific demographics. Besides, you can collaborate with creators in your niche to expand your audience.
The key factors that influence service marketing start with intangibility. Services are intangible, so building trust through credibility is crucial. They’re also inseparable from customer interactions, meaning every experience matters. Variability in quality highlights the need for consistent training. Since services are perishable, timing is everything. Meeting customer expectations and ensuring satisfaction keeps them coming back. Finally, leveraging technology and innovation can streamline delivery and personalize the experience.
