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Thread: Effective Marketing

  1. #16
    Member biztransact PR's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    It’s great to read everyone’s input on this topic – the comments about referrals particular got my interest. I speak to lots of small business operators each day in various services and trades and regularly hear about their marketing successes and failures, that aside the conversation usually moves on to referrals – from what I’m hearing the strike rate of securing a new customer via a referral is about 70% compared to a new customer via quoting from an advertising lead at about 30%.

    What’s everyone’s thoughts on this? – from your experience do those figures sound right? …and what level of importance do you place on referrals.

    Quote Originally Posted by brodie View Post
    ...Agreed and still to this day one of our most powerful marketing tools. A referal from a good customer generally produces another good customer...

  2. #17
    Member brodie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by biztransact PR View Post
    It’s great to read everyone’s input on this topic – the comments about referrals particular got my interest. I speak to lots of small business operators each day in various services and trades and regularly hear about their marketing successes and failures, that aside the conversation usually moves on to referrals – from what I’m hearing the strike rate of securing a new customer via a referral is about 70% compared to a new customer via quoting from an advertising lead at about 30%.

    What’s everyone’s thoughts on this? – from your experience do those figures sound right? …and what level of importance do you place on referrals.
    A referal from an existing customer carry's a lot of positive momentum. The existing client does the majority of the sale leaving the business owner to close the sale.

    The new client isn't nececerally looking for other contractors to do the job they just want to confirm prices and meet with the contractor to form their own relationship. Go in with the right attitude and there is a good chance you will walk away with a new client.

    Let me put it to you like this; your buying a new mower and you ask me what I think.

    I say we bought this mower and we are really happy with it, these features are great and I think you will really like it for A, B and C reasons. This is the dealer we used and this is the salesman, tell him I sent you and he will look after you. There are not the cheapest but they offer the best after sales service.


    Now I have set a mental picture about this great peice of equipment given all the reason I like it and a few reasons that you might like it. Now it's not the cheapest on the market but because I have given my recommendation you are more likely to have a look and it's now up to the salesman to now close the deal.

    Close rates are always higher when the customer has and sees a perceived value for the service you provide. Flyers are great for getting your name out to the public but have no real value to the potential client. They show that you mow lawns but doesn't say how well or to what quality. Yes you will have pictures but everyone has similar pictures and after you see a couple a season they all look similar.

    I know it's been said in previous posts that branding holds no real significance in small business but I tend to disagree. There are several thousand private owned lawn mowing business in Australia and standing out can be difficult. Let's say you are in a small town and there are 5 other contractors, you all run the same sort of marketing flyers and a basic website. What makes the potential client pick up the phone and call you? BRANDING

    The other 5 do the same marketing for 2015 but this year you change it up a bit and get your business seen more. You sponsor the local football club, run promotional specials flyers, billboard advertise anything to just get your name seen in as many public places as possible

    If the client is more aware of you then when they see the next bunch of flyers yours will suddenly stand out just that little bit more. You want to be the first call they make and the last call they make.

    Having brand awareness takes your 30% close rate to a 50% close rate. You now have 20% more business than the competition and 20% more lead generators.

    I should say that all branding should be directive to a place of your choosing. In this day and age a website or Facebook page should be these this place. It's a place where you can tell the potential customer everything they need to know about you and your business. Having a good website will increase the amount of calls that come through to you rather than looking somewhere else. Branding costs money and doesn't directly bring in revenue but should be seen as a collective tool that builds on itself over time.

    I've babbled on for a bit but I hope there are some interesting things to take from it. I'd suggest YouTube videos are a great way to learn marketing amd branding. Most videos are from other contractors who are just telling you what works and they do it all for free.

  3. #18
    Member of forum Stump's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    I mainly follow a website called ilovemarketing.com as they interview many different business people and talk about their best and newest marketing strategies, and there is a huge archive of mp3s to download and you can listen to them while you mow.
    In 2013 I tried an advertised referral program, and got a huge response from the wrong type of client, so since then I have made it more of a suprised base reward for referal program, and although I am now having to wait for a referral to give it, I am getting better clients out of selected better recipients of the rewards. Good clients usually provide good referrals. The opposite is true of the not so good ones. If you advertise it and they expect it, your offer will lose all of its magic. Suprise them and it will make their day and be remembered.
    I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather.....not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car!!!

  4. #19
    Member mowbro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Anyone based somewhere other than Melbourne care to share with me some of your examples or hints for making a flyer that you've had good success with?

    I've had only a small amount of success with mine, but in saying that have only delivered around 1000. I know that the pick up rate is low when it comes to this form of advertising, but would be interested to see what has proved to give you a better return as far as flyers are concerned. More info? Less info? Colours? No colours? before and after photos? persuasive language etc? Feel free to PM me if thats more your style.

  5. #20
    Member brodie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by mowbro View Post
    Anyone based somewhere other than Melbourne care to share with me some of your examples or hints for making a flyer that you've had good success with?

    I've had only a small amount of success with mine, but in saying that have only delivered around 1000. I know that the pick up rate is low when it comes to this form of advertising, but would be interested to see what has proved to give you a better return as far as flyers are concerned. More info? Less info? Colours? No colours? before and after photos? persuasive language etc? Feel free to PM me if thats more your style.
    I'm not in your area but still happy to help.
    As you identified your uptake rate is for this type of marketing is lower because you are attempting to sell to someone who isn't actively looking for the services that you offer.

