How To Market a Service-Based Business

Marketing a service-based business is a tad different from marketing a product-based one. But don’t worry. We’ll be exploring the options available to you and how you can set yourself apart from competitors.

This article is full of examples from various service-based businesses, from law firms to healthcare providers.

We’ve split this guide into two sections, as potential customers are either:

1. Unaware they need you

2. Aware they need your service but haven’t chosen you (yet)

This first section will be about marketing to those unaware consumers.

Unaware Consumers

These are people who don’t know they need your service.

Maybe they think they can DIY, or simply don’t know a service like yours exists, or they don’t realise that your service can solve their problem.

How you can market to these customers depends on the stage of the funnel, so let’s start with the top of the funnel.

How to Reach Unaware Customers at the Top of the Funnel

There are plenty of people out there who are your ideal customers, but they just don’t know it yet. They don’t know your service exists or realise it’s a good fit for them.

This section will explore the marketing techniques you can use to connect with these people.

PPC

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads are a great way to promote your service-based business to someone who hasn’t heard of your business or your service before.

When creating ads targeting consumers unaware of your service, you need to focus on the problem you are solving and the pain you are relieving.

Let’s use a mobile banking app like Monzo as an example. Many people will be used to traditional ways of banking, where you need to visit a bank in person to sign up for an account and only have one “pot” to keep your money in.

They may have some pain points around managing their money when it all comes out of one “pot”, and not have thought about changing banks because it takes time to set up a new account.

They might not be aware that there are banks where you can register fully online and split your money into different pots under one account to help manage your spending.

Monzo’s PPC ads are straightforward, just like their approach to banking.

This ad highlights how fast it is to set up a Monzo account (15 minutes), shows off the pots system and includes social proof by sharing that “7 million people trust Monzo with their banking.”

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Someone new to Monzo and this type of bank account will be intrigued by the offering, especially if they need these features (fast registration, multiple pots to split up income).

The social proof reassures consumers who haven’t heard of the brand before that it’s legitimate.

To recap, if you want to get the attention of consumers who are unaware of your business or service, you need to include the following:

The problem you solve
How you solve it
Social proof.

Content

Content marketing is a great way to reach consumers who don’t realise there is a solution to their problem.

They will often search for answers to problems that show your service is a great fit, but they don’t know that such a service exists.

This doesn’t just apply to businesses that provide a brand new service — it also applies to businesses that offer a service many people don’t realise they offer.

For example, someone may think that the only way they can get their signature notarised is by going to a courthouse, but they can get it witnessed by a solicitor, often for cheaper. They might not even know to use the word “notarised”.

This person may have questions leading up to getting their signature witnessed, such as “How much does it cost to get a signature witnessed in court?”

If you’re a law firm offering this service, you could create content explaining the various costs of getting a signature witnessed, including both by the court and a solicitor at your firm.

Another example could be, “Who can witness my signature in the UK?” This person doesn’t know how to go about doing this at all and is unaware that the courthouse or a solicitor is an option.

A guide like this one from Legal Vision, which explains who can witness signatures in the UK, would be a great asset to any law firm looking to get more customers for this service.

Yes — it’s a low-cost service that isn’t going to be the bulk of a solicitor’s income by any means, but it’s the type of service that will get clients at a low level who may become higher-paying clients in the future when they need more advanced legal services.

You can take this content a step further by adding videos, especially if the topic you’re explaining needs a visual explanation.
So, how do you find these questions? It can be difficult to determine what consumers don’t know about your business when you’re so deep in it.

Tools like AlsoAsked and Answer the Public are a great way to see what people ask about a certain topic.

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You can answer multiple great questions on this topic, including “Can anyone witness your signature?” and “Who is a suitable witness for a signature?”

To create content likely to rank highly on Google for these questions, search them in the search engine and review the content that appears.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of aiming to hit a certain word count to get you that top spot, but there isn’t a magic number. Sometimes it’s about how users interact with your page and whether Google sees signals that they got a good answer from your content.

This article from Sprint Law covers a lot of questions that come up for this topic, but despite being a longer, more thorough piece of content, it ranks third on Google, not first.

The top spot for this search — the featured snippet spot — is taken by a very short FAQ page that answers the question quickly and simply, meaning that Google likely prefers this style of content to appear top for this search based on user behaviour.

