The landscaping industry has been growing at a healthy rate year over year. 

Forecasts also show that median income and revenue of landscape companies owners will continue to increase. 

And, as you can clearly see from Google Trends, the popularity (and therefore competition) of landscaping companies is rising as well.

This landscaping industry growth can be attributed to the following factors:

• Increase in disposable income in the U.S.
• Increasing number of older Americans (aging or busy homeowners)
• Increased outsourcing of landscaping services
• Increased level of spending for constructing private non-residential entities
• Increased focus on corporate campus environment enhancements

Thus, there has been an influx of new entrants to the industry because of the increase in demand.

If you are a landscaping business owner, you should now think of more ways to rise above the competition and maximize the potential of this growing market. Start by upping your marketing game.

1. You need to have a website for your landscaping business

Your website is your company’s online storefront. Today’s consumers – especially those seeking services – have developed the habit of doing research online before making a purchase decision.

The contents of your website can help make prospects perceive you as a reputable professional. Showcasing your portfolio and sharing testimonials from your previous clients will establish your expertise and provide more information about your landscaping business.

2. Build and manage your reputation online 

Register your landscaping business on the main directories: such as Google My Business, Yelp, Thumbtack, Porch, Angie’s List, and Home Advisor. 

This is one of the top/primary factors for making sure your business shows up in the maps – make sure you do it right.

When prospects search for landscaping services online, seeing listings and reviews about your business will further emphasize your legitimacy and work quality.

Ask your clients to write a short review for you and engage with them by leaving replies. This is also true for some of the negative feedback you might receive – always engage politely and leave your side of the story.

3. Run a campaign to make prospects call you

Now that you have established a website, register your business on listings, and have reviews from your existing customers, expect leads to come in asking for estimates and quotations.

But on top of that, make sure also to target “warmer” leads – those who have higher intent to hire already – by launching a call campaign. 

You can do so by through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on Google or Facebook. Your contact number should be on the main title or copy of your ads and the call to action “Call Now” should be clearly indicated.

Targeted call campaigns have higher ROIs and can provide you with more landscaping customers.

4. Create an official business video

Most landscaping companies fail to realize the value of an official business video. This is a digital asset you can use across all your online platforms.

On average, people spend more than an hour and a half watching online videos per day. In other words, people love watching and engaging with video online and that ain’t gonna change.

A marketing video will make it easier and more engaging for potential customers to learn more about your landscaping services, get to know you as a business and help them Know, Like & Trust you.

And of course, it will give me content for the search engines to find about your business & help build your trust/authority online.

5. Leverage social media

People spend time on social media for more than four hours a day. Your business should be there even when prospects are just idly browsing through their feed while stuck in traffic. 

Create a Facebook business page for your landscaping company and run Facebook Lead Ads to boost awareness and generate leads.

It is also a plus if you build a community for your customers on social media. Ask them to share photos of your work, tag you, and leave reviews.

Leverage the power of referrals so that prospects who find your Facebook and other social media pages see an online community of people who support your business. This gives prospects confidence about working with you.

6. Learn about SEO for landscapers

Businesses who appear on the first page of Google search results have more chances of closing the sale than those who appear on page two and beyond.

Make your landscape business appear MULTIPLE on the first page of Google search by doing the following:

• Run paid ads
• Register on Google Business
• Get listed properly on all the major online directories (check your current local seo health here)
• Make sure your website is search engine optimized – utilize keywords that prospective customers use to search about landscaping businesses.

Here is an example of a client of ours that we did this for:

Talk about DOMINATING the search engines.

This client is getting ALL the traffic for this search.

7. Promote offline

Your marketing efforts should extend offline.

Participate in local events to showcase your work and expertise to prospects in your area. You want your landscaping business to be your target audience’s top of mind when they look for landscaping services. 

Another idea is to join professional organizations or other community organizations where you can build your network with people and businesses who might need your landscaping services.

Show them you are an expert. Use your landscaping knowledge by teaching others about the best practices in your industry. Volunteer to share presentations for local garden clubs or other similar organizations.

8. Start your marketing efforts before the peak season

It always pays to start first.

Peak season for landscaping services usually starts in spring and continues until fall, depending on the locality.

Begin your marketing efforts earlier by offering a pre-pay discount. Recurring revenue is important for service businesses, such as landscape companies.

Secure your existing clients’ business early on to also help you plan your budget and schedule routes.

9. Suit up

Make sure your landscape crew members are dressed in neat and clean attires that display your company name and logo.

Even your landscaping trucks can serve as mobile marketing materials if you include your company name and logo.

These efforts will increase brand awareness and recognition offline.

10. Make use of the 3/9 strategy

The 3/9 strategy in landscaping means that when you send a crew of 3 out to do a job. Two of them stay at the customer’s house to do the work, while the other one goes to the nine nearest houses to give fliers or leave door hangers, before returning to help or heading back to the offices.

Benefits of the 3/9 strategy:

• Low cost
• Another easy way to promote your business offline
• Helps you learn more about your potential clients and their properties.

11. Connect with similar businesses and offer partnerships

Expand your network to get more business.

Some businesses you can partner with are the following: real estate, pest control, architects, home inspection companies, garden shops, urban planners, community organizers, etc.

They can refer you their client base and you can do the same for them also. You may even want to make service bundles to make the offer more enticing to customers.

12. Get help crafting your landscape marketing strategy

If you are the type of business owner who likes to focus on the operations of your business, getting some marketing help will be able to optimize your process of getting more landscaping customers.

SERP Co has worked with hundreds of brands across several industries.

We were able to help them grow their business through strategic digital marketing.Landscape Marketing Ideas: 12+ Awesome Marketing Tips, Ideas & Strategies to Grow Your Landscaping Company was written by Devin Schumacher and first appeared on SERP Co.