How to Market a Cleaning Business to Attract More Clients and Grow

1. Build a marketing plan for your cleaning business

Before you start promoting your cleaning business, take time to build a clear strategy that will define your goals and guide every step.

There is a lot of noise in the world of marketing and many ways to spend money without getting results. 

A marketing plan acts as your roadmap, keeping you focused on the right customers, services, and channels. Here are the most important steps:

• Define your target audience: First, decide who you want to reach—busy families, office managers, or property managers. Identify your ideal customers so you understand their needs, priorities, and where they search for cleaning services.
• Research your market and competitors: Look at how other cleaning businesses in your area present themselves, what services they offer, and how they price their work. This will help you spot gaps and find opportunities to stand out.
• Clarify your unique selling proposition (USP): Identify what makes your business different—whether it’s green cleaning services, flexible scheduling, or specialized commercial cleaning. Once you identify what your USP is, include it in all of your marketing materials.
• Choose your service mix and pricing: Decide whether to focus on residential or commercial cleaning or offer a blend. Then, set competitive pricing that reflects your expertise, market demand, and the value you deliver.
• With these foundations in place, your marketing activities, from online ads to word-of-mouth referrals, will work harder to bring in the right kind of clients.

2. Design and build your website

It’s likely that most (if not all) of your competitors have cleaning business websites. To compete with them, you’ll need a website of your own. Here’s how to get one:

• Use a website builder. Getting a website up and running can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. Jobber makes it simple by creating a professional website for your cleaning business in minutes. Provide your details, services, and a few simple customizations.
• Include keywords that clients search for. Add keywords in your website content that you know ideal clients are searching for (e.g., “cleaning services [MY CITY]”). When people search for those keywords, your website can show up in the list of search results. This is known as local SEO (search engine optimization).
• Use a call to action (CTA). Your website should ask readers to take a specific action, like calling a phone number or filling out an online booking form.
• Show off your work. Include customer testimonials and before-and-after photos of your work. This shows potential clients what they can expect when they work with you.

3. Stay active on social media

Social media isn’t just for sharing photos or funny videos. It’s one of the simplest ways to reach the right customers and ensure that your business stays visible.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are where your potential clients already spend time.

Here’s how to start using social media to market your cleaning business:

• Create business profiles. Set up profiles for your business on the platforms where your ideal clients spend time. Make sure to include your contact details so followers can get in touch with you.
• Post helpful content regularly. This can include before-and-after cleaning photos, blog post links, special deals, cleaning tips and tricks, client testimonials, and so on. Use relevant hashtags to help your ideal clients find you.

4. Get listed on lead generation sites

Lead generation websites like Yelp, Thumbtack, Angi, and HomeAdvisor make it easy for homeowners to find service providers like you online, learn about your business, and visit your website to book an appointment.

Getting listed on these online directories is a great way to bring in new business with very little effort. Follow these steps to start using lead generation sites:

• Pick your platforms. Choose the lead generation sites and online directories that will help you achieve your goals. For example, you might have an easier time finding one-time cleaning clients on TaskRabbit. But if you’re looking for cleaning contracts, Angi or Thumbtack could be a better option. Keep in mind that you’ll need to monitor and respond to reviews on every platform you join, so it’s best to start with one or two and manage them well. 
• Set up your listing. Fill out your profile with everything potential clients should know about your business. Include multiple ways to contact you. You can also tell current clients about your new directory listing and ask them to leave online reviews.
• Sponsor your listing. Some platforms, like Yelp, let you sponsor your listing. This makes your business show up at the top of search results—before many of your competitors. If you can get lots of positive reviews on the listing, this will really help bring in new clients.

Pro Tip: Use Jobber and Thumbtack together to land even more new clients. When you get a new lead in Thumbtack, it will automatically sync to your Jobber account and send you a notification. You can follow up and win the job before the competition.

5. Pay for cleaning ads

Paid cleaning ads help you get in front of people who are actively searching for cleaning services. There are a few options to consider when you’re starting out:

• Google Local Services Ads (Pay Per Lead): These ads show up at the very top of Google when someone searches for cleaning services in your area. Instead of paying for every click, you only pay when a potential client contacts you through the ad (a “lead”). That makes them a budget-friendly way to get real inquiries from people looking to book cleaning.

