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Paid Advertising For Pool Companies: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Skimmer
Updated:  
April 4, 2024

Marketing strategies and tactics typically fall into one of three categories:

  1. Earned media
  2. Owned media
  3. Paid media

This post will focus on the latter category and explore the top paid advertising ideas for pool service businesses.

We'll break down:

  • How each ad type works and their unique benefits,
  • How to test and know which marketing channels are right for your business,
  • And examples of brands using each channel effectively.

And don't worry if you're brand new to the world of paid advertising - this post is geared toward absolute beginners.

Let's get started!

Marketing best practices for pool service companies

Digital marketing is a massive field of expertise and one that often feels overwhelming to solo entrepreneurs or pool service owners. But the idea that you must be doing "all the things" at all times is a myth. And it's a surefire way to sabotage your paid marketing efforts before you even start.

In fact, you’ll rarely find swimming pool companies going full speed on all the following channels simultaneously. That would require a massive marketing budget (and a full-time marketing team), which is probably not tenable for the average bootstrapped pool service business or pool builder.

But at the end of the day, you still need more leads. So what's the solution? Testing a few channels at a time, figuring out what works, and doubling down on those channels.

In Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth, the authors recommend the "Bullseye Framework" for testing marketing channels and finding which ones work best for your business. The framework is a great way to develop a marketing strategy without burning through cash or pulling your hair out. Here's a summary of this approach:

Step 1: Brainstorm

The first step in the Bullseye Framework involves generating a list of potential marketing channels to test (which we've done for you in this post!). During the brainstorming phase, consider all marketing ideas, even those that might seem unconventional or less relevant at first glance (like radio or outdoor advertising).

Step 2: Rank

After identifying potential marketing channels, rank them in order of expected effectiveness based on your understanding of your target audience, market, and resources. This process helps prioritize the channels that seem most promising and allows business owners to focus their initial testing efforts on these channels.

Step 3: Prioritize

Next, select the top three to five channels from their ranked list and develop a plan to test each one.

For you, that may be:

  • YouTube Ads
  • Radio Ads
  • Facebook Ads

Then, run small-scale, inexpensive marketing campaigns to determine the effectiveness of each channel without investing significant time or resources.

Step 4: Test

During the testing phase, execute the experiments, analyze the results, and discard the ineffective channels. Then, repeat the framework until you've tested everything and are left with 3-5 channels that produce consistent results.

 

Benefits of paid advertising for pool builders and pool business owners

As a professional pool company, you shouldn't invest your time or money into anything that doesn't have a proven benefit or ROI. Let's look at some of the specific benefits of using paid ways to advertise your pool business.

Targeted audience reach

Paid advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads allow you to target your ads specifically to people interested in pool services. This means your ads will be seen by potential clients who are more likely to be qualified leads (and convert into paying customers).

Increased visibility

With paid advertising, your pool service business can instantly gain visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) and social media platforms, increasing the chances that potential clients will find you.

Faster results

Paid advertising can deliver immediate results, helping you quickly grow your customer base and test different aspects of your business (like landing pages, pricing structures, and marketing copy). While we love organic marketing channels like search engine optimization (SEO), these can take months of dedicated work before seeing results.

Measurable performance

Paid advertising platforms provide detailed analytics that helps you track your ad performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your campaigns for better results.

Geographic targeting

Paid advertising platforms enable you to target your ads by location, ensuring you reach potential clients in your service area and avoiding wasted ad spend on viewers outside your target market. This is especially relevant to local, service-based verticals like the pool industry.

Improved website traffic

Running paid advertising campaigns can help drive more traffic to your website, leading to increased engagement, inquiries, and, ultimately, more lead generation for your pool service business.

Opportunity for remarketing

Paid advertising platforms often offer robust remarketing capabilities. Remarketing is the process of targeting past customers or re-engaging with potential clients who previously visited your website or interacted with your ads but didn't convert.

By leveraging paid advertising, your pool service business can enjoy these benefits and more. With the right strategy, paid advertising can be a powerful tool for growth and success in the competitive pool service industry. Now that we've set the stage, let's dive deeper into the particular marketing channels available to your business.

 

Google Ads

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads (otherwise known as Google Adwords, PPC ads, or pay-per-click) is an online advertising platform developed by Google that allows businesses to display their ads on Google search results pages, YouTube, and other partner websites.

If you're wondering how Google makes its money, look no further than Google Ads. In Q4 2022, Google's revenue totaled $76 billion, of which $42.6 billion (or 56%) was from search engine marketing ads.

google-ads-for-pool-company

 

Here's how it works:

Advertisers bid on specific keywords relevant to their products or services, and when users search for those keywords, the ads appear alongside or above the organic search results. Note that keywords in the eyes of Google aren't necessarily single words but entire search queries ("pool service near me," "pool cleaning in AZ," etc.).

Advertisers are charged whenever a user clicks on their ad (hence the term "pay-per-click"). Google Ads helps businesses reach potential customers actively searching for their offerings, increasing the chances of driving website traffic and conversions.

Google Ads Benefits for Pool Builders and Pool Service Companies

Local Reach

Google Ads enables you to target your campaigns based on geographical locations, ensuring users see your ads in your service area.

High Intent Traffic

When people use Google to search for pool services or pool builders, they typically have a specific need or problem they want to address. By placing your ads on relevant search queries, you can tap into this high-intent traffic and increase the chances of converting searchers into customers.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Model

Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click model, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This ensures you're only paying for results, making it a cost-effective advertising option for pool businesses.

Customizable Budget

With Google Ads, you have complete control over your advertising budget, allowing you to allocate your resources efficiently. You can set daily or monthly spending limits and adjust your bids based on the performance of your campaigns.

Measurable Results

Google Ads provides detailed performance metrics, making it easy to track the success of your campaigns. This data-driven approach helps pool businesses optimize their campaigns, refine their targeting, and improve their overall return on investment (ROI).

Integration with Google My Business

Google Ads can be integrated with your Google My Business listing, further enhancing your online presence and visibility in local search results. This combination can help drive more calls, website visits, and customer inquiries.

By leveraging Google Ads, pool builders and pool service companies can enjoy these benefits and more, helping them attract new customers, increase revenue, and grow their businesses in a competitive market.

 

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Facebook Ads

What is Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads is a powerful advertising platform that allows businesses to create and display targeted ads to users on Facebook and its partner platforms, such as Instagram and Messenger. Advertisers can choose from various ad formats, like images, videos, and carousel ads, and target their ads based on user demographics, interests, and behaviors.

Since Facebook collects so much personal data on its users, its targeting tools are second-to-none. If you wanted to, you could target men aged 35 - 40 who shop at J. Crew and watch The Office. It's that granular, making it a powerhouse for advertisers.

Facebook-ads-for-pool-company

One of the best places to get inspiration for high-performing Facebook ads is the Facebook (now called Meta) ad library. Here, you can type in a keyword and see all active ads. Brands will often use a variety of visuals. including image carousels, vertical videos, and more.

How Facebook Ads can benefit pool service businesses

Precise Targeting

Facebook Ads allow pool service businesses to target users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that ads are shown to potential customers most likely to require pool services.

Visual Appeal

With the ability to create image and video ads, pool service businesses can showcase their work and services in an engaging, visually appealing way that captures users' attention.

Custom Audiences

Using Custom Audiences, pool service businesses can re-target past website visitors and existing customers, encouraging repeat business and building customer loyalty.

Local Awareness

Facebook Ads enables= geotargeting, allowing pool service businesses to focus their ad campaigns on local users, increasing the chances of attracting clients within their service area.

Trackable Results

The platform provides detailed analytics and insights, making it easy for pool service businesses to measure their campaigns' success and make data-driven optimization decisions.

User Engagement

Facebook Ads offers various ad formats, such as carousel ads and lead ads, which encourage user interaction and engagement, leading to higher conversion rates.

Viral Potential

When users like, comment, or share your ads on Facebook, their friends may also see the ad, increasing its visibility and potentially creating viral growth for your pool service business.

 

Instagram Ads

What are Instagram Ads?

Instagram Ads is an advertising platform integrated with Facebook Ads, allowing businesses to create and display ads on Instagram, a popular photo and video-sharing platform. Advertisers can choose from different ad formats like images, videos, carousel ads, and Stories ads, targeting users based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors.

How Instagram Ads can benefit pool service businesses

Visual Appeal

Instagram Ads allow pool service businesses to showcase their work through visually appealing images and videos, highlighting their expertise and the quality of their services.

Storytelling Opportunities

Instagram Stories Ads provide a unique way for pool service businesses to share their brand's narrative, allowing them to connect with users on a more personal level and build trust.

Mobile-Friendly Advertising

As a predominantly mobile platform, Instagram Ads are designed to be easily consumed on smartphones, ensuring that pool service businesses can effectively reach users on their preferred devices.

Influencer Collaborations

Instagram is a popular platform for influencers, and by partnering with them, pool service businesses can tap into their established audiences and gain credibility through endorsements.

Shop Feature

Instagram's Shop feature enables pool service businesses to tag their products or services within their posts, allowing users to easily explore and make purchases directly from the platform. Since Facebook (Meta) owns Instagram, you can view Instagram ads in the Meta Ad library by clicking the Filters option and selecting Instagram as a platform.

