How to get the most out of craigslist for your lawn care business.
Fernando made a post on the Gopher Lawn Care Forum and asked a question about how best to use craigslist.com to market his lawn care business.
He said:
“Hi, everybody!
Well I startet using cragislist.com last month and so far I’ve gained 4 new accounts, (so I guess it works for me), but how many here use or have used this site?”
Chestin from lawncaremarketingmagic.com had a great response I wanted to share with everyone.
He posted:
“There’s already been a ton of great comments on this one so I won’t beat a dead horse, but I did want to address one aspect of the conversation.
My experience is that people on Craig’s list are mostly bargain shoppers. Â That being said, probably not the ideal customers for long term stability. Â However, as Rob stated, it’s still a great place to advertise for free with just a small amount of effort. Â At the end of the day, just realize it’s just one way to get new customers.
As you look to grow your business, you should employ as many marketing methods as possible. Â I’ve always said, I don’t know one single way of attracting 50-100 new customers. Â But I do know at least 50-100 different ways of attracting at 1 new customer. Â And I look to employ as many of those methods as I profitably can.
In terms of creating a strong ad, you should keep all the same principles in mind when creating any other type of marketing piece. Â They should include:
- a strong benefit laden headline
- convert features to benefits
- present a valuable offer (something specific to get them to act)
- include a strong call to action (tell the EXACTLY how to respond)
- provide 3rd party proof such as Before&After photos, testimonials, or endorsements
- include bonuses or premiums
- provide risk reversal such as satisfaction guarantees, saying ‘no commitment or obligation’, etc.”
Thanks to Chestin and Fernando for asking and sharing with us their insight. If you would like to take part in this discussion, you can review the post here at the Gopher Lawn Care Forum.
