Want to find more customers with marketing tips designed JUST for landscapers?
Whether you’re just starting out your landscaping business or have been in the game for a few years, these marketing tips for landscapers were selected from highly successful landscaping and lawn care business owners. And while I’m not a landscaper myself, I searched through landscaping forums, Quora, and other sites to make sure these marketing tips can work for landscapers like you.
Ready to find more customers in less time? Take a look at the marketing tips I found that are designed for landscapers only.
11 Marketing Tips Made Just for Landscapers
-
Figure out who you want to attract.
Before you can get more customers, you need to know exactly who you’re going after. For example:
- Are you looking to focus solely on residential customers?
- Do you want to expand to commercial customers?
- Do you want to work on larger landscapes or smaller yards?
Figure out who you want to target, as that can help ensure that you’re spending your time on the right marketing techniques.
-
Start local.
Don’t get overwhelmed trying to get the attention of every customer in a 50-mile radius. Start small and local with the following tips:
- Place advertisements in menus at local restaurants
- Put up leaflets at malls, shops, and the post office
- Invest in yard signage you can put up on your own lawn or your existing customers’ lawns
You can also get “local” using online techniques. Get your business on sites like Yelp and HomeAdvisor, as these sites are often some of the first places customers look when they’re searching for landscapers in your area.
-
Call real estate agents, property developers, and architects.
Call the folks who are in the business of showing off new homes, apartments, and office buildings. These are the people who need landscapers to keep their properties looking fresh — and if you manage to snag one or two of them, you’re golden. Do a Google search for local developers and agents in your area, and create a list of people you can call to offer your landscaping services.
Keep in mind that this technique can take some serious time and persistence. As one landscaper said, “I cold-called and emailed several architects and out of about 100, only one responded positively. He referred me to a project he was working on, I quoted and got the work.”
-
Get your boots on the ground.
Is there a new area in your neighborhood that’s building up? Is there a particular part of town that has a lot of houses with large yards? If that’s the case, do some legwork to target those areas, because those are the people who probably need your landscaping services.
Here are a few ways to do that:
- Leave your business card in the mailboxes at new developments.
- Offer incentives to new customers, such as 10% off your contracting services.
- Create polished and professional-looking flyers that you can leave in mailboxes in high-end residential neighborhoods.
-
Fire up your My Business profile on Google.
Google’s My Business profile allows you to show up in Google searches and even helps you land on the map if people are searching for landscapers in your general area. Here’s how to claim yours:
- Claim your Google Business page.
- Add your business hours, location, and phone number.
- Add the link to your website.
- Provide photos of your previous work (more on this in a bit).
Once you’ve set up your Google Business page, start asking existing customers to write (hopefully positive!) reviews. Landscapers with a lot of four- and five-star reviews typically appear higher on search results, meaning more customers can find you online.
-
Master word-of-mouth marketing.
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to acquire more customers, simply because it brings customers to your business without your having to work to get them.
Mastering it can be pretty tricky and involves a lot of steps, so I wrote a FREE guide on word-of-mouth marketing. It has a ton of tips and advice on how to get more customers without lifting a finger, so check it out when you have a chance.
-
Show off your work online.
Your website is the perfect place to showcase your amazing work, so make sure you’re using it right. Every time you complete a project, ask your customer if you have permission to take photos and post them on your site (just don’t post anything private or personal). The larger your portfolio, the more likely it is that you’ll convince customers to contact you for a project.
And if you don’t have a website yet? Check out our article on easy website builders that will have you online in just minutes.
-
Advertise on the right sites.
Sites such as HomeAdvisor like HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and NextDoor allow you to advertise and get projects online, making them a great use of your time.
Each site is different, but in general, they all require you to post a business profile (complete with portfolio and pricing info) and respond to local customers who may be interested in hiring you.
NextDoor is a little different because it’s more of a social media site than a job board; however, a lot of people post on NextDoor when they’re looking for landscapers and lawn care experts. It’s definitely worth checking out and answering community posts about landscaping.
-
Got extra cash? Try Adwords.
Another marketer noted that landscapers with extra cash could use Google Adwords to generate more customers. Adwords are the specific types of ads that show up at the top of a Google search page (next time you search something, pay attention to the top results — they’ll often have the word “ad” next to them). These ads cost money to run, but they can be a boon for landscapers who want to get in front of people searching for landscaping services online.
Using Adwords involves a lot of steps, so check out this article that explains how landscapers can make the most of Adwords to acquire more customers.
-
Always ask for referrals.
Like word-of-mouth marketing, referrals can super-charge your ability to bring in more customers. Here’s why: People are more likely to buy a product or a service when someone they know and trust has recommended it to them. If your customers recommend your landscaping services to people who need them, you can bet that the majority of them may call you.
Asking for referrals is pretty simple: Once you’ve completed a project and the customer is happy, ask them if they wouldn’t mind sharing your name with anyone else who’s looking for a landscaper. If you’ve done a good job, your customers will be happy to refer you.
-
Brand ALL the things.
Wherever you go, make sure you’re displaying your company’s name and logo. From your truck to your hoodie, displaying your business’s name as often as possible can help get you noticed even when you’re _ not _ looking for customers. Make sure you always carry business cards in case you strike up a random convo with a potential customer!
Want more great marketing tips? Check out this article on how landscapers can get more customers.
Got any additional marketing advice to share with other landscapers? Let me know in the comments below!
Before marketing, don’t forget to run a landscaping insurance quote to ensure you’re covered.
Get Insured in Under 10 Minutes
Get an affordable & customized policy in just minutes. So you can get back to what matters: Your business.