Instagram-ads-for-pool-company

YouTube Ads

What is YouTube Ads?

YouTube Ads is an advertising platform that enables businesses to display video ads on YouTube, the world's largest video-sharing platform (and second-largest search engine). Advertisers can create various video ads, such as skippable and non-skippable ads, bumper ads, and overlay ads, which appear before, during, or after users watch videos on the platform.

YouTube-ads-for-pool-company

YouTube Ads allow businesses to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and viewing habits, helping them reach potential customers more effectively and efficiently.

How YouTube Ads can benefit pool service businesses

Engaging Video Content

YouTube Ads allow pool service businesses to showcase their services through visually appealing and engaging video content, effectively capturing the attention of potential customers and demonstrating the value of their offerings.

Cost-effective Advertising

YouTube's cost-per-view (CPV) bidding model ensures that pool service businesses only pay when viewers watch their ad, making it a budget-friendly advertising option.

Enhanced Brand Recall

The combination of visual and auditory elements in YouTube ads helps improve brand recall, as viewers are more likely to remember the messaging of a pool service business when presented in an engaging video format.

Mobile-friendly Platform

With a significant percentage of YouTube views coming from mobile devices, pool service businesses can effectively reach potential customers on the go, capturing their attention during moments of leisure or downtime.

LinkedIn Ads

What are LinkedIn Ads?

LinkedIn Ads is a professional advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking site.  Advertisers can create sponsored content, sponsored InMail, display ads, and more to target users based on their job titles, industries, company size, and other professional attributes. LinkedIn Ads offers a unique opportunity for businesses to reach a highly engaged professional audience, making it particularly effective for B2B marketing.

Linkedin-ads-for-pool-company

 

How LinkedIn Ads can benefit pool service businesses

Target Professionals and Decision-Makers

LinkedIn Ads allow pool service businesses to target professionals and decision-makers in specific industries, such as property management and real estate, who may require pool maintenance services for commercial properties or residential communities.

Build B2B Relationships

LinkedIn is a platform focused on business networking, making it an ideal place for pool service companies to establish and strengthen relationships with other businesses, leading to partnerships or referral opportunities.

Showcase Expertise

By running Sponsored Content ads, pool service businesses can share informative articles, case studies, or industry insights, positioning themselves as experts in the field and attracting potential clients who value quality work and professionalism.

Utilize LinkedIn's Detailed Targeting

LinkedIn Ads offers advanced targeting options, such as job titles, company size, and industry, allowing pool service businesses to reach highly specific audiences more likely to require their services.

Promote Events or Webinars

If a pool service company hosts educational events or webinars, LinkedIn Ads can be an effective way to promote these events to a relevant and professional audience, increasing attendance and generating new leads.

Attract Quality Talent

For pool service businesses looking to grow their teams, LinkedIn Ads can help attract highly skilled professionals, leading to an improved quality of service and a stronger reputation in the industry.

Generate High-Quality Leads

LinkedIn's Lead Generation Forms, available in Sponsored Content and Sponsored InMail ads, enable pool service businesses to collect contact information from interested prospects directly within the platform, resulting in high-quality leads that can be nurtured into clients.

Radio Ads

What are Radio Ads?

Radio ads are a form of traditional advertising that allows businesses to broadcast their promotional messages over radio stations. Radio ads can help businesses reach a large audience, increase brand awareness, and influence consumer behavior.

How can it be used to benefit pool service businesses?

Wide Local Reach

Radio ads can potentially reach a large local audience, allowing pool service businesses to effectively raise brand awareness and target potential customers within their service area.

Cost-Effective Advertising

Compared to television ads and print ads, radio ads tend to be more cost-effective, making them an attractive option for pool service businesses with limited marketing budgets.

Creative Storytelling

Radio ads rely on audio storytelling, allowing pool service businesses to use engaging narratives, sound effects, and music to capture the listener's attention and create a memorable impression.

Drive Time Exposure

Many people listen to the radio during their morning and evening commutes, which means pool service businesses can capitalize on this captive audience by airing their ads during peak drive times, increasing the chances of reaching potential customers when they are most likely to be receptive to advertising messages.

Television Ads

What are Television Ads?

Television ads are a form of paid advertising where businesses showcase their products or services through short commercials on various TV channels. The primary goal of television advertising is to reach a wide audience, create brand awareness, and influence viewers' purchasing decisions. The effectiveness of a TV ad campaign depends on factors such as ad placement, frequency, and the target audience's demographics.

How can TV ads benefit pool builder marketing?

Broad Audience Reach

Television ads can potentially reach many viewers, increasing brand awareness and visibility for pool service businesses among a diverse audience.

