Painted Countertops co-founder, Jay Wadhwani, never set out to create an epoxy countertop business. But in September of 2019, the Atlanta-based entrepreneur stumbled on the opportunity when he decided to tackle a kitchen improvement project. Jay wanted to update the countertops in his new condo but didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars doing so. This led him to the idea of painting with epoxy - a resin substance that, when applied on countertops, “is as durable as most stone and solid surfaces.” After his search for contractors turned up empty, Jay applied the epoxy himself and later built a business around it.
Painted Countertops Co-founder Jay Wadhwani
To help get the word out about his newly opened business, Jay continuously turns to digital marketing tools like Nextdoor. Using Nextdoor Ads, he leverages his Nextdoor to introduce Painted Countertops directly to neighbors living in specific ZIP codes around the Atlanta area.
For him, “Nextdoor is a phenomenal [tool] because the best way to grow is through word of mouth - especially for a service that is relatively new in the market. So it’s really great to have the validation through Nextdoor.”
According to Jay, being a Nextdoor advertiser is beneficial because it places his business at the top of neighbors’ minds. Since Nextdoor enables businesses to instantly reach everyone living in specific area instead of relying on business followers for distribution, Jay knows his posts will be seen by prospective clients.
Throughout COVID-19, as local governments allowed businesses to begin operating again, and as more neighbors are staying home, Jay’s business has grown. He turns to Nextdoor to reach those neighbors and in the past three months has seen over 35% growth, month-over-month.
Epoxy kitchen counters by Painted Countertops
But simply getting more exposure in the community isn’t where Jay stops. He’s also figured out a few best practices that have brought much success to Painted Countertop’s presence on Nextdoor. His strategy? Create posts that don’t feel like ads. In other words, make the messaging as personal as possible.
1. Share transformation content like “before” and “after” photos. Not only does this type of content make for great engagement, it also showcases the quality of your work and your expertise in the industry.
An example of Painted Countertop's "before" and "after" Business Post
2. Pose questions relevant to your neighbors and your industry. This will position your business as a conversation starter and one neighbors can keep coming back to for information and inspiration.
3. Use softer calls to action. In your posts, instead of explicitly saying, “Visit my website,” talk to neighbors as you would a friend. What are your thoughts on this? Tell me what you like better.
BONUS TIP: Use insights to maximize post engagement. While using Nextdoor Ads, Jay has also been able to utilize the Dashboard to determine trends regarding the timing of his posts and the amount of engagement it receives. For Painted Countertops, posting on Thursdays, going into the weekend, has allowed for more engagement from neighbors.
"With Nextdoor my goal is really to get word of mouth buzz to improve conversion, build loyalty with our customers, and create more authenticity with what we’re actually delivering as a product."
- Jay Wadhwani, Painted Countertops LLC
With Nextdoor Ads, Jay is able to increase brand awareness for Painted Countertops while investing and engaging with his local community.