That said, you shouldn’t just copy the content in the first position. It’s important to review the top 10 pieces of content at least, look for similarities, and then create something better.

Lead Magnets and Downloadables

Lead magnets are ideal for educating an uneducated consumer and can be used as part of a blog or guide or as part of a PPC campaign.

Creating lead magnets can educate your audience or make their life easier and act as a great way to collect their emails so you can retarget them with a nurture email sequence to move them down the funnel.

For example, someone who is a great candidate for an accountant may not realise this and will likely be searching for things like “How to track small business finances”.

You could create a guide to tracking small business finances with a spreadsheet download as a lead magnet.

You can then send them an automated email sequence about keeping track of small business finances while explaining how your services can help remove that stress.

They might not have considered an accountant an option and thought they could track the finances themselves with a spreadsheet template. This email sequence will help warm them up to the idea of hiring an accountant and warm them up to hiring you in particular.

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Middle of the Funnel

Now these people are aware of your business and service, you may need to help them understand why they need your service or prove why you are the best option for them. They’re in the nurturing stage.

You can do this through a mailing list, downloadable content, positioning, lead magnets and content like videos and blogs.

Positioning

Let’s start with your positioning, as this will influence the rest of your content and how people feel about your business.
It’s also one of the best ways to help you stand out, especially if you’re offering a service in a competitive industry.

Let’s take one of our clients, Patino Law Firm.

The law industry is very competitive, so any law firm needs to find a way to stand out.

Patino does this by making it clear on their homepage that they are veteran-owned and speak Spanish.

By positioning themselves this way, Patino has made it clear that they’re the best option for veterans looking for a lawyer who understands them and the best option for Spanish speakers who want to communicate easily with their lawyer.

Patino could have left these things off their homepage and instead opted to focus on the awards they’ve won or another element of their business, but this really gives their services that human touch and appeals to potential customers on a personal level, which is the positioning they want for their business.

Service businesses have plenty of opportunities to use positioning to stand out.

One great way to find out how to stand out is to look at common complaints people have about other businesses offering your service.

One way you can do this is by beginning to type a question into Google, for example, “Why do airlines…” and then see what endings to that question Google auto-fills. It chooses the autofill responses based on frequently asked questions.

Based on these results, an airline would have plenty of ways to position itself.

Maybe they offer the cheapest bags, or they make it really easy for you to see which bag sizes they accept for free and which they charge for. Or they promise to never overbook and make it clear what happens in the case of flights being cancelled.

This could lead to them positioning themselves as the industry’s most transparent and honest airline.

Other airlines embrace these complaints. Ryanair has positioned itself as the low-cost airline, so they poke fun on social media at how they charge for additional things on their flights and make it clear that they do this to offer the cheapest price for the flights themselves. Their website reflects this positioning by highlighting current deals they have on flights.

Content

Blogs

Blogs are still a great asset to service businesses once a potential customer knows you.

They still might not be sure if they’re right for your service or if you’re right for them, so blogs are a great way to nurture them and help them make a decision.

You can do this by including informative videos, testimonials and great information.

A key element in your blogs should also be internal linking. Your blogs shouldn’t feel like stand-alone pieces.

That way, if someone is unsure whether or not your service is right for them, they can quickly learn more from the links throughout the blog.

Here’s a blog from Bupa talking about carpal tunnel release surgery.

The blog includes credibility right at the top, making it clear an expert reviewer checked over the article to ensure it accurately described this.

A video at the top of the blog explains the procedure. Before that, it explains who might want to get this surgery and some of the symptoms that might be associated with needing this surgery, aka why someone might need it.

There are links throughout linking to other related services Bupa offers, like less invasive treatments, and it answers lots of objections by including answers to frequently asked questions, like how soon after the surgery you can drive and what complications you might experience.
Including videos, testimonials, expert information, internal links to other useful information and objection handling in a blog is helpful for any service business, even if you’re not offering healthcare services.

Webinars

At this stage, potential customers are likely looking for more information about your service and may be weighing up a few options.

Hosting regular webinars talking about your service, walking people through the process and answering questions live could be the thing that moves someone towards becoming a customer.

If you have a segmented mailing list, you can email people about the webinar topics that are most interesting to them. If you’ve run webinars in the past, you can point subscribers towards older webinars that you know will answer many of their frequently asked questions.

