Lawn care marketing ideas for small businesses

Key takeaways

• Improve your online presence with a well-designed and user-friendly website
• Positive reviews are free advertising for your lawn care business
• Responding to all customer inquiries and social media messages builds business relationships and brand awareness 

Running a lawn care business is such a hands-on endeavor that sometimes it can seem impossible to get a grip on lawn care marketing. Whether it’s traditional door hangers, sending emails to customers, posting on social media, or updating your website—it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get these marketing strategies off the ground. Use this handy guide of practical marketing tips to help your lawn care business grow.

Lawn care marketing ideas for better leads 

Successful online marketing relies on two key areas: one is a high-quality, mobile-friendly website and the other is the strategy that helps your ideal customers find that website. With so much information on the internet competing for attention, below are three essentials that can help set you apart and attract new clients to your lawn care business.

1. Choose a memorable domain name

Small business website design goes beyond the actual look—it also includes choosing a memorable domain name. Your domain name is the website address where your customers can find you online to learn more about your services.

Opt for a domain name that’s easy to remember and incorporate into other aspects of your advertising ideas. For example, take a look at these two domain names: 

• CastlefieldLawnPros.com
• CastlefieldLawnMowingandLandscaping.com

Which one stands out more? The first website is much easier to read, repeat, and memorize. Keep your lawn care website domain name short and sweet.

2. Help new customers find you with SEO (search engine optimization)

Your website design could be award-winning, but if none of your potential customers can find it, then it’s useless. That’s where SEO comes in. 

Search engine optimization is a fancy way to describe the process of making it easier for people to find you online. In theory, the sooner they find you, the sooner you win the business over your competitor.

Search online for your lawn care business name and see how long it takes you to find your business page in the search results. The further away it is from the first page of results, the less likely it is people will choose you. Here are some ways to get it closer to showing up on the first page:

• Set up and maintain social media accounts using your business name
• Write regular blog posts that use commonly searched keywords, such as lawn care maintenance, best lawn mowing service, or lawn care services
• Set your service area and service offerings on Yelp 
• Build on local SEO by including links and partnerships to local businesses and events in your content

Most SEO activities can be done yourself if you have the time. Otherwise, consider using some of your budget to hire professional marketing support.

3. Create a user-friendly website

A successful lawn care business comes down to a loyal customer base and their accessibility to your services. Make sure your website contains a working phone number, email address, and contact form for detailed inquiries. It should also work well on most mobile devices, which is easy enough to test—just look up your website on a variety of cell phones to make sure it works smoothly.

To help build authority with potential customers make sure your website includes: 

• Client testimonials and case studies
• List of your relevant certifications and awards
• Service specialties
• Visual samples of your work 

Focus your advertising efforts

Building your online reputation can have far-reaching benefits to your small business. Here are several options to consider when you’re just getting started.

Consider pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

PPC is a digital marketing tool that helps you zero in on new clients using targeted ads. These paid ads are prioritized by search engines like Bing and Google so potential customers see them and click them first.

Pros to PPC:

• You only pay for the ad when someone clicks the link
• When well-researched keywords are used to reach your target audience, you can unlock leads more quickly

Cons to PPC:

• There’s a bit of trial and error to understanding the right method
• PPC doesn’t guarantee new customers—you have to hold their attention with your website design and create brand loyalty through excellent lawn care service

Set a modest daily budget and see how it affects your lead growth before going all-in on a long-term investment. Using another metric called cost-per-click (CPC) can help you determine whether the price you’re paying per click on your advertisement is worth the relative investment. It measures how often that search term is used (for example “best lawn care 2020”) and how much competition there is to sort through before your business will be found. 

Take advantage of word-of-mouth advertising

Lawn care marketing relies heavily on word of mouth, and online reviews are a digital version of this free advertising. More than 93% of consumers say their purchasing decisions are affected by online reviews. 

To capitalize on word-of-mouth marketing, claim your Yelp Business Page. You can centralize your contact details, website link, and business info all in one place. You can also review and respond directly to customer reviews.

Positive reviews are an easy way to build confidence in new clients. It’s especially important for any new businesses that are just starting on their lawn care marketing journey. Even when the most trustworthy member of your inner circle refers you to a great sushi restaurant, the first thing you tend to do is read the reviews for that local business. It’s no different for landscaping businesses.

Engage potential customers on social media

Social media marketing is a great way to promote your lawn care company. Use social media to stay connected to your local community and offer tips and tricks, all of which can strengthen your brand. For instance, you can create a Pinterest page with low-cost DIY garden ideas to connect with potential customers. Branding any photos with your logo can help increase brand awareness too.

Share social media posts of other non-competitive local businesses to show your community support. You can even feature them on your website when appropriate, such as on an events page.

Brand yourself as a subject matter expert in the lawn care industry

New customers are looking for experts, not newbies. Even if you’re just starting a business, you can use lawn care marketing strategies to demonstrate your expertise.

Create lawn care videos

Put together a few short videos that demonstrate easy lawn care tips for potential clients. Post these videos to your website and share them on social media.

Don’t worry about using fancy equipment. Most modern cell phones are equipped with a decent enough camera. Outline a list of what tips you want to share in your 3-5 minute videos and start recording.

Attend home shows 

Home shows are where a lot of homebuyers go to get inspiration and learn about helpful home services. Booths are generally expensive but they can be an incredible source for lead generation that may pay for itself. 

Some best practices to consider:

• Introduce yourself to everyone who comes to your booth. 
• Have a concise elevator pitch ready to showcase your specialties and services.
• Create a contest for booth visitors to win a service or product—this will give you a guaranteed lead list. Collect entries in a branded bucket or jar and wait until the end of the event to draw a winner. In the meantime, you have the names and numbers of potential customers who require lawn care services. Make sure you state your intention to follow up with anyone entering the contest.

Sponsor or host local community events

When it comes to getting landscaping business, it can help to focus on specific neighborhoods. Word of mouth goes a long way but to get those referrals you’ll need to gain brand awareness and community trust. 

If you can’t create your own event, find events that already exist, and sponsor them to get exposure. This can be anything from an outdoor concert that takes place in a local park to the opening of a new garden center. 

As people in the community see your lawn care logo pop up it can pique curiosity and keep you top of mind when the time comes to look for lawn care services. Establishing partnerships with existing local businesses helps build trust. 

Build a local network

Connecting with local businesses is a winning lawn care marketing strategy that creates mutually beneficial relationships and generates referrals. 

Leave a few business cards in high-traffic shops and on coffee shop community boards. You can return the favor by picking up a few coffees for the crew or customers at your next job in the area.

Start your lawn care marketing strategy and get growing

With these helpful tips, you can create a top lawn care business that builds on repeat business. Create a trustworthy brand that your community knows and generate word of mouth interest with customer reviews and referrals, a polished website, and relevant social media strategies. 

Be sure to follow up with all customer reviews on your Yelp Business Page. Address any concerns and show your gratitude for any positive reviews you receive. These small gestures can make a big impact, making customers feel taken care of and encouraging them to remain loyal for years to come.