    Your leaflet need to have the following elements;
    - strong headline (could be the service your marketing or a special promotion)
    - clear and simple body text and 2 good clear pictures that show exactly what you are talking about
    - strong call to action
    - the contact details you want the reader to use to find out more information. I see you have a website so direct them there and a phone number.

    How the above content is placed on the page is important to.

    Your website needs to reflect your paper based marketing. If you are offering a service like rose pruning next month you need to have that information on the website too.
    I'd be happy to share my thoughts on some possible website improvement if you want to get in contact.

  6. #21
    Member VJinTownsville's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Hey mowbro my last drop was using only my business cards with magnets stuck on the back of them, from 500 cards I got maybe 15 jobs from it.

    I plan to scale it up and make it more consistent, applying small things like 5 houses left and right and 10 across. I've just ordered 5000 cards and magnets. will be doing calendars and other promo stuff for when I do doorknocking, and not coming home unless I have 2 customers in the bag each day. I am also forming a crew so i can take on a higher role and away from field work.

  7. #22
    Member qldlawn1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Why don't you try a website and google adwords?

    If you want a basic website, you could set it up for around $50 per year using Wordpress.
    The $50 is for your name eg ??????.com and space on a computer to store your website (the website would look basic).

    Then you have SEO, eg someone types "lawn mowing toorak" in google, then the websites that match appear. (Getting your website to appear first is very difficult, as you are competing with businesses with a lot money to spend on this.

    The easier option is google adwords. Roughly, These are the top 3 ads that appear at the top of google and on the right hand side.
    You can set a budget of say $10 per day, and how much your willing to pay for someone to click on your website.
    Once the the $10 is reached, that's all you spend for the day.
    You set the certain keywords eg "lawn mowing toorak" then you bid against each on how much your are willing to pay for someone to click your ad. (The higher you are willing to bid per click the higher in the page your ad will appear

  8. #23
    Senior Member steveo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    That's interesting information, good to understand that most of our internet search results are influenced by whoever pays more not necessarily by how relevant it is.

  9. #24
    Member brodie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by steveo View Post
    That's interesting information, good to understand that most of our internet search results are influenced by whoever pays more not necessarily by how relevant it is.
    I think there was a slight misunderstanding, the first three to four ads with a yellow ad icon are the paid to the top ads. The following results are ranked by the most relevant information based on your search. Googles algorithm searches websites for logical relevant text. SEO is about making sure you have the correct key words and good quality relevant content on your website. To rank well in Google you need to be adding relevant content to your website otherwise Google assumes that you are no longer relevant to searches. For example if you put up a web page and ranked organically for your key words but never spent any time on SEO after the initial set up your webpage would start ranking lower unless you searched for the business name.

    You now need to constantly add, twek and maintain your website. It also needs to be mobile friendly or you will rank lower.

  10. #25
    Senior Member troppo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    I just do a good job at a fair price and have never advertised as such. Basic old word of mouth (referrals) plus I do a lot of gardening the other lawnies around here wouldn't even dream of tackling, let alone know how to do it. Did a job last week, 2.5 days on the mattock and shovel - no gym fees here!!!! l have cards in a my regular servo, at the gardening supplies shop and at the taxi base office.

  11. #26

    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by qldlawn1 View Post
    Why don't you try a website and google adwords?

    If you want a basic website, you could set it up for around $50 per year using Wordpress.
    The $50 is for your name eg ??????.com and space on a computer to store your website (the website would look basic).

    Then you have SEO, eg someone types "lawn mowing toorak" in google, then the websites that match appear. (Getting your website to appear first is very difficult, as you are competing with businesses with a lot money to spend on this.

    The easier option is google adwords. Roughly, These are the top 3 ads that appear at the top of google and on the right hand side.
    You can set a budget of say $10 per day, and how much your willing to pay for someone to click on your website.
    Once the the $10 is reached, that's all you spend for the day.
    You set the certain keywords eg "lawn mowing toorak" then you bid against each on how much your are willing to pay for someone to click your ad. (The higher you are willing to bid per click the higher in the page your ad will appear
    This is really the type of thing you want to achieveWP_20150603_003[1].jpg

  12. #27
    Member Macka's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by South East Mowing View Post
    This is really the type of thing you want to achieveWP_20150603_003[1].jpg
    service seek $30 a hour in your area ?

  13. #28
    Member Mick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    You dont come up as often when I searched lawn mowing dandenong but you did come up 3 times, plus the Google Business so 4 times on the first page.
    But what is this.... http://southeastlawnmowing.com.au/la...ing-dandenong/ Its at the top on first page when I search.

  14. #29

    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    Was just to show what can be done in smaller markets/searches . That was back in 2013 I think and lasted for 1 night only.

  15. #30
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Effective Marketing

    I notice some business use face-book to boost their presence,on my page, i have had a gardening service appear on my page for about two weeks and they were located 15 to 20 km away..I notice you can boost your page if you pay for it..Anyone used this form and was it cost effective..??

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