Keep in mind not everyone will want to watch a webinar, especially if it’s long, so make sure the webinar’s content is accessible elsewhere, either as a blog, an FAQ section or a downloadable guide.

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Case Studies

Case studies are another effective type of content for service-based businesses.

As a service-based business, you often sell the end result to people. You’re not selling them a tangible product they can return if they’re unhappy with it.

There’s often more risk involved when choosing a business to carry out a service, and people want to be sure before they spend any money.

You can demonstrate the business’s expertise and the results you deliver by showcasing successful projects or clients.

This can build trust with potential clients and help differentiate the business from competitors.

Mailing List

As a service-based business, you can use your email list to nurture people in the middle of the funnel by creating targeted email campaigns that provide valuable information and resources.

These campaigns should focus on addressing the audience’s specific pain points and needs and offer solutions that position your business as an expert in their field and the best option for them.

One effective strategy is creating a series of automated emails that are triggered based on the subscriber’s behaviour, such as clicking on a specific link or downloading a resource. These emails can offer additional resources and information relevant to the subscriber’s interests and help move them closer to making a purchase or booking a consultation.

Trainline does a great job of this. If you start a search but don’t buy a ticket, Trainline will email you a few hours later, reminding you about your journey.

Another way to nurture leads in the middle of the funnel is to offer exclusive content or promotions only available to email subscribers.

This can include access to webinars, whitepapers, or discounts on services.

This can work as an incentive to join your mailing list and encourages subscribers to stay subscribed as they don’t want to miss out on future discounts.

This is especially important if they’re likely to use your services more than once or buy more services in the future.

This email from insurance provider Admiral offers 25% off travel insurance to anyone who subscribes to the email list. Subscribers may have purchased a different insurance product in the past and have yet to learn about Admiral’s travel insurance.

It’s essential to segment your email list based on the subscriber’s interests and behaviour so that you can tailor your campaigns to their specific needs.

This can be done by asking subscribers to complete a survey or by tracking their behaviour on your website.

By sending targeted and relevant emails, you can increase engagement and improve your chances of converting leads into customers.

Bottom of the Funnel

Once these unaware people are closer to the bottom of the funnel, you can use a few marketing techniques to convert them into paying customers.

Content

Content at this stage should be focused on providing consumers with the information they need to make a decision. This could include case studies, testimonials and comparisons with competitors or other services you offer.

Pricing information is also helpful at this stage. Customers ready to make a purchase will want to know how much your service costs and what they can expect to receive in return.

Providing transparent pricing information can help build trust and make it easier for customers to make a decision.
This pricing page from Eurostar makes it very clear to anyone that hasn’t travelled with them before that there are different pricing options.

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It’s clear to the customer that there are different levels of tickets, as well as different costs throughout the day, AND that other days may be cheaper to travel on than others.

This means the customer can make an informed decision about which ticket is best for them.

They may be happy to pay a higher price if they’re travelling at a time more suitable for them, but they can choose a cheaper time or day if they’d prefer.

Calls to Action

A good call to action should be clear and concise, telling the reader exactly what they need to do next.

Remember that these unaware people might not understand the process behind your service — they won’t know what happens when they choose to engage with you, which might feel scary.

Virtual phone answering service Moneypenny offers three different CTAs.

“Get your quote” makes it clear that if you click this button, you’ll be taken to get a quote.
“How it works” is a great option for someone who is new to this service and business and might want to know how this service works.
“Chat now” allows the visitor to ask questions via live chat, which could help clear any objections they have about the service.

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If your customers need to book a consultation or make an appointment, clarify how you will contact them and what’s next once they’ve booked with you. They might be reassured by phrases such as “no obligation quote”, as this takes the pressure off them if they decide not to use your service.

Make sure they get a confirmation email once they’ve taken this step so they know their request is being handled.

Testing different calls to action to see what works best for your audience. This can involve testing different wording, colours, and placement to find the most effective combination.

Retargeting

Retargeting allows you to stay top-of-mind with potential customers who may have been interested in your services but didn’t convert on their first visit.

They could be comparing you with competitors, needing to think about their decision, or maybe they simply got distracted and forgot to make an appointment or purchase. These things happen.

By showing them relevant ads as they browse the web, you can remind them of your business and encourage them to return and convert.