6. Improve your local SEO

Local SEO ensures that when someone searches for “cleaning service near me,” your business shows up. A strong presence here helps you win clients without paying for every click.

• Google Business Profile: Start by creating a Google Business Profile. This helps your business show up in Google search results for cleaning-related keywords. Searchers can see your business hours, contact details, ratings and reviews, and a website link.

7. Send out flyers and postcards

Advertise to specific neighborhoods with a cleaning service flyer, postcard, or door hanger advertising. You can get your local post office to help with distribution, or even do it yourself.

Make your flyers using a word processor, online template, or design software—whatever you’re comfortable with. Always include your cleaning business name, contact details, and the types of cleaning services you provide.

Here’s an example of what your cleaning service flyers could look like:

8. Use your vehicle as a billboard

Placing your company details on your vehicle is an easy way to advertise everywhere you go. There are several ways to do this, ranging from a full vehicle wrap to a simple sticker or decal.

To design a vehicle wrap, talk to a local print shop and provide your business’s name, logo, slogan, and contact details. They’ll also need the make, model, and measurements of your vehicle.

You can then apply the decal yourself or get the print shop to wrap the vehicle for you. Then, all you have to do is drive around town to earn yourself plenty of free exposure.

9. Network in your community

Want to know how to advertise your cleaning business for free? Start building relationships in your community, and you’ll quickly find new opportunities to promote your cleaning business. This will also allow others to spread the word about your services, even when you’re not there.

Try networking activities like these:

• Attend trade shows. Rent a booth and talk to potential clients (and other business owners) about your services. You can drum up interest with a draw for a free cleaning package—and collect email addresses so you can contact potential clients afterwards.
• Join a community association. Every community has groups, including some that are just for business owners. Joining an association is a great way to meet other business owners, find advertising opportunities, and follow what’s happening in the community.
• Take part in community events. Volunteering at a community event can build your reputation and advertise your business while helping out your community. Every event needs cleaners, so throw on your company t-shirt and start pitching in.
• Build business partnerships. Team up with businesses that offer different types of home services. For example, a window washing company can refer you to their clients, and you can do the same. This saves clients the trouble of finding a service themselves.

You might find yourself networking with people who won’t necessarily become clients. That’s okay! Leaving a good impression can go a long way toward bringing in new business in the long run.

10. Set up a referral program

Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to grow a cleaning business. In fact, 92% of people say they trust recommendations from friends and family more than other forms of advertising. A referral program makes it easy for happy clients to spread the word.

Fortunately, starting a customer referral program is simple:

• Deliver quality service. Go over and above for every client, even if a task isn’t on your house cleaning checklist. This shows you care about your clients, and they’ll be more likely to tell friends and neighbors.
• Offer a clear reward. Give clients a reason to share the name of your company with people they know. For example, the following promotions can be helpful:
  • “Get $25 off your next cleaning for every new client you send our way.”
  • “Both you and your friend get 20% off when they book their first service.”
  • “Earn a free cleaning after three successful referrals.”
• Ask for the referral directly. Most clients are busy and might easily forget to complete the referral steps. With Jobber’s review and referral automation tools, you can automatically follow up after each visit to thank clients and ask for referrals. This is an easy way to save time after each visit, and it helps capture new leads while your great customer service is still top of mind.
• Track results. Use client names or promo codes to track referrals and see which clients are your biggest fans. You can easily do this with cleaning business software.

A referral program doesn’t just bring in new clients. It also builds loyalty with your current customers by thanking them for their trust and giving them a reason to keep recommending your business.

Jobber makes it easy to promote your referral program to customers with a professional email campaign that’s ready to send in seconds.

How it works: When a client shares their unique referral link and a new customer books, the referral is tracked automatically. Your client then receives a dollar or percentage credit toward their next service, which is automatically applied to their invoice.

On your end, you can instantly see how many referrals were made, how many new jobs they brought in, and the revenue earned from those referrals.