How are you advertising this year?

[CJCuttingEdge]

Curious how you guys are advertising this year?
I have currently expanded the coverage area in the news paper ( 3 papers )
Phone book, internet craigslist, google, etc and my website.
I have about 1k postcards left over from last years 7k got tired of
Running a 4month add on rest. placemat lol
Thought about doing valpak but its $2k