These ads can be super targeted, including information about certain pages someone has visited. This means you can tailor your messaging to their specific interests and needs, increasing the chances of conversion.

By targeting people who have already shown interest in your business, you’re not wasting your advertising budget on people who are unlikely to convert but focusing on those who are more likely to become customers.

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Aware Consumers

This section focuses on people who know the service they need but they’re researching who they want to work with.

They’re weighing up their options and looking for the best deal.

It’s important to remember that the best deal doesn’t mean the cheapest. You could be the most reliable or offer the best customer service.

You’ll see many of the same channels we talked about in the first section, but the positioning of the content will be slightly different as these people are more aware of the service or you but need convincing to convert.

How to Reach Aware Customers at the Top of the Funnel

Educational Content

People at the top of the funnel are likely to know they need a service but might be researching topics related to that service.

For example, someone who wants to sell their house might be looking for ways they can save money and do things themselves.
Someone looking to travel might be weighing up whether they should travel by car, train or aeroplane.
Someone looking for security for an event might be researching how much security they need and where to place them.

You can help them with these questions.

Yes, sometimes it feels scary to share your knowledge. If you tell the person looking for security that 50 security guards are just enough, they won’t opt for a bigger package, right?

Wrong. This is why educational blogs are so powerful.

If you show the reader your expertise and authority on a subject, they’ll likely listen to your suggestions.
Suppose you make it clear that, yes, hiring 50 security guards is the cheapest option for their event, but having 75 will result in a better attendee experience and higher levels of safety. In that case, they’ll be more likely to go for the higher option when they reach the bottom of the funnel.

This blog from Region Security Guarding includes a video and plenty of information about different questions that someone looking to hire security might have.

This works for any type of service business. Research the questions people ask when they’re considering paying for your service, and then use blog content to answer these questions.

Interactive Tools

Interactive tools are a great way to build trust and a helpful way to get potential customers onto your mailing list.

Money Supermarket offers a no-obligation quote tool which prompts you to add your email if you want to easily access your quotes later, and so you can have them sent to you via email.

They can then use your email to remind you about your quote and nudge you towards converting.

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Middle of the Funnel

The middle of the funnel is a crucial stage for people who know they need your services but have yet to convert.

Either they already have a service provider in mind, and you need to show them you’re a better option, or they know about you and are weighing up their options. You need to prove to them that you’re the right choice.

Mailing List and Automated Email

Someone at the top of the funnel may sign up for your mailing list when they download a lead magnet, use a tool or get a discount.

Or maybe you’ve made your mailing list sound really valuable and enticing.

However they end up on that list, you need to use it to your advantage.

This is your chance to warm them up to you and your services and explain why you’re the best option.

Here’s one of the emails MoneySuperMarket sends after someone has requested a quote.

Content

You have some really great opportunities to convince potential customers your service is the best with content marketing.

You could create content exploring what your service involves. You can do this in text or video format or both. This will help you communicate why your service is different to competitors and help dispel any misconceptions.

For example, the London Smile Clinic makes it clear that as part of their veneers treatment, they will have a chance to test out temporary veneers before they have the full procedure done, to make sure they’re happy with how their teeth will look once they have the full veneers done.

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The company also offers a downloadable guide with a CTA highlighting many common customer concerns — having a painful experience, needing to spend more than they expected or doing irreversible damage.

This type of content is great for reassuring people who may have heard bad things about your industry or been burnt before by someone in a similar service-based business.

Positioning

Your positioning is one way to stand out from competitors in your niche. It’s your chance to show why you’re different, and it will be present in every part of your business and marketing.

Really Moving positions itself as a business that makes moving simple. This is clear from the headline on their homepage “Make your move simple”.

They have multiple CTAs to help you take the right next step without needing to hunt for it, and further down the page, they have several helpful resources to make this process as simple as possible.

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MyHomeMove, also in the home industry, focuses on the conveyancing side of buying a house.

By positioning themselves as the experts in this one area of house buying, they’re able to set themselves apart from other businesses that offer more services.

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Another way to stand out is by finding common pain points people have with your industry or service.

We talked about this earlier, but if you missed it, you could do this by typing “Why Do [your industry]…” into Google and seeing how Google auto-fills the next part.

