Depending on where you live, pest control can be a competitive market. Since the need for pest control is often very urgent and personal, many people will look first to the most well-established business or to the service most recommended by their family and friends. With the following tactics to market your pest control business, you can make sure that your business is the one people turn to, time and time again.
1. Partner with related local businesses to ensure a steady flow of work
Reach out to other local businesses in the area and inquire about a partnership. Partnerships work best when both parties can see the benefit of helping each other. For example, you could reach out to a local apartment management company and offer a discount on your services if they agree to use your pest control service for the apartments that they manage.
2. Sponsor a local organization to get your name out there
You could also look into becoming a sponsor for a community organization, such as a local kids’ sports team. As a sponsor, you’ll be able to put your company name on team jerseys and posters, and you’ll become better known in your community.
3. Trade referrals with other businesses
Another great partnership is with businesses that you know your pest control clients will need before or after your services, such as moving businesses. If you team up with a moving company, that company can send you clients that need pest control, and you can send them clients who you know are planning a move.
4. Build your online presence so that your services become the most obvious choice
When faced with a pest situation, most people do two things: they google “pest control near me” and/or they reach out to their networks to ask for recommendations. You should build your online presence to cover both bases.
On the Google search side of things, pay attention to your local SEO. If you’re already doing this, great! If those words are completely foreign to you, do some research and think about hiring an expert to help. Improving your local SEO will help your business rank higher in search results so that more people can find and hire you. Think of all the times that you’ve googled something and immediately clicked on the first result—your potential customers are doing the exact same thing.
5. Show up in your community to become the neighborhood’s favorite
The other two places where people look for recommendations are Facebook groups and Nextdoor. Maintain an active presence on these two sites so that you can be the first to respond when someone asks for recommendations for pest control services.
Often, one person has a good experience with a service and then recommends it to other community members. If the others have good experiences too, then they will continue to recommend it. In this way, these communities become echo chambers, and once your service becomes the one that’s constantly recommended, you’ll have a steady stream of clients.
6. Build trust with your online followers
Post valuable pest-related information on your social media, such as “top pest control prevention tips and tricks.” Create infographics that explain how pests become a problem or that tell people which pests to look out for in each season. When you share this valuable information, you show your customers that you care about helping them prevent infestations, not just about selling to them, and you gain their trust.
7. Give people a reason to subscribe to your email list
Send out exclusive coupons and special rates to your email list. On your website and social media you can advertise the fact that members of your mailing list receive special rates and thus encourage more people to sign up. Past customers will also have an incentive to stay on your mailing list if they know that they’ll be able to access discounts in the future.
8. Run ad campaigns around seasons and major life events
You know that there are different pests for each season, but your customers are likely to be unaware. Structure an ad campaign around “spring cleaning” or “keeping your home pest-free all winter.”
You can also market your pest control services to people on the cusp of major life events. First-time home buyers are going to want to be certain that their new sanctuary is free of pesky surprises. New parents are also likely to be anxious about the safety and cleanliness of their homes.
9. Make yourself known for something unique
Do you always return a quote within 24-hours? Do your workers always show up in pink jumpsuits? Do you always make sure that a home smells great before you leave? Think about what your business does differently from the competition and emphasize it in all your promotional materials. This will make people remember you better and draw customers to your business.
Whichever marketing strategy you choose, it’s important that you have a way of knowing whether your marketing is working.
ServiceWorks can help you automate your CRM, keep track of new customers, and accept bookings right from your website. ServiceWorks can also help with estimates, billing, routing, and so much more. When your business runs efficiently, you’ll have better reviews, more referrals, and a better reputation. See for yourself what a difference ServiceWorks could make for you: try ServiceWorks free for 14 days.
