Locksmithing and Social Media

In recent years Baldino's Lock and Key has embraced a new kind of marketing and advertising - social media. With Yellowpage usage dwindling, consumers have flocked to the internet in search for local locksmiths. Unfortunately, as we have written about in the past, the search can be tedious due to the overwhelming amount of scam advertisements. Thankfully, social media can help you become more visible AND help the locksmith consumer feel your company is the right choice. 

At Baldino's we use a few social media strategies to get by ...

• A blog (yes, this one!)
• Search Engine Optimization
• A Facebook page
• A Twitter feed
• Customer Reviews
• Google +
• Youtube Channel

All of these together legitimize our company as real, there, and available to help. We have all of our information including hours, locations, walk in shop address, phone numbers, and parking information. Our webpage is informative, easy to navigate, and links to all of our other social media pages. 

We try to update our content so the online community can see we are still around and want to keep them in the loop. We add new pictures of trade shows we attend, jobs we do, and all of our locations. Seeing new pictures and updated content also helps the search engines to notice your website is still relevant. Also ask yourself...do your customers really know what you do? Most locksmiths don't just provide lockout service! At Baldino's we provide lockout service, key duplication, high security lock options, safe sales, security alarm sales, the list goes on!

Keeping Your Family Safe: The Gun Debate Rages On

After the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary and the infamous Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting the topic of gun control is in full blown debate mode. We don't want to get in the middle but we do feel this is a good time to remind people....if you do keeps guns in your house, there are ways to keep them there safely.

Here are some statistics from the DHSH:

Firearm Ownership

• 40% of American households have guns
• 4% of children in American homes live in homes with at least one firearm

Storage Practices 

• 28% do not always keep guns locked in a secure place
• 25% only “occasionally” lock and store the bullets separate from the
  guns
• 48% do not regularly make sure that guns are equipped with child
  safety and trigger locks
• In 30% of hand gun owning homes, the gun was stored unlocked and
  loaded at the time of the survey 

 Accessibility

• In 72% of unintentional deaths and injuries, suicide and suicide attempts, the
  firearm was stored in the residence of the victim
• 47% of high school kids and 22% of middle school kids said they could get a
  gun
•  6% of high school kids said they had carried a gun to school within the last 30
  days
• 72% of parents think their kids would not handle a gun without their
  permission

 There are many different sizes, types, and brands of gun safes in different price ranges. The best way to find a safe that will work best for your household is to come in and speak with one of our safe specialists and see the safe in person.

Click HERE to see a Safe Selection Guideline you can look at to help in your decision.

We Got Our Trade Show On This Month

Baldino's Lock and Key got their trade show on this month by attending the Capitol Building and Facility maintenance show in Chantilly, Virginia. This year the show fell on November 14th & 15th and was held at the Dulles Expo Center. 

Baldino's managers, Jeff Waldo, Alan Dissin, and Ed Korenge set up a great booth and shared their knowledge of locks and security with other vendors and attendees.

Products Featured 

• Medeco's eCylinder Web Hosting Solutions for the Nexgen XT.

An eCylinder is a combination of an electronic and mechanical cylinder. The advantage of having an eCylinder over a mechanical cylinder is that you can tell who is coming and going, program access, and make sure no unauthorized keys are made. The eCylinder also fits on standard hardware.

If you want to learn more about Medeco's eCylinder you can read about it here:

http://www.medeco.com/Other/Medeco/Downloads/Camlocks/NexgenXT/Nexgen_XT_Camlocks_thandle.pdf

• Arrow Revolution

The Arrow Revolution is a touch screen deadbolt that can hold up to 25 different codes. The benefit of this is you can have a different code for your family, maid service, pet walkers, and babysitters. You can add or delete these users whenever you need.

If you want to learn more about the Arrow Revolution check it out here:

http://www.arrowrevolution.com/?page_id=7

Slow & Steady Wins the Race.

Congrats to our CEO Mark Baldino

It hasn't been easy, in fact it's been a tumultuous ride for locksmiths across the country. However our efforts are working. Yeah, what else do you think we are talking about....the spam locksmith addresses who are scamming you.

Leading the pack, along with ALOA to get these false locksmith address listings off search engines, phone books, online mailing lists and directories is our very own Mark Baldino. He was recently recognized with an award from the Philadelphia Locksmith Association for his efforts. Mark has rocked Google by getting them to take off almost all of their spam listings. 

Don't believe us? Click here to see search results when you Google "locksmith, Springfield VA" - you bet there were hundreds of other listings published there just months ago. 

When Albert Baldino opened Baldino's Lock and Key  in 1961 he would have never guessed there would be such an issue - let alone the fact "locksmiths" would go into people's homes and betray their trust by gouging prices. He started, and his sons, Mark and Gary Baldino built a trust worthy security company. Everyone in the locksmith occupation as well as customers through out the country have voiced their opinion on these spam listings and scammer locksmiths. 

What's next for Baldino's Lock and Key?

Baldino's spam patrol continues to have a close eye on search engines and online directories. We will continue to promote hiring trained and certified locksmiths, and making consumers aware of how to find them. We are tirelessly working on building websites, directories and phone apps so consumers can be 100% sure they are getting what they search for.


Websites & Stories 

http://www.baldinos.com/

https://www.facebook.com/baldinoslockandkey

http://www.aloa.org/index.php

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2011/08/locksmith-scam-180-for-five-minutes/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19714358/ns/business-consumer_news/t/locked-out-dont-fall-locksmith-scam/#.UImq0Mri58E

http://www.angieslist.com/articles/7-tips-avoid-locksmith-scams.htm

5 Things To Know About Locksmith Services

Baldino's Lock and Key wanted to share this article from Angie's List we found. It has some great tips and tricks to finding a great locksmith.

Angie Hicks, Angie’s List founder: “The best way to protect yourself when hiring a locksmith is find one before you need one. All too often we hire a locksmith in an emergency situation. Oftentimes we’ll skip out on research. Find a company you’re going to use and tuck that number away in your wallet so you always have it handy.”

To view the video and read the rest of the article about locksmiths and protecting your home click here!
http://www.angieslist.com/videos/5-things-know-about-locksmith-services.htm?goback=%2Egde_1834534_member_163837311

Free Key Lockout Program

Getting locked out of your car; it doesn't happen often, but when it does it's always at the worst time, and what an inconvenience it is! The best way to deal with a situation like this is to be prepared.

Baldino's Lock and Key helps thousands of motorists who lock themselves out of their car each year. The easiest and cheapest solution is, believe it or not ... a sticker. If you take part in Baldino's Free Key Lockout Program you can be guaranteed the get into your car free and easy.

It may seem to good to be true, but it isn't. Baldino's Lock and Key has been providing locksmith, and security solutions since 1961 and strive to continue to be there and help our customers when they need it most.

Here's How:

1) Walk into any on of Baldino's 17 locations and ask for a Free Key Lockout brochure and a shop technician can sign you up on the spot. Or, you can go to http://www.baldinos.com/FreeLockoutProgram.aspx and sign up online!

2) If you sign up on the website a sticker will be mailed to you and all you have to do is place it so the sticker is visible in any window of your car.

3) Save Baldino Lock and Key's phone number in your phone so it's on hand.

4) Your name will be put into our database and if you ever get locked out just call Baldino's. Tell our dispatch department you are part of the Free Key Lockout Program and they will schedule an appointment for a road tech to visit, and get you into your car for FREE.

Waging War on Shady Locksmiths. An article by John Kelly.

John Kelly, reporter for the Washington Post, featured Baldino’s Lock and Key owner Mark Baldino in a recent article titled “Waging War on Shady Locksmiths.” The article details the practice of shady locksmiths and the damage they are doing the small locksmith business owners and the consumer.

“Mark Baldino’s war against shady locksmiths is waged from two tables pushed against the wall of his office in Springfield. The tables are covered with neatly stacked piles of paper. There’s a pile for Bing, another for AOL. There are piles for InfoUSA, Acxiom and Manta.

“It’s really about the search engines,” says Mark, 58, who with his younger brother, Gary, runs Baldino’s Lock & Key, the locksmith business their father started in a shed behind their house in 1961, now grown to 17 locations in our area.” …. To read the rest of the article check it out on the Washington Post webpage or click below

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/waging-war-on-shady-locksmiths/2012/03/14/gIQA9uPlCS_story.html