Digital marketing has become an essential business activity as it connects businesses with customers in the online realm, taking into account that we spend approximately six hours daily conducting various aspects of our lives online.
In this guide to digital marketing for landscapers, we explore 12 lawn care marketing strategies and concepts that will assist in boosting your landscaping business’s online presence, differentiating it from competitors, and generating fresh leads, ultimately establishing it as a leader in the industry.
How to Promote Your Landscaping Business
Every year, a significant portion of the landscaping industry is comprised of new businesses, prompting the inquiry of how a landscaping company can effectively advertise itself in a competitive market.
In general, there are two main approaches: digital marketing and traditional marketing. Although many companies have a good understanding of traditional marketing, they face challenges in effectively promoting themselves online due to a limited knowledge of digital marketing.
Landscaping PPC marketing serves the same purpose, but it is classified as a temporary tactic because companies compete for the highest placement of their online ads. Once they cease payment, they no longer maintain their top ad positions online.
A landscaping business can be grown effectively with a well-developed marketing plan, which will include marketing ideas specific to gardening businesses, as well as general marketing tactics that are successful for service-based businesses operating in specific areas.
When to Start Landscape Marketing
Marketing can be initiated at any time, but it is not a singular undertaking. It is recommended to follow established methods for the best outcome. Ideally, prior to commencing advertising efforts, it is advisable to have an SEO-friendly website, as well as active social media accounts and a robust marketing strategy in place.
You are prepared to begin marketing once:
- You know who your target audience is;
- You have a strategy to collect leads or sales;
- You know how to position yourself against competitors; and
- You can invest some budget into marketing and advertising.
Before launching a fully-fledged campaign, it may be necessary to allocate time for fine-tuning your branding and crafting a marketing strategy.
How to Make Your Landscaping Company Stand Out
First, identify and understand your target market. Next, conduct market research to determine the needs and preferences of your target audience. Then, tailor your marketing messages and tactics to effectively communicate your unique brand and value proposition to your customers. Finally, continuously evaluate and adjust your strategy based on customer feedback and market trends to ensure your company remains competitive and relevant in the lawn care industry.
| Be visible where your prospects are. | Ensure your website ranks on search engine results and has a strong online presence on social media. Ideally, you want to be wherever your customers are online. |
| Look better than your competition | Improve upon your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. |
| Capture your target audience’s attention | Develop a strategy that converts leads into customers. Strong calls to action, as well as PPC and SEO, can nudge customers down the sales funnel. |
| Connect with customers | Anticipate your customer’s pain points and exceed their expectations. When you invest in your customers, you automatically make your landscaping business stand out from the crowd. |
7 Landscaper Marketing Ideas, Tips & Strategies
Tip #1. Get a killer landscaping website design
In today’s world, it is imperative that you invest appropriately in your business website as it serves as the primary face of your company.
When it comes to local services, nearly all consumers engage in comparison shopping by visiting websites. Their intention is not just to obtain a list of offered services, but also to evaluate your credibility, experience, and recommendations. Consequently, their initial perception of your business is shaped by your website.
You are looking for a user-friendly and visually appealing website design that effectively guides visitors towards your desired action. It should have a clean and modern look, provide concise information, and be mobile-friendly since a significant portion of visits will be from mobile devices. Additionally, including a gallery showcasing high-quality images of your work and testimonials from satisfied clients is also desired.
Tip #2. Manage your online reputation
It is common knowledge among landscapers that the best new leads are referrals, as there is no better scenario than when someone approaches you with the firm belief that you are trustworthy, transparent, and skilled.
In the current scenario, relying solely on word of mouth is insufficient; individuals now obtain referrals and acquire knowledge about past customer experiences through online reviews. Possessing an excellent review profile greatly benefits your lead generation, while a negative one can severely hinder it.
To guarantee positive reviews, the key is to deliver excellent service. It is important to keep in mind that each time you exceed expectations, you contribute to the generation of potential leads. Conversely, each time you take shortcuts, it is probable that you will face repercussions in the future.
When considering the process, it is beneficial to make endeavors to acquire feedback from your top customers and proactively handle your reputation. A practical approach is to employ email follow-ups containing pre-designed templates that direct to the desired review platform we aim to include.
Tip #3. Run call-focused campaigns
If you have a website and review pages that are functioning to generate online estimate forms, consider directing your paid search advertising towards generating phone call leads.
