How to Market a Lawn Care Business – Best Tips and Strategies
In the sprawling landscape of entrepreneurial ventures, the lawn care business stands out as a perennial opportunity. With well-kept lawns being a symbol of pride for homeowners and businesses alike, there’s a constant demand for quality lawn care services. However, with this demand comes competition. To thrive and carve out a niche in this industry, effective marketing is key. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to market a lawn care business and stand out in the green:
Claim Your Google Business Profile:
Your Google Business profile (formerly Google My Business listing) is one of the best ways to appear on local maps and search results when potential customers are looking for your services. It encourages potential clients to click on your profile, learn more about what you offer, and contact you to book your services.
Your Google Business listing will include:
- Lawn care business name and logo
- Contact information
- Client reviews
- Service area
Invest in Digital Ads:
To reach a larger audience, you can invest in digital ads. These ads promote your market a lawn care business by appearing on search engines or social media.
Search engine advertising includes your ads in search results on Google or Bing. These can be text-based search ads or specially formatted Google Local Services ads, which look like this:
Social media marketing can take the shape of Facebook or Instagram ads. These ads show up in your potential clients’ feeds alongside the pages and people they follow. They often look like this:
Both Google and Facebook ads let you set an advertising budget and see exactly how well your ad performs.
By tracking actions like website visits or phone calls, you can get a clearer picture of which ads are creating the most leads for your business. Once you know what type of advertising works best for your business and brings in the most money, raise your budget and focus on the platform that brings you the biggest success.
Manage Your Online Reviews:
84% of consumers trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from friends and family. This is why reviews are one of the most effective ways to market a lawn care business.
To get more lawn care reviews:
- Identify your happiest clients: Go through your lawn care CRM and find the customers who ask for services most often or give you the best feedback ratings. Many of them may be willing to leave you a good review online.
- Ask for reviews: When you send service follow-up emails, include a link to your Google Business profile where satisfied customers can leave a review. Please encourage them to use lots of detail, too. 5-star reviews are great, but 5-star reviews with a description of your great services are even better.
- Say, thank you for the positive reviews: When a client takes the time to leave a kind review, respond with a quick thank-you note. It only takes a second, and it makes your client feel even better about your business.
- Respond to negative reviews: Not every review will be a good one. Always respond to negative reviews quickly and try to make things right. If you can fix the problem, you’ll win over unhappy clients by showing you actually care about them.
Asking for and responding to reviews can be uncomfortable when you’re first getting started. Don’t worry, that’s normal. The more you do it, the more natural it’ll feel.
Build a Lawn Care Website:
Your lawn care website helps people find your business when they’re searching for services online. Build a site that speaks to your ideal customer and gives them what they’re looking for. The first step in building a website is deciding how you’ll do it. You can build it yourself using a tool like WordPress or Squarespace or hire a freelancer or web agency to do it for you.
Your lawn care website design should include:
- Business name and logo
- Service area
- Contact details
- Lawn care services list
- Lawn care pricing
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Online booking form
- Before-and-after photos of your work
- Information about your lawn care company and team
- Links to your social media pages
Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console for your website. It helps you track how people find your site, what they do once they get there, and how the site helps you win new clients. Plan to update your website regularly, too. It can mean adding new images, writing monthly blog posts, or even making sure your services and pricing are up to date.
Set up A Facebook Business Page:
Facebook is free to use, easy to set up, and can help you connect with potential clients who are already spending time there. Head over to Facebook Business Manager to create a Facebook Business page with your logo, operating hours, service area, and a description of your business.
Once your Facebook Business page is up and running, try these tips for maintaining an effective page and using it as a marketing tool:
- Share regular updates, offers, service reminders, and before-and-after photos
- Create a posting schedule you can stick to (e.g., daily, weekly)
- Use original company photos taken on the job
- Ask clients to leave reviews on your page
- Invest in digital ads that direct viewers to your page
Send out Email Marketing:
An email marketing campaign lets you send mass emails to a specific client list. You can also schedule certain emails at important times or milestones.
For example, you could email customers to:
- Measure your service quality with a customer feedback survey
- Offer special promotions or discounts
- Share useful information, like DIY lawn care tips
- Remind them about spring cleanup services
- Send an invoice for the finished work
Keeping track of all these emails can be tricky. Jobber helps you send ready-to-run email and postcard marketing in the same place you manage your work, using your client list as an email list. You can also create and send your campaigns with an email marketing service like Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
Distribute a Lawn Care Flyer:
If you want to target a specific neighbourhood, lawn care flyers might be your best bet. Creating flyers and sending them out to a large area is an easy way to reach lots of potential clients quickly. The best flyers and postcards use your service business branding (like your logo and colours), a special promotion, and your contact details.
You can create a flyer design yourself using a lawn care flyer template or have a graphic designer do it for you. (If you don’t have a business card yet, this is a good opportunity to take care of that, too.) Then, head to a local print shop or use Jobber’s postcard marketing feature to print, mail, and track your flyers.
Start a Customer Referral Program:
We mentioned earlier that people trust recommendations from family and friends. A customer referral program encourages those recommendations by clearly offering something in exchange. This type of marketing is especially useful because it brings in clients who are ready to trust your business. It also doesn’t cost you anything until you actually get a referral out of it.
Buy Local Newspaper Ads:
Local newspapers cast a wide net and reach lots of potential clients with your message. Newspaper ads can be an expensive investment in larger communities with lots of publications, but they’re a good fit for small towns and suburbs with just a few papers. Grab a copy of each newspaper in your area and check out the ads inside.
Pick which papers appeal to you the most and contact their advertising team about cost, design, and run time. Success can be harder to track than digital ads, but not impossible. When business is booming, stop running ads for a few weeks and see whether demand slows down or stays the same.
Set up Sandwich Boards:
Place a branded sandwich board on the lawn while you’re servicing a property. The sign should have your business name, contact info, and an eye-catching design. Some of your clients might also let you keep signs on their lawns for a few days after service. When residents know you’re doing work for their neighbours, they feel like they can trust you, too. They can also see that you’re doing a good job—and they can always chat with their neighbours (your clients) about your services.
Also Read: Why Should the Business Invest in Marketing – Growth Strategies
FAQs:
How does lawn care marketing help my business?
A good marketing strategy can inform potential clients of your services, engage current customers to keep patronizing your business and differentiate your lawn care business from the competition.
How to market to your existing customers?
Suppose you want to maintain good relations with existing customers. In that case, continue to stay in touch, whether that means keeping up an email newsletter, engaging your community online, or even sending out personalized messages and promotions on special occasions.
When should you advertise for lawn care?
You can advertise your services all year round, especially if you live in a location with good weather all year round. However, if you experience seasonal changes, it’s always a good idea to start advertising your services.
How can I differentiate my lawn care business from competitors?
Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) and focus on highlighting what sets your business apart, whether it’s eco-friendly practices, specialized services, or exceptional customer care.
How important is having an online presence for my lawn care business?
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for reaching potential customers. It allows you to showcase your services, engage with your audience, and build credibility in your local community.
Conclusion:
Market a lawn care business requires a strategic approach that combines creativity, consistency, and customer-centricity. By defining your USP, building a strong brand identity, leveraging digital marketing channels, and prioritizing customer satisfaction, you can position your lawn care business for success in a competitive market. Remember, the grass is greener where you water it – so invest wisely in your marketing efforts and watch your business flourish.