Attend a LIVE Service Autopilot demo this month and  be entered to win an iPad!
Get A Demo

Master Guide to Email Marketing for Snow Removal

Published on February 1, 2019

As one of the fastest, most cost-effective, and engaging ways to reach clients, email marketing for snow removal has the power to initiate quick lead conversions.

Plus, many clients prefer email communication and are more likely to answer an email than return a phone call due to its ease and convenience.

Although, keep in mind, as client inboxes quickly fill up each day, you'll have to explore effective ways to make your emails stand out from the crowd.

This guide will show you how to harness the power of these core elements to create the most successful emails:

  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Content
  • Deliverability method

Plus, despite what you might think, you don't have to be an expert to tap into email marketing.

In fact, when you know the basics, it's one of the easiest ways to market your snow removal business.

In this master guide to email marketing for snow removal, you'll discover the most effective strategies for converting leads and clients.

Lead Estimate Follow Up Campaign MADE EASY

Download Your FREE Templates!

The Importance of Email Marketing for Snow Removal

Email marketing for snow removal is important because it allows you to use emails to:

  • Attract new clients
  • Retain existing clients
  • Win back former clients
  • Sell more services to existing clients
  • Communicate job status with clients

Plus, emails are one of the most low-cost marketing strategies, which make it one of the biggest sales tools in your arsenal.

After all, emails allow you to ask for the sale without being overly intrusive.

How to Send Emails

Fortunately, the act of sending an email is a fairly easy process because it doesn’t have to be fancy or fully designed.

Ideally, you’ll work your way up to creating more eye-catching emails with images.

However, to start, simply focus on the message you're sending (e.g. your words), and don’t worry about the pictures.

Who to Target

Identifying your target audience is one of the first steps in creating effective emails.

For example, you can send emails to audiences like:

  • Current clients
  • Past clients
  • New leads

Before planning out your emails, it's important to identify who you're writing the emails to.

How to Send the Email

There are several ways you can send emails to clients and prospective clients.

For instance, if you have Outlook (or Gmail, Yahoo, etc.), and a small client list, you could send each email to each client separately.

Although, manually sending emails takes substantial time, and you wouldn't be able to funnel them into an automated email campaign series.

Ideally, you’ll want to use a bulk sending method that’ll allow you to upload a list, then blast the email out to several leads and/or clients at once (you can easily do this using Service Autopilot).

When to Send Emails

One of the main keys to creating a successful email campaign is knowing when to launch it.

Take a look at a few great times to launch an email campaign for your snow removal business:

  • Start of the winter season
  • After the first big snowfall
  • As every major snow event approaches

Also, sending emails during a blizzard may not be a bad idea either.

After all, you’ll have a highly captive audience with people stuck at home without much to do but read emails and watch TV.

Amaze Your Audience With Engaging Content

Remember, in order to get something, you need to give something.

In other words, giving solid content to clients and potential clients helps to:

  • Establish your business as as industry authority
  • Lets leads and clients know you want to HELP them, and not just SELL to them
  • Show leads and clients your business isn't all sales and fluff (e.g. you're a leading expert)

Also, you can further increase audience engagement by providing your audience with good content.

For example, you can provide your audience with links to assets you’ve created, such as:

  • Videos explaining the damage to a home if snow isn’t removed:
    • Roofs collapsing or buckling due to the weight of snow
    • Gutter damage and ice damming
  • Blogs about:
    • How to prepare for a winter storm
    • Top ways to prepare your house for the winter
    • How to choose the best snow removal business
    • Precautions to take when driving in snow and sleet

Example: New Client Email Series

Once you’ve created content, you can start sending emails to warm up prospects before hitting them with a sales offer.

Although, try to follow a sending strategy that includes more content than sales.

For example, a good sending cadence for a pre-season sale (where you’re trying to obtain new clients) could look something like this:

  1. Content
    • I.e. video on roofs collapsing, gutter damage
  2. Content
    • I.e. video on liability you have if someone falls on your property
  3. Content
    • I.e. blog on how to prepare for the first big storm with a checklist
  4. Sales Offer
    • I.e. new client, early bird contract discount
  5. Sales Offer
    • I.e. reiterate your offer from email #4 with a LIMITED TIME, X AMOUNT OF DAYS LEFT to get in on the early bird special

Example: Former Client Email Series

If you want to send an email series like the one outlined above to last year’s clients who haven’t renewed yet, you could do a shortened version, such as:

  1. Content
    • I.e. blog on how to prepare for the first big storm with checklist
  2. Sales Offer
    • I.e. early bird contract discount
  3. Sales Offer
    • I.e. reiterate your offer from email #2 with a LIMITED TIME, X AMOUNT OF DAYS LEFT to get in on the early bird special

Killer Offers That Get BIG Results

Finding the right offer is actually the easy part.

