The internet has forced companies to shift the way they advertise and promote their products and services. This is true for nearly every type of business including pest control companies. On average, most companies dedicate 72% of their overall marketing budget to digital marketing. This should come as no surprise since the vast majority of consumers turn to the internet to search for the products and services they want to purchase.
Unfortunately, many blue collar trades, like pest control, are well behind the curve of the digital revolution. They often underestimate the need for a strong digital marketing strategy and instead rely heavily on traditional methods such as word of mouth. While this can still generate a fair amount of business, you could be leaving lots of potential revenue on the table.
The good news is that digital marketing doesn’t have to be an unachievable or scary endeavor. Here are some easy ways to implement digital marketing in your pest control business today.
The Key Advantages of a Digital Marketing Strategy
Before we jump into the ways you can start implementing a digital marketing strategy at your pest control business, it’s important to understand what digital marketing is and what advantages it has over traditional approaches.
Digital marketing is any form of sales, promotion, or advertising that happens over the internet or through digital communication. This can include email, social media, paid online advertising, and text messages.
- Customization – Unlike traditional marketing, digital approaches are highly customizable. For example, if you go door-to-door handing out flyers about your pest control business, every customer will receive the exact same message. With digital marketing, you can tailor and customize your communication to your specific target audience. After all, a homeowner and restaurant operator will have different needs when it comes to pest control.
- Scalable Through Automation – Digital marketing can be highly automated through the use of various tools such as email marketing campaigns and sales funnels. It’s also highly scalable since the initial effort happens upfront setting up the automation.
- Lower Cost – Generally speaking, digital marketing is significantly more cost effective than traditional marketing. Many digital marketing avenues (like social media) are free or require minimal investment.
- Measurable Results – The results of digital marketing are much easier to track and measure than traditional marketing. For example, a new customer may have simply seen one of your work trucks and called the number on the side. With digital marketing, you can track every interaction to see what worked to convert a potential lead into a paying customer.
Top 5 Digital Marketing Strategies for Pest Control Businesses
While digital marketing is universally a great practice for any business, each company may require a unique approach. For example, digital marketing for a major online retailer will look significantly different than the approach needed for a pest control company that operates in a smaller geographic area. For this reason, pest control businesses need to carefully select the right strategies that will work for their business type, location, and target audience. Here are five of the top digital marketing strategies we recommend.
1. Focus on Local SEO
In the world of digital marketing, the term SEO (search engine optimization) is all the rage. Simply put, SEO allows people to find your company when using a popular search engine like Google. The challenge is that people want to find a pest control company that works in their area or handles the type of pest they are currently dealing with. For example, a homeowner who lives in Denver and has a rodent problem will likely search for something like “Rodent pest control in the Denver area”.
Your SEO strategy should focus on attracting the visitors who will most likely hire you for your services. If you operate in the Denver area, getting website visitors from New York won’t provide you with sales. For more information, check out our article on building a pest control website that is highly-effective at generating sales.
2. Valuable Content Creation
We are living in the true information age. Just a quick internet search and you can find information on just about anything. When dealing with pest control issues, consumers are highly likely to look online for useful tips or information such as “how to identify termite damage” or “pet-friendly solutions to kill ants”.
Pest control companies have the opportunity to create the type of content people are looking for. Not only will this attract visitors to your website, but you’ll demonstrate that you are a subject matter expert and someone they can trust to help with their pest control issue. This content can come in various forms including articles, downloadable guides, and instructional videos.
3. Social Media Marketing
Approximately 90% of the US population uses one or more social media platforms. While you might not think that people would be interested in following a local pest control company, you might be surprised. By focusing on producing social media content that is entertaining or educational, pest control companies can attract a wide range of followers from homeowners to DIY enthusiasts.
Social media can also be useful in creating targeted ad campaigns to reach specific audiences within your geographic area or demographic that matches your normal customer base.
4. Online Reviews
Online ratings and reviews on popular business sites like Yelp or Google Business can provide pest control companies with two key benefits – visibility and consumer confidence. First, nearly 90 percent of people discover local businesses by searching through one of these sites which often rank businesses according to their overall rating. Businesses with the highest customer satisfaction are most likely to appear at the top of the search results and will naturally get more visibility. Also, once a potential customer has found your business, your high-ratings will give them confidence that your business is the right one for the task.
Having a program in place to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for your business is key to a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Click here to find out how you can implement a strong 5-star review strategy for your pest control business.
5. Email Marketing Campaigns
Email is a great way for pest control companies to provide updates and information to their current and prospective customers. Most email marketing campaigns can be executed with very little effort. The most challenging part is building your list of email addresses from your target audience. Most companies achieve this by offering some form of perk for providing their contact information such as a downloadable pest control checklist, discount code for first-time services, or a free estimate.
Once you have your list built, you can use this to send company updates, helpful pest control tips, or promotions. The best part is that email marketing can be highly-automated, so you don’t have to constantly maintain your contact lists or messages.
Take Digital Marketing to the Next Level with Rhino
At Rhino Pest Control Marketing, we believe that pest control businesses that focus on digital marketing strategies will experience significant growth over their competitors that stick to the boring traditional marketing methods. Our team of experts can guide you through the process of developing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy and tailor it to your specific needs and local demographics. Contact us today to find out how we can help your pest control business achieve new levels of growth.
