Did you know that 72 percent of the landscaping industry is driven by small businesses?
With new businesses opening and people closing on homes daily, there are endless opportunities for landscapers to sell their services to both residences and commercial businesses.
While you can rely on references and traditional marketing (billboards or brochure advertisements) to land jobs, more clients research online than ever before.
That's why you need a solid digital marketing plan to generate more leads and build a larger client base.
Here are three ways that digital marketing can help grow your landscaping business:
1. Paid advertising can help keep your business fresh in your clients' minds.
Depending on where you live, seasonality can greatly affect the number of jobs you'll get at certain times of the year.
This can be frustrating, but it can also give you an opportunity to work on your online presence and be there when your clients need your services.
One of those ways is through running paid ads that reach potential clients when it comes time for them to find a landscaper near them.
Remember to be as specific as possible, depending on the services you offer. Do you offer landscape maintenance or care? Or, do you offer hardscape services?
By creating paid ads that are specific and creative, you can target (or retarget) a specific audience based on the services you offer to speak to the needs of those potential clients and create new jobs for you.
2. Reviews can help you get more referrals.
We know that referrals are one of the most important things to landscapers and can bring in a lot of business.
Although you can rely on word-of-mouth to get those referrals, having a great review marketing strategy can help you get even more referrals.
Think about it: some of your clients may not have anyone they can directly refer. However, since 97 percent of people read online reviews, they can refer a new client by writing an online review.
Clients leave reviews to help persuade or discourage others from spending money on a specific company, and they also read reviews because they trust them as much as personal recommendations.
So, if your landscaping services are top-notch and you have plenty of satisfied clients, chances are that some people will be referred to your business after reading one or many reviews.
And, those new clients may write a review about you, or even refer a close acquaintance or family member to use your landscaping services.
3. Social media can reach new consumers.
When it comes to posting on social media for your landscaping business, the ideas are almost limitless!
Although social media doesn't traditionally gain you more leads, it is a great place to connect with your current customers and potentially reach new audiences. You can also showcase your business's personality and services, too!
As a landscaper, we suggest posting before and after photos of landscaping work you've completed (with customer approval, of course). This shows your audience what your business is capable of.
If you want more engagement on your channels, consider running a contest! For example, you could have your audience post a photo of their backyard to see who has the nicest or craziest landscaping. At the prize, the winner could receive a complimentary service from your business.
Another option is to do a giveaway. You can have your audience like, comment or tag a friend in the comments within a Facebook post, which will allow you to reach new consumers.
For more post ideas, be sure to check out this blog.
Closing Thoughts
We know that landscaping businesses have traditionally worked around referrals to drive leads. But, with digital marketing, and especially paid ads, review marketing and social media, you'll be able to get even more leads and jobs, as well as gain new referrals.
If you haven't thought about it already, you should check out what a digital marketing plan can do for your business. And, if you want to learn more, check out these resources!