Emotional Connection

Television ads allow pool service businesses to create engaging stories and visuals that can resonate with viewers, fostering an emotional connection that can drive customer loyalty.

Credibility

Being featured on TV can enhance the credibility and reputation of pool service businesses, as television advertising is often associated with established, successful companies.

Complement Digital Marketing Efforts

By combining television ads with online marketing strategies, pool service businesses can create a comprehensive and cohesive brand message, reinforcing their presence across multiple channels.

Outdoor Ads

What are outdoor ads?

Outdoor ads, also known as out-of-home (OOH) advertising, encompass various advertising formats displayed outside of a consumer's home. Examples include billboards, transit posters, bus shelters, and digital signage.

How can outdoor ads benefit pool service businesses?

High Visibility

Outdoor advertising, such as billboards and transit ads, are often placed in high-traffic areas, making them highly visible to potential customers and increasing brand awareness, specifically among local communities.

Long Exposure Time

Since outdoor ads are displayed 24/7, they provide continuous exposure to your pool service business, helping to reinforce your brand message and create a lasting impression on potential customers.

Captive Audience

Commuters and pedestrians often encounter outdoor advertising during their daily routines, providing a captive audience for your pool service business message, which can help build brand recall over time.

Geo-targeting

Outdoor advertising allows pool service businesses to target specific geographical areas, ensuring that ads are seen by potential customers within the company's service area, thereby increasing the likelihood of attracting local clients.

Newspaper/Magazine Ads

What are Newspaper/Magazine Ads?

Newspaper and magazine ads can come in various formats, including display ads, classified ads, and advertorials. Display ads are visually appealing and can be found throughout the publication, while classified ads are text-based and usually grouped into specific categories. Advertorials are a blend of advertisements and editorial content designed to provide useful information while promoting a business.

How can they be used to benefit pool service businesses?

Targeted Audience

Newspaper and magazine ads allow pool service businesses to reach a specific demographic or geographic audience based on the readership of the chosen publication, ensuring that their message reaches the right people.

Credibility and Trust

Print publications, particularly well-established newspapers and magazines, often carry a sense of credibility and trust, which can enhance the reputation of a pool service business when advertising in these media.

Tangible Experience

The tactile nature of print media can create a memorable experience for readers, making it more likely that they will recall and consider your pool service business when in need of pool-related services.

Coupon Advertising

What is coupon advertising?

Coupon advertising is a marketing strategy that involves distributing discount vouchers or promotional codes to potential customers, encouraging them to try a product or service at a reduced price. Coupons can be distributed through various channels, such as newspapers, magazines, direct mail, email, websites, or mobile apps. This strategy can help businesses attract new customers, increase sales, and foster customer loyalty.

How can it be used to benefit pool service businesses?

Incentivize Customer Trials

Coupon advertising encourages potential customers to try out your pool services at a reduced cost, making them more likely to give your business a chance over competitors without such offers.

Boost Seasonal Sales

By offering coupons during specific seasons or times when pool service demand may be lower, you can help boost sales and maintain a steady flow of customers throughout the year.

Encourage Repeat Business

By offering coupons for future services or loyalty discounts, you can incentivize existing customers to continue using your pool services, fostering customer retention and loyalty.

Increase Word-of-Mouth Referrals

Satisfied customers who have benefited from your coupon offers are more likely to recommend your pool service business to friends and family, leading to valuable word-of-mouth referrals.

Track Marketing Effectiveness

Coupons allow you to monitor the success of your advertising efforts, as customers must redeem them to receive discounts. This helps pool service businesses evaluate the performance of different marketing channels and optimize their strategies accordingly.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Coupons with expiration dates can create a sense of urgency, prompting potential customers to act quickly and make a decision to use your pool services before the offer expires.

Cross-Promote with Complementary Businesses

Coupon advertising allows pool service businesses to partner with complementary businesses (e.g., pool equipment suppliers or landscapers) to offer joint promotions, expanding your reach and potentially attracting new customers.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there's no shortage of paid marketing channels available to help pool service businesses succeed and grow in today's competitive market. From Google Ads to coupon advertising, each channel offers unique benefits that can cater to your specific business needs and goals.

Developing an effective marketing strategy involves testing various channels (no matter how unconventional or irrelevant they seem on the surface) and systematically doubling down on the most effective tactics. As you explore the potential of paid advertising to boost your pool service business, consider taking advantage of Skimmer's powerful features to streamline your operations and enhance your customers' experiences.

Skimmer is a pool service management software that helps pool pros grow by ensuring consistent, premium and profitable service across every customer touchpoint. To learn more about how Skimmer can revolutionize the way you manage your pool service business, watch this live demo now and discover the difference it can make for your company's growth and success.

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