For example (ignoring the questions about solicitors’ headgear), we can see that people often search for “Why do solicitors take so long?” and “Why do solicitors charge so much?”

If a solicitor wanted to base their positioning on this, they could make it clear that they work fast or are transparent about costs.

Bottom of the Funnel

Once you’ve nurtured these potential customers, it’s time to convert them.

Content

Content is still a great way to convert customers at the bottom of the funnel. One of the best ways to do this is with comparisons.

Competitor Comparisons

When converting customers for a service-based business, competitor comparisons can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

Not only are they informative, but they also provide a way to showcase the unique benefits of your services over your competitors.

Here are some ways competitor comparisons can work wonders for your service-based business:

Highlighting Your Strengths: By comparing your services with your competitors, you can highlight the areas where your business truly shines. Whether it’s exceptional customer service, faster turnaround times, or a more comprehensive range of offerings, this friendly approach lets potential customers see what sets you apart.

Building Trust: People appreciate transparency, and a well-crafted competitor comparison demonstrates that you’re confident in what you offer. This transparency helps build trust with your audience, making them more likely to choose your services over others, even if you don’t outmatch your competitors on every point.

Addressing Pain Points: Customers often have specific pain points or challenges they want to overcome. By comparing how your services address those pain points more effectively, you can position yourself as the ideal solution, showing that you truly understand their needs.

Avoid bashing competitors, as this can come across as unprofessional and may even alienate potential customers.

Just be honest and focus on your strengths and the benefits your services bring while acknowledging the choices customers have in the market.

This competitor comparison from Klaviyo is a bit tongue in cheek — they actually reference Mailchimp’s comparison of the two platforms, directly quoting them.

They don’t rely on cheekiness alone, though, as this guide is very in-depth and does a great job of positioning Klaviyo as the right choice for their ideal customers.

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Price Comparisons

Including a price comparison as a landing page or a key page is a great way to convert potential customers.

Just because you’re showing them different pricing options doesn’t mean they’ll always go for the cheapest one, as long as you’re clear about the value the higher-priced services offer.

One of our clients, CHAS, who provide compliance and risk management solutions, offers a dynamic price comparison page where you can move a slider to indicate how many employees you have, which will change the prices of the different membership packages accordingly.

This makes it super simple for potential customers to find out how much they can expect to pay without needing to request a quote and wait for someone to get back to them.

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Calls to Action

Crafting compelling calls to action (CTAs) is crucial for converting potential customers at the bottom of the sales funnel.

At this stage, they are already aware of your service and are considering purchasing.

Ensure your CTA leaves no room for confusion. Use clear and concise language that tells the customer exactly what action you want them to take. For example, “Get a Free, No Obligation Quote Now,” “Book Your Service Today,” or “Start Your Free Trial.”

Focus on the benefits the customer will receive by clicking the CTA. Clearly communicate what value they will get from your service. For example, “Boost Your Productivity with Our Expert Support” or “Save Time and Money With Our Efficient Solutions.”

Even though they’re at the bottom of the funnel, customers may still hesitate. Include trust signals like customer testimonials, money-back guarantees, or security badges near your CTA to alleviate concerns.

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Retargeting

Just like with our unaware customers, retargeting allows you to re-engage potentially aware customers who have already shown interest in your services but haven’t yet made a purchase.

Start by dividing your audience into specific segments based on their behaviour on your website. For example, you can create segments for people who visited specific service pages, added items to their cart but didn’t check out, or engaged with your content. This segmentation will help you tailor your retargeting efforts more effectively.

Next, use the insights from audience segmentation to create personalised ad content. Craft ads that address their specific interests or pain points and showcase the benefits of your services that align with their needs.

When a user clicks on your retargeting ad, direct them to a landing page specifically designed for their segment. Customising the landing page content based on their previous interactions can improve their experience and increase conversion rates.

As always, remember to monitor the performance of your retargeting campaigns continuously. Analyse key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use these insights to refine your strategies and improve campaign effectiveness over time.

How To Market a Service-Based Business

As you can see, there are different types of customers for service-based businesses — ones who know your service exists and those who have no idea your service exists.

The two customer types need different touch points across the various stages of the marketing funnel, with different focuses.

If you create a solid marketing funnel for both these types of customers, you’ll be well on your way to successfully marketing a service-based business.