To all the tree service companies out there: You must be so busy traveling around to serve your clients–and tired at the end of the day! Where and how do you ever find time and energy to market your businesses?
As you know, many tree service contractors are small, local operations that have relied for years on word of mouth to draw business. In many places, this is still a very good–and reliable–way to do this.
In this article, though, we’ll discuss some other ways to get the attention of potential clients who haven’t heard about you yet. We suspect some of your competitors are already eyeing them.
Marketing Strategies for Tree Service Companies
How do you market a tree service business? What we’ve listed here are some “must-have” strategies as well as some more innovative ones for you to consider.
Website
When it comes to internet marketing for tree service, a stellar website is no longer optional. You must have one, and unless you have studied graphic design yourself, you need to hire a professional to design it and make it “findable.”
Making a website findable is what search engine optimization (SEO) is all about. Through a combination of data research (e.g., Google Analytics) and good intuition, certain keywords are selected for both your site’s domain name and its content.
The individual or firm you hire to design your site should be well-credentialed in SEO. If you don’t know of a web design firm near you, you might check here.
SEO is a major reason why so many businesses nowadays host blogs on their websites. Not only do the blog articles (if done well) engage potential clients on their own, they’re terrific “packages” for SEO keywords.
You can write and maintain the blog yourself or pay a company that specializes in SEO to create articles. You also need some professional photos of your work as well as you and your crew in action for your website. Maybe a cute dog in one of them?
Social Media Presence
You might think of social media as just a way of keeping tabs on friends and family, but it’s increasingly essential for marketing businesses, too. Social media can allow you to tell the story of your business in your own words–sharing bits at a time.
It also can allow you to interact with current and future clients by reading their comments on things you post. You can even post a survey from time to time (though not too frequently) to gather some opinions.
Some of the more popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Each has its marketing niche.
If you’re uncomfortable with social media or simply too busy, why not hire someone to manage all of it for you? There are lots of college communication and marketing students looking for internships in this area as well–if you want to try that route.
The Local Scene
Tree service companies are local by their very nature. But depending on where you’re located, “local” could mean a major metropolitan area or a broad swath of land where you’re one of only a handful of tree services for miles and miles.
Wherever you are, though, there are trees–and therefore potential clients. So be sure to take advantage of any local media available. Advertise in the local paper and/or the free “shopper.” Also, consider advertising on local radio and television.
It is fairly inexpensive to air tree service ads on the radio Certain types of television commercials–such as late-night on one of the local broadcast stations or cable channels–don’t cost a lot more.
For more local buy-in, offer coupons or other types of discounts (e.g., friend referrals). Many people are willing to try something once for a good enough discount. And if you make a good impression, they’ll probably call you again.
Groupon offers a different type of discount, where you pay a certain amount for a “groupon” that deducts even more from the cost of services. These are a win-win for both businesses and customers–provided the customer has a good experience.
Outstanding Customer Service
And, speaking of local … You should always think of your local reputation when it comes to publicizing your business. A good tree service can be hard to find, so people tend to stick with them and refer their friends and neighbors.
This reminds us: a neighbor discount is another win-win worth considering. If someone hires you, let them know they can recommend your service to a neighbor; both parties then share a discount if you can do the two jobs on the same day.
If you still have a successful tree service business, we’d bet it has something to do with the customer service you’re already offering. You know regular clients by name and often can predict their needs. Don’t ever give this up!
Businesses that still operate at the grassroots (or “tree roots”) level are fewer and fewer these days, and those that do “own” a certain niche.
Your Brand
Everything we’ve discussed here speaks to building and maintaining your brand. A brand is essentially the identity and attributes your customers and prospects think of when they see your business name or logo. Forbes.com has a nice article on this.
Once your brand is established (and it might already be), it should be at the center of all your marketing efforts, including interactions with customers (be sure to hand them a business card after your first job–plus a brochure if you have one).
There are other avenues to take when branding and marketing for tree service, as well–including a tree service marketing agency that will package related marketing services for you, integrating them in ways that will foreground your brand.
So–here we go:
“Timberrr …”
Well, what we really mean is “successss …” That’s what this is really about, isn’t it?
If you think tree service advertising will be difficult, remember that not everyone who will someday need tree service has discovered that need yet. And they probably haven’t done much scouting around for one yet, either.
So why not get your new or revamped marketing campaign underway now? the sooner you do, the sooner you will start to see those new clients finding their way to your business, not other tree service companies.
Why not try contacting a comprehensive digital management firm specializing in tree service right now. Find out about what all we can do for you!
