[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

The usual mix of support and cynicism.

If you write something which you like there is nothing stopping you adding it to your own site as well as the blog.

The blog will link back to your site, providing you put it in your profile.

If we all dedicate 15 mins a week for say 6 months it would be intersting to see where we end up, you never know!!

Cheers

Doug

[Peter Sweeney]

mmmm some inevitable comments but some I'm afraid are ill thought out and very short term based. The point of this blog (as I see it) will be to provide the consumer with valuable info (not sales pitches) ie. how to remove certain stains, educate the public about the realities of Vanish etc and in the backround have a list of CCs that pertain to quality based values not trashing rug doctors and the like because alot of people use them and get good value from them (its in the very nature of this perception that we do not hear from these people). I believe its about building a platform (albeit very small) to reach a proportion of the gen public in a credible way. Who knows where it will lead but from little acorns.............

[derek west]

from little acorns?

you end up with more squirrel turds.

[Ian Gourlay]

I agree if we are doing it to create a positive image and educate the public about Carpet Cleaning etc I think that is excellent

I have noticed a conflict already with Truckmount Operators saying Truckmounts are best

[Colin Day]

I agree if we are doing it to create a positive image and educate the public about Carpet Cleaning etc I think that is excellent

I have noticed a conflict already with Truckmount Operators saying Truckmounts are best

Well they have to, they have to get the work in to pay for their much larger running cost than us low-life porty boys....

[Simon Gerrard]

Judging by the comments posted on Doug's blog so far, I just don't see how that is going to enthuse or inform anyone. What this industry needs more than anything else is to find out why 80% of people never have their carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
So why not an on-line questionaire that asks the questions we all need to know the answers to and then try and think of imaginitive ways to get people to participate.
Simon

[Steve Chapman]

The problem with that is, the very people you need the answers from will be the very people who will

never look at the blog and never search the internet for info on carpet cleaning, as they are just not

interested or have never thought about it    They will never say to themselves " I wonder why i

never have my carpets cleaned, lets have a look on the internet !"

Its a catch 22 situation,  unless you come up with a smart way of contacting these ones through other

avenues,  I guess thats why a lot of marketing companies still use on the street questionaires that

randomly pick up all sorts of people,  at least they get some useful info they can use to tailor there

products or services,  unfortunately with the internet there has to be a mild interest first before you can

get someone to look at these websites / blogs,

Thats just the way i see it anyhow 

Regards
Steve

[garyj]

I wasn't being cynical, I was trying to be constructive.

First and foremost why not all sit back and have a think what the site is about and what its objectives are, then construct the site around that.

For all intents and purposes carpet cleaners don't have a voice with the general public, I've been cleaning carpets for over 10 years and the NCCA means nothing to me let alone our customers. No doubt a good professional organisation but it seems to be stuck in the 70's.

CC ers needs a voice on the web, that is where our customers are and unless someone is actually looking to get their carpets cleaned and searching for a local cc then there is nothing.

There are enough people on here to get together and keep an eye out on a daily basis for threads such as these

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/products-reviews-505/general-home-household-goods-542/162543-rug-doctor.html and reply in a professional manner and at the same time raise awareness of a professional body of carpet cleaners, there are plenty of sites like this one and their readership is huge, that is where we need to be, not tucked away on here or a blog moaning at each other and promoting ourselves to each other.

Steve with a bit of thought it is possible to reach those people, will take time and effort from everybody, but its possible. I wrote before that I don't think its a good idea to say 80% of people don't get their carpets cleaned, it makes it sound the 'norm' not to!

No conflict whatsoever Ian regarding the use of tm over porties, no idea what you've been reading and no point in bringing it here, you're detracting from what this blog is about and what its objectives are & how to achieve them.  

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Improving the image of the quality end of the cleaning industry i.e us, is never going to be easy and will be a gradual thing.

A good quality blog will help, it won't change things overnight.

It is of course much easier to write why something can't be done and it always will be!

Cheers

Doug

[wynne jones]

I've been into this WP lark for over 3 years now and I think a lot of the criticisms are valid. However a blog owner has to do their own thing and if it's pulled in different directions you won't have the commitment to keep ploughing energy into it over the long haul.

Blogs may have a social element but they are not owned by the community, they are owned by the person who sets it up. Doug has written ezine articles in the past and has lots of knowledge that will make great posts but you will have to feed it consistently to become an aurthority site. This is where you recruit the help of guest bloggers to write articles or pay to outsource as the content must be original.