After all, you know your services and what customers are most asking for during season. Plus, you know which packages make the most money for the business.

Depending on what you offer, services to promote in your emails include:

  • De-icing
  • Plowing
  • Shoveling
  • Sidewalk management
  • Seasonal/annual contracts
  • Roof and gutter snow removal
  • Sand or salt applications on icy spots
  • Pre-treating parking lots and driveways
  • Snowblowing walkways, sidewalks, and driveways

Plus, your call to action could be something as simple as: GET A FREE ESTIMATE!

You provide your phone number, email address, or a CTA button leading to your website where they can fill out a contact form.

Alternatively, you even offer early bird discounts on annual contracts or season pass packages.

More Reasons Why Email Marketing for Snow Removal Is Lucrative

If the previous reasons for joining in on email marketing for snow removal aren't enough to convince you, then consider these facts...

For every $1 spent on email marketing, there's an average return of $36.

Additionally, consumers who purchase products through email spend 138% more than those who don't receive email offers.

Also, 80% of retail professional indicate email marketing is their greatest driver of consumer retention.

The next closest channel is social media, which was identified by just 44% of the same professionals.

Grow Your Snow Business... Faster (and with Less Stress)

Instant invoicing

Better scheduling

Manage your clients and employees all in one system

Start Software Tour

Fully Automate Your Emails With the #1 Snow Removal Software

If you were to manually launch more than one email series of this magnitude, then it would be virtually impossible to keep up.

However, with the #1 snow removal software, you'll have the power to FULLY AUTOMATE your email marketing for snow removal!

With Service Autopilot, you can set automations to put your email series on autopilot.

Simply upload your emails into the software, set your campaign frequency settings, and it'll run by itself until you tell it to stop!

Plus, when you have email integration, you'll have the ability to connect your Gmail or Outlook emails with your Service Autopilot to have a seamlessly integrated experience:

  • Tickets List makes emails instantly searchable
  • Tickets automatically generate for easier tracking
  • Assign emails to employees so they never get lost
  • Get faster leads by accessing emails within your account
  • Automatically stored emails allow for zero double data entry

Automations is the  #1 way to follow up  with clients. If you’re not using it, your business might still be successful - but it won’t grow. 

Start Automations Tour

In Service Autopilot, our automations send emails and texts to:​

Every lead after an estimate is completed
Clients after their property has been serviced​
Remind leads and clients to send you customer feedback​
Update outdated or declined payment information​
Inform them when a service can’t be completed due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. weather)​
Remind them of maintenance tips (i.e. putting a cover on the outdoor faucet before the winter)​
Start Automations Tour

Unlock the Full Power of Email Marketing for Snow Removal

Remember, one of the best ways to maximize low-cost marketing options is by tapping into email marketing for snow removal.

Now, you know how to grow your business using the top email marketing strategies to:

  • Win new clients
  • Upsell existing clients
  • Win back former clients
  • Keep existing clients happy
  • Form an open stream of communication with your target audience

Plus, email marketing has never been easier. Stop waiting and start taking advantage of these top strategies for email marketing for snow removal today!


Related: Snow Marketing: The Complete Guide


Originally published Feb 1, 2019 12:10 PM, updated Jan 11, 2022 8:21 AM

Subscribe to the Blog

Stay up to date with the latest content from the Service Autopilot Marketing Team.

Lisa Marino

Lisa Marino is the Sr. Marketing Director for Service Autopilot. She uses her 17+ years in direct marketing, sales, and product development to push entrepreneurs beyond their limits. She's passionate about helping others grow their businesses through time-tested marketing techniques. When not writing, you can find her belting out a mean Stevie Nicks at a local karaoke night.
ALL POSTS

Tags:

Table of Contents
Primary Item (H2)

Free Downloads

Pricing Calculator

Quick guide to fixing your pricing.

Equipment Guide

The best snow equipment guide for your business.

Estimate Template

Win more clients with this "Done-for-you" estimate template.

Leave a Reply