Should You Send a Newsletter for Your Cleaning Business? Yes, and Here’s How.

Last Updated on November 18, 2024 by The ZenMaid Team

WHY TRUST US? The ZenMaid team has eight current and past cleaning business owners, including our CEO and founder Amar, who know the ins and outs of the maid service industry like the back of their hands. They share their expertise with us in product development, with the customer success team, and content, which includes the article you’re about to read. We also partner with some amazing leaders in the cleaning industry, like Debbie Sardone, Angela Brown, Courtney Wisely, Chris Schwab, and more, to provide you with the latest industry insights. The tips and advice you’ll find on our blog have helped our team grow their maid services, and we’re excited to share them with you to help you grow your business too.

Hey there! I’m Stephanie from Serene Clean, and today I want to share how we handle email marketing in my cleaning business. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and I’m excited to break it down for you in a in a practical way.

If You Need a Sign, Here It Is: Start a Monthly Newsletter For Your Cleaning Business

My cleaning company’s biggest marketing win is, hands down, our monthly newsletter. People actually look forward to it (I’m not kidding!), and we keep a solid 40% open rate. I can’t tell you how many clients mention specific things they read in our latest newsletter when they see us, and we often get quick responses when we include any kind of update or announcement.

Why start a newsletter?

What I love most is how it keeps working long-term. When clients need extra services, they think of us first because they just read about our team last week. When their friends ask for cleaning recommendations, they forward our newsletter because it shows exactly who we are and what we’re about. And honestly? It’s helped us build this reputation as the go-to cleaning company in our area – all from just showing up in people’s inboxes once a month with genuine, interesting updates.

The coolest part is seeing how clients interact with different parts of the newsletter. They’ll comment on our team’s anniversaries, ask about our community projects, and even get excited about our staff photos. It’s like they’re actually invested in our company’s story, not just our cleaning services. And let me tell you – that kind of connection is pure gold when you’re running a local service business.

So, let’s get started with the basics:

Which Email Marketing Platform I Prefer

In my cleaning business, I’ve used MailChimp from day one. Why? It’s affordable, simple to use, and has a great free version to get you started. But here’s what’s really cool – we connected it to our cleaning booking software using Zapier, so whenever someone fills out our booking form, they automatically get added to our mailing list. No manual work is needed, thank goodness.

When someone fills out our ZenMaid booking form, they automatically get a welcome email. This first message is super important – it shows we know our stuff and can handle their cleaning needs. We keep it friendly but professional, answering common questions before they even ask.

⬇ Here’s a peek into my Mailchimp dashboard. 

What to Send in Your Newsletter 

I see a lot of cleaning business owners putting off their email marketing because they don’t know what the heck to send, or they feel like they don’t have time. And I get it — getting started is the most daunting part. But once you get into a rhythm, it’ll get faster and easier.

The most important thing is to remember that you’re a human sending a message to a human. I only say this because it’s easy to get caught up in using AI to write fast, generic emails to check off the box and move on to the next tasks on your to-do list. But the problem is that those emails will never truly connect with your audience or build the kind of trust that makes clients stick around for years.

Newsletters should feel personal

When I write our newsletters, I imagine I’m catching up with a friend over coffee. I share things that actually matter – like how proud I am of a team member who just hit their two-year anniversary, or the amazing before-and-after transformation we did at a local nonprofit. These are real stories that happen in our business every month, and they’re way more interesting than generic cleaning tips you could find on Google.

Sometimes I worry that I’m sharing too much about our team or our community work instead of focusing on sales. But you know what? Those personal stories are exactly what our clients love most. They forward our newsletters to friends, mention our community projects when we see them, and ask about our team members by name.

Be yourself. Be human. Be authentic. Share the actual happenings in your business — your wins, your community involvement, your team celebrations. Your personality and your company’s unique culture should shine through in every email you send. When you do that, the rest will follow.

Steal These Ideas for Your Email Marketing

These are the things I put in (almost) every newsletter.

• Team photos (way better than just before/after cleaning pics!)
• Staff anniversaries and new hire announcements
• Community involvement, like giving updates and volunteer opportunities
• Client testimonials
• Important reminders
• Before and after pictures
• Personal notes from me as the owner
• When there are new service openings
• Discounts and promos

But here’s a really important note: You don’t want to overdo it on the sales-y emails. Here’s why.

Nobody likes getting bombarded with too many messages, especially when they’re just trying to get you to open your wallet more. We save extra emails for important stuff like:

• Last-minute openings
• Payment system updates
• Special announcements
• Policy changes

How to Send Emails About Service Availability

I always walk the fine line of letting people know you have openings without sounding desperate. We send occasional “availability alerts” but keep them rare to maintain that exclusive feel. Even if you’re short-staffed, a waitlist can make you look in-demand rather than understaffed — sounds more exclusive than desperate, right?

Building trust without being salesy

The biggest lesson I’ve learned? It’s not about selling cleaning services in every email. In fact, pushing sales too much will end up pushing away interest. Instead, we focus on:

• Showing off our amazing team
• Sharing our community work
• Being real and authentic
• Keeping our brand personality consistent
• Offering value to our customers

Making It Look Good

I balance text and branded images in my emails because, let’s be real, nobody wants to read a wall of words anymore. You can even use free design tools like Canva to make newsletter banners and graphics with your cleaning business’ branding. 

Most email service providers like Mailchimp have a library of free templates to choose from, which makes the design and layout way easier. I use the same template every month, which saves tons of time. Just update, swap photos, and it’s ready to go!

Keep in mind that too many images or links in a marketing email can flag it as spam in people’s inboxes. To be on the safe side, aim for the 70/30 rule — 70% text, 30% images. 

How to Share Tough News (Like Policy Changes) 

One last tip: if you need to share tough news, record a quick video instead of just writing it out. It helps people hear your tone and understand where you’re coming from.

I learned this the hard way after sending out a written policy update that came across as way harsher than intended. Now, whenever we need to announce changes to our services or policies, I hop on video. I keep it short – just 2-3 minutes – explain the changes clearly, and most importantly, let my genuine care for our clients show through. 

We still include the written details below the video for reference, but the video helps soften the message and maintain that personal connection. It’s amazing how much difference your tone of voice and facial expressions can make!

Wrapping up

We’ve built a great relationship with our clients through email, and it definitely helps keep us top-of-mind when they need cleaning services. The key is consistency and authenticity — whether you’re sharing good news or tough updates, your clients should always feel like they’re hearing from a real person who cares about their home.