Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum
Page 1 of 21 123456789101112131415161718192021 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 304

Thread: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

  1. #1
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,820

    Default Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Someone once said only 50% of marketing is effective u just have to work out which 50%?

    With around 500 years plus in experience within this forum we should kick around what works when you need it the most NOW!

    1. Newspapers, when, how much and how big?
    2. Vehicle signage what sort of information?
    3. Fridge Magnets?
    4. Form letters to Businesses?
    5. School newsletter advertising to target specific areas?
    6. Letter Box drops? Car Park drops?
    7. Parking your trailer in a busy car park on a Saturday Morning?
    8. Having a Glossy printed?
    9. Yellow Pages, White Pages or PDC directory?
    10. Sports club sponsorship (expensive)
    11. Trade shows?
    12. Stubby holders, caps (they work.)
    13. Join a "trade exchange" like Barter card for new business?
    14. Credit card facilities to attract "frequent flyer junkies?"
    15. Corflute signs on relatives/customers fences?
    16. Cary dog biscuits and feed their dogs when they are watching?
    17. See if the Local Chamber of comm will mail out for you free?
    18. Leave cards magnets at Nurseries and Landscape suppliers?
    19. Get email addresses and start a newsletter (spam careful?)
    20. Leave your vehicle (all day) in the best street in town.
    Money never falls into your wallet by mistake, sell, sell, sell!!!!
    Last edited by administrator; 19-11-2008 at 02:16 PM.

    Please Support The Sponsors www.lawnmowingdirectory.com.au

    As they support this forum




    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  2. #2
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Baulkham Hills
    Posts
    1,544

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    I have found that apart from word of mouth, the best advertising is letterbox drops. I have'nt really needed to advertise much, but with the small amount of flyers that I have had put out over the years, they seem to work really well. Even when only doing a few streets (maybe 400 houses), I would normally recieve at least 3 or 4 calls.

    Local newspapers worked well for me when I was doing irrigation systems, but I didnt recieve a single job when I advertised for gardening a few years back. This was in 3 local papers for a month, and I got nothing!

    Yellow pages was expensive and didnt really attract any quality jobs, mainly just time wasters looking for a cheap price.

  3. #3
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Clyde
    Posts
    3,528

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    looking at resigning my yellow pages add , they have changed our area so i need to advertise in two different directories so more expense..i get mainly older customers ( they always pay ) but recently in the last 6 months the internet web page has dragged in heaps of quality jobs

  4. #4
    Member geejay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    950

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    deans $4 adds worked in the target area which had the demographics to suit.plenty of work(some pitas some good) to get experiance and ones teeth into this business and cash going.referals followed.we use a advert(less pita calls) once in a while now in another target area for landscape/garden maintenace.we drop glossies around established regulars that have referal notes from clients in target area.these have pulled in good contracts,our best contract came from a glossie.had our first call today that was from our ad on trailer,lady was right behind,new one for us.
    geejay

  5. #5
    Senior Member mowjoman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Innisfail NQ
    Posts
    705

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    I put an add in the local rag a while ago...ran for 4 weeks and was dear as poisen...not 1 call...
    Have an ad in our local who what where mag delivered all over the region...$450, Full colour ad in the lawn mowing section, another bold listing in the gardening section and a bold listing in the white pages section, and it's around for 12 months. Have picked up 6 regulars in the 2 months its been out. Great value for me I've been thinking about delivering some flyers to local businesses to caretake gardens and nature strips too
    Cheers, Jason.

    If your lawns and garden's have lost their Mojo...
    Call Mowjo Man

  6. #6
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    West Pennant Hills, NSW
    Posts
    915

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Internet - I have a decent sized website with plenty of info. I appear in a lot of local searches and i have paid advertising through homehelp4u and true local. The internet is by far my biggest source of new clients.

    Newspapers - i used to advertise in 3 local papers when i first started in Sydney, it worked in spring and summer picking up regulars and one-off's. It used to cost around $300 a month but it was worth it.

    Vehicle signage - my vehicle has the business name, mobile and website address on the back window in large print, not one call yet from this.

    Letter Box drops - I have dropped brochures in to letterboxes of the same street as clients, only once did i get a phone call from this method, mind you the client is now worth around $5,000 a year to us so it was a good one.