If I were in your shoes Doug I would do as you say, a quality site, great articles, videos, pictures and an appropriate theme or get one done by someone in Thesis or something. Only post company details in the stylie of an article followed by a bio and contact details.

Nationally you haven't got a cat in hells chance of ranking for carpet cleaning but there's a much more savvy way to get traffic and thats making all the PR agencies aware of it as an authority resource. Just be ready for when the phone rings and they want to pick your brains. Ultimately the idea is to use the media to promote it for you - ultimately on a national level. It's a proven model.

PR is a big subject but it's the way to go with this one if I were trying to achieve your aims.

 

[Simon Gerrard]

Steve,
I take your point.
But what if people added a section onto the the bottom of there leaflets (there are zillions of leaflets delivered every week that land on the doorsteps of people who have bever used CC's) and even websites.
If you never have your carpet cleaned tell us why? and then have a link to an online survey.

The results of that survey would benefit everybody because it would tell us why people don't use us and we could then use that information to market those people. Just think of the effect on the entire industry if we could increase the market by  5% - 10%.
Doug's idea may interest the existing market who are already to some extent or other sold on carpet cleaning, but surely the 80% of people who never buy carpet cleaning services should be the object of our endeavours.

Simon

[Adam P]

that above idea hasn't really got anything to do with a blog unless i'm mistaken? why not do it yourself and reap the benefits? I know this place is for sharing but something that valuable would be silly to share.

[Simon Gerrard]

I think you have to look at the big picture here and not just self interest.
The idea of a blog is to collaborate to make it work, but why collaborate just to speak to people who we already serve, why not collaborate and try to reach the vast majority of people we don't.

[Carpet Dawg]

it’s a good idea in theory but a blog (or any type of site) just anit going to cut mustard I’m afraid!

You need three things to get carpet cleaning in to the public eye and for it to become as normal/popular as any other "trade" (i use the term trade loosely) like a plumber for example.

1. Make it licensed! That’s right, just like a Plumber needs to be CORGI reg or a window cleaner needs a special license (think that might be just in Scotland though?) This will get rid of a large percentage of  the chavs, splash n dash merchants out there. And make us come across a more of an expert/professional. Rather than "just a carpet cleaner".
But who is going to orgise that huge mission?? The NCCA? ha ha i think not. Infact everyone thats a member at the moment should quit thier membership then hopefully they might brighten up thier act.

2. A long running national TV, Radio and online multimedia (youtube, ITV Iplayer etc even FaceBook ads!) advertising campaigns promoting the importance of carpet cleaning! << Who's going to foot that bill though?

3. Product placement in films and TV. I.e. soaps, dramas etc. This alone would make a huge difference! Imagine a popular soap character that’s a carpet cleaner in Eastenders or Corrie!! << maybe we should all put some money together, find a script writer for said soaps and make him an offer he can’t refuse!  
 
Tony

[wynne jones]

If only their was a way to do points two and three for nothing ah Carpet Dawg.

[Carpet Dawg]

Well, if it was licened then there would be som form of annual fee associated. A large percentage of this fee would go to this form of advertising.

It'll never happen though, There just isn't necessary sklls or resources availble in this wee island of ours. Plus the workers, working for the "orgisation" needs thier share of the annual fee  greedy gits.

[Mike Halliday]

slightly off subject but wouldn't 2 &3 be a double edged sword? the more people aware of carpet cleaning the more who will consider it as a career choice..... so more people might consider having their carpets cleaned but there will be more of us trying to get the work

[Carpet Dawg]

Your right Mike, but any form of making the pubic aware tactics and increasing the percentage of carpet cleaning users (the original thread subject) is going to create this problem.

But the flip side to this is there will be alot more work out there! Maybe.. lol

[wynne jones]

slightly off subject but wouldn't 2 &3 be a double edged sword? the more people aware of carpet cleaning the more who will consider it as a career choice..... so more people might consider having their carpets cleaned but there will be more of us trying to get the work

You think too much Mike.

Although it will never happen, if it did, you could say it takes years to learn the trade, you need expensive, professional equipment and it's hard work to get great results. That would put off fly by nights and impress potential customers.

[wynne jones]

Like said earlier use PR, costs your time and a bit of balls.

Paid advertising is for mugs - I think I'm paraphrasing Donald Trump.