Phone calls can yield a high return on investment for paid search advertising because they typically originate from leads that are the most prepared to hire.
#4. Develop a business video
Even though it is one of the most effective marketing materials, video is still widely underutilized by local businesses, such as landscape designers.
In just under a minute, a commercial has the ability to effectively communicate and demonstrate everything needed to persuade a potential customer that you are the right fit for them. This includes showcasing your key value proposition, including a customer testimonial, and displaying a captivating collection of your top achievements. Conclude with a compelling call to action, and you will be guaranteed to receive incoming calls.
It’s surprising to see that only a small number of landscaping businesses excel in video production, considering how well-suited the nature of their work is to visual platforms. By producing a video, embedding it on your landing pages, and optimizing it for YouTube search, you can effectively distinguish yourself from competitors with only a modest investment.
In addition to this kind of advertisement, you have the option to create brief videos showcasing finished tasks which can be uploaded to your YouTube channel, shared on social media platforms, and embedded on your website. Utilize your cellphone and freely available video editing applications. Despite being amateur, these videos can still have an impact, offering a personal touch that serves as a fantastic means of acquainting yourself with potential new customers.
#5. Take advantage of Facebook marketing and advertising
Today, Facebook presents a range of highly targeted advertising choices in the field of digital marketing. Similar to video, very few landscapers utilize this option, making it an additional opportunity to distinguish oneself from competitors.
To start, begin by establishing a Facebook business page. Ensure that you configure messaging, provide all necessary contact details, and enable reviews. Regularly update your timeline with information regarding your business as well as new job opportunities. Additionally, curate and distribute valuable advice related to landscaping and lawn care.
You have the ability to obtain conversion from leads without requiring them to leave Facebook by utilizing Facebook Lead Ads.
The benefit of this is that users can easily make quote requests or call leads without much effort, thanks to Facebook’s feature of automatically filling in most of the information. By simply tapping on the touchscreen a few times, the lead can easily reach out to you.
Apart from advertisements, encourage clients to post images of their recently landscaped areas on their own pages. Expand these initiatives to include Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube.
#6. Master search marketing
If executed properly, local search on Google or Bing offers various strategies. By following the correct approach, you can achieve the same outcome as this plumbing contractor, appearing in three locations on the first page.
At the highest position is a paid-per-click ad that is targeted locally. To surpass your competitors in this location (the top 4 positions), you utilize the auction platform and optimization strategies. Typically, these ads are designed for immediate action and lead to a landing page that emphasizes conversions. You are charged for every click that directs users to your website.
Afterwards, we have the previously mentioned Google Business listing. In order to improve your ranking on this platform, it is necessary to optimize the content of your business listing and acquire more reviews. Once you achieve a high ranking, there is no need to pay for clicks.
The third listing on your website is your organic website listing, which can be influenced by SEO. To achieve a high ranking here, you must add content to your blog, update pages, incorporate targeted keywords in a natural manner, acquire inbound links, and increase social media traffic. However, it requires time and effort to attain and maintain this position. Nevertheless, once you reach this point, the traffic you receive is free, similar to Places.
Having all three in place is optimal as they are all complimentary tactics, targeting similar audiences and employing similar keyword phrases, ultimately driving traffic.
#7. Get active locally and build in some face-time
Articles such as this often focus on various aspects such as search marketing, social media, analytics, and websites when discussing marketing. However, we have some additional guidance for effectively marketing your landscaping business.
Take the initiative and socialize with others. Establish relationships that are not solely based online. Contribute to your community. Interact with other businesses through face-to-face networking. Extend greetings to people outside your immediate circle.
During a recent conversation, I discussed marketing with an accomplished landscaper from my locality. Although he had a website and utilized SEO, he did not engage in any other forms of online marketing. I pondered how he managed to succeed in a world heavily reliant on digital platforms. However, this individual possessed a charismatic and generous nature, actively participating in his children’s schools, the Chamber of Commerce, and his church. Furthermore, he dedicated his time to assisting numerous local charities. By being an active networker and exhibiting exceptional skills as a landscape designer, he attracted a steady stream of clients through personal connections and referrals, allowing him to maintain a busy schedule.
Although we’re not suggesting disregarding digital marketing entirely, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone possesses the same social skills and confidence in personal networking as this individual does. It is crucial to remember that not all aspects of networking are digital. Engaging in traditional, face-to-face networking by shaking hands and building personal connections remains valuable. Hustling will always provide an advantage.
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