    Yellow Pages - i just have a free yellow pages listing and i have got probably 6 calls in 12 months from this. Hey its free so i am not complaining. I am not sure the paid advertising is worth it.

    Caps - i am just getting some caps made for me and my guys now, will see if that helps. All our work shirts are sign written in big writing on the back with the business name and phone number, no calls using this yet.
    I also have t-shirts that i wear on weekends when out shopping etc, got a few calls from this.

    Credit card facilities - i refuse to offer this, paypal would be cheaper and only 1 customer has expressed an interest in it.

    Leave cards magnets at Nurseries and Landscape suppliers - i have done this before and no luck.

  7. #7
    Senior Member glassngrass's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Whittlesea, Vic
    Posts
    1,419

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Quote Originally Posted by m287j
    Yellow Pages - i just have a free yellow pages listing and i have got probably 6 calls in 12 months from this. Hey its free so i am not complaining. I am not sure the paid advertising is worth it.
    in it.
    FREE Yellow pages??? Do you mean White Pages?
    David
    Mr Sparkle Car Spa

  8. #8
    Member Born To Mow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    We used the local rag all year around for about year and half. Got a few customers, this spring ran it again for 2 months, not one call so we pulled it. Too many advertising.

    We have been advertising in the Yellow pages for 3 years. The first 2 years we had a very poor response and this was going to be our last year if it didn't pickup. We brought a new house 12 months ago and moved across town and had to change our land line number. Because we changed suburbs the advert had our new suburb listed (Y/P requirement). I'm not sure if a lot of people in this area tend to the Y/P more but this spring we have picked up 17 new regulars, plus on off jobs. A lot people like to use local contractors and match yr suburb or phone number.

    Also use free internet listings such as Cracker - this spring have picked up three one off jobs and one regular.

    Word of month - this has to be the best way to obtain new jobs and it's free. People talk, always do a top job hand out your business cards like crazy and your bound to pick up new work.

  9. #9
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Clyde
    Posts
    3,528

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    david yellow pages always offer a one line free add , just the name and phone number...if u go online u can register your free add

  10. #10
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    5,863

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Flyers have not returned a thing for me and have dropped of heaps of them. I don't think I will worry about them when I run out

    I get 2 to 3 a week from my ad in the local paper so that works pretty good and I get that if not more from my web page. I have not even bothered with yellow pages due to the cost and the stories I have heard of it being a waste of money. I have signed up for most of the free on line directories but don't get a lot maybe one every couple of weeks.

    Web page and local paper work best for me.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  11. #11
    Member bks07's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    65

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Local Paper works well for me and if you want a lot of calls put your phone number first and you will be the first ad of the list.

    Advertising after rain seems to work aswell but it is mostly one off work but it is all money in the long run

  12. #12
    Member of forum johnnie5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Eastern States
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    something worth thinking about which doesnt take much time

    drop flyers in letter boxs of a few houses either side of existing clients , takes a few minutes to do

    if you pick any of these people up then its well worth it

  13. #13
    Member Lee Fender's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    WA
    Posts
    26

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Am looking at getting a website. What is the process and costs. Did you guys get someone to design it??

  14. #14
    Member of forum Sandgroper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    hutt river province
    Posts
    644

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Quote Originally Posted by johnnie5
    something worth thinking about which doesnt take much time

    drop flyers in letter boxs of a few houses either side of existing clients , takes a few minutes to do

    if you pick any of these people up then its well worth it
    Yes this is the best use for flyers,put them in the same areas as your existing clients,,groupings the key to success in this business,better to do 6 next to each other than 6 all over town,,your hourly rate is a lot better.

    Corflute lawn signs do the same thing, its the neighbours and people that drive in the street that ring generally after seeing those, i have 6 neighbours from one sign without flying the area.

    Put the lawn signs on the best of the best lawns,,not your worst Cost me around $12 and work 7 days a week in daylight hours.

    But in my area its the local paper that gets the calls when number of advertisers are low,,at the moment theres 4 of us but has known to go to 12 just before Christmas, you only get crumbs then.

  15. #15
    Senior Member glassngrass's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Whittlesea, Vic
    Posts
    1,419

    Default Re: Lawnmowing Marketing what works or not

    Get the very best trailer signage you can afford - the best value and most effective advertising dollars you will ever spend.
    David
    Mr Sparkle Car Spa

Page 1 of 21 123456789101112131415161718192021 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •