quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
On Facebook you can boost or promote your business and target specific areas or towns so it will show up when people browse FB.

On Insta you can give tips and pics on lawn care. This mortgage dude has over 150K followers:
https://www.instagram.com/mgthemortgageguy/

Here's some lawn care/landscaping accounts:
https://www.instagram.com/thatlawndude/
https://www.instagram.com/lawncarenut/
https://www.instagram.com/landscapinglawncare/

I think there's a lot to be said about marketing on social media platforms - especially for the local small businesses.

Here's a few thoughts off the top of my head:

• Post a "pro tip" with an interesting picture or two every week (no hard sales pitch here, just a helpful tip). You'll want to have a number of these ready to go at any time, pick one that is appropriate for the time of year.
  
• Ask your current customers to like and follow you.
  
• Ask your current customers to leave a review on Google, Yelp, etc.
  
• Offer a referral bonus to anyone who refers a new customer to you via social media.
  
• Occasionally post before/after pictures - example when taking over a site that looks poor take the before picture and after your services make the site look great, take the after pic...
  
• Seek out neighborhood FB groups, offer a one time promo if you get group of x new customers in that neighborhood.
  

I see a fair amount of discussion in our neighborhood group around lawn services in the summer asking for referrals and comments about good and bad service.

We had an estate sales company (a lady & 4 helpers) hold our moving sale. She did it ALL on FB.

In the past 5 years of having our business it seems like FB and Instagram have been giving us best results.
If people search for out type of service, our FB and Instagram come up.

quote:

Originally posted by scsigs:
In the past 5 years of having our business it seems like FB and Instagram have been giving us best results.
If people search for out type of service, our FB and Instagram come up.

ok, now it's making more sense. They're not searching on Instagram for your business. They are searching on Google and your Instagram shows there. Am I catching the drift now?

There are posts every week on our local Nextdoor asking for landscaper recommendations. The day we moved into our current house, some landscapers showed up and started work. Looked like the listing agent had not told them the house had sold. So I think getting with some listing agents would be good business too. We kept that landscaper for a few years, but then he disappeared, possibly deported. They're 99% Mexican around here. Got our current one from a referral from a friend. I'd say word of mouth, Nextdoor and realtors would be the best marketing plan.

You need Yelp.

I will not hire anyone or shop anywhere without user reviews of that business. (I also won't buy anything without user reviews on a retailer's site).

I can't recall the last time that a website generated a service sale from me.

I'm 38. I'm a Millennial. If you aren't thinking ahead and building a strong base of good reviews, you'll miss out entirely on selling to my generation in a few years.

quote:

I'm 38. I'm a Millennial. If you aren't thinking ahead and building a strong base of good reviews, you'll miss out entirely on selling to my generation in a few years.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I suggest you speak for yourself, not a generation. The generation behind you has different ideas as do many members of your generation. I WOULD NEVER use Yelp for anything and frankly do not care if I lose your business. Your generation should be cutting the lawn yourselves. I have had a successful business for longer than you have been alive and have never used Yelp. The best referrals have always come from happy customers. Sorry if I have been blunt but I have let a lot of your posts go by without comment.

NextDoor. It's your neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. You can have a business account. You can have a personal account that you use to market your business. You can avoid the Karen drama by engaging only in a professional capacity. If a neighbor asks about something in your area of expertise you can answer or say hey call me. When people ask for a rec for a service you can jump in. Do good work at a fair price and people will rec you. I go to NextDoor for services whenever I need them. I found a yard guy, a roofer, a plumber, and a mechanic. I rec the guys who do good work. Think of NextDoor as word of mouth amongst your neighbors in an online forum.

Yelp is extortionate in many ways but one of the first places people look. There's a lot of nonsense to wade through and it's usefulness will probably be lower for your business but a presence with a few good reviews can't hurt. Look at yelp for similar services in your locale and see how many reviews and how often they get them. Three reviews over eight years probably isn't going to get you a ton of business.

Hitting up the realtors is a good idea.

Some of the bigger local yard guys have their crew walk the neighborhoods with business cards and leave them on every mailbox.

Lettering your truck is basically free advertising whenever you're out. There are hauling guys around here with their dump trucks lettered and I write down the number when I might need one.

Have you thought of referral bonuses for current customers?

I've got a question about those that never got much action from their web site. What did you do for SEO? I get calls all the time from google, Bing and Yahoo searches. It's all organic with no paid advertising. I hesitate to use paid online advertising because it always generates calls from outside my area.

I guess I'm just wondering that since Facebook and Instagram are both actually just search results, if I concentrate on posting to my web site that's should have the same effect.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark123,

Modern looking website that changes regularly for SEO. pics, articles etc.

Google listing with lots of client reviews

FB page with lots of client reviews

Marked vehicles and if multiple crews bright company shirts with clear logo. When people see the same neon green shirt crews all over town every day they remember them.

For commercial you need someone always catering to the building managers personally plus competitive pricing and crews providing good service.

I have had a few calls from realtors. They always need me to drop everything, go mow a lawn that's been neglected for months, then when I ask for their billing information they say you'll have to bill the owner. I always say to have the owner call then.

Unfortunately, just like sleazy areas that I know to avoid, there are also sleazy businesses that's I've learned to avoid. In fact, I avoid most commercial accounts.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Modern looking website that changes regularly for SEO. pics, articles etc.

Google listing with lots of client reviews

FB page with lots of client reviews

Marked vehicles and if multiple crews bright company shirts with clear logo. When people see the same neon green shirt crews all over town every day they remember them.

For commercial you need someone always catering to the building managers personally plus competitive pricing and crews providing good service.

My crew size is small (exactly 1). I do have shirts and I do give them to family and friends. I was thinking of giving some to good customers, too.

I have worked for myself alone with no employees for 38 years and have done no 'marketing' for at least the last 10 and so take my advice with a serious grain of salt:

Old School: Letter your work vehicle and work on Saturday when most folks are home..(might not be as important with this virus thing)...

At least in my business there are two vital items that will make you a success... show up on time and don't pee in the corner....(make a mess) In other words be prompt and do what you said you would do. It's that simple... a customer cheerleader is still the best marketing there is.

Have you contacted some HOAs? Most will not endorse a business, but they may be able to help you contact the homeowners, market to a whole neighborhood at once on a neighborhood web page, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Have you contacted some HOAs? Most will not endorse a business, but they may be able to help you contact the homeowners, market to a whole neighborhood at once on a neighborhood web page, etc.

I just sent an estimate to one for maintaining their entrance. I do 7 lawns there already, hoping for more.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I have worked for myself alone with no employees for 38 years and have done no 'marketing' for at least the last 10 and so take my advice with a serious grain of salt:

Old School: Letter your work vehicle and work on Saturday when most folks are home..(might not be as important with this virus thing)...

At least in my business there are two vital items that will make you a success... show up on time and don't pee in the corner....(make a mess) In other words be prompt and do what you said you would do. It's that simple... a customer cheerleader is still the best marketing there is.

I do all those things except work on Sabbath. I make a point of resting and attempt to not think about work on one day per week.

I also answer my phone. It seems as the season gets to fill swing around late May everyone else shuts off their phone.

Word of mouth.

Referral bonuses for existing clients.

Google, Facebook and Instagram.

quote:

Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Word of mouth.

Referral bonuses for existing clients.

Google, Facebook and Instagram.

this definitely.

and learn to say this to your existing customers:

"do you know anyone who would benefit from my services?? if yes -- can you please have them call me?"

you need to dedicate a certain percentage of your time per week to prospecting.

---------------------------------------------

quote:

Originally posted by mod29:
Marking your work truck is a no-brainer.
Business name and a phone number in large enough font to be read from a distance.

And it's free advertising!

This! As an alternative to painting/wrapping the truck, a placard on your trailer can be effective. And make sure you park it in front of the best-looking house on the block. Make sure your guys (or at least your foremen) have your business card in their pockets to hand to potential customers who inquire about service, maybe pay them a finder's fee for a successful customer acquisition.

Your work, as evidenced by the attractiveness of the properties you maintain, is your best salesman.

Facebook has a ton of neighborhood groups. Go on facebook and search the names of the areas you want to service. Join those groups and do a weekly post of your services. Post pics of the lawns, your truck (WITH YOUR COMPANY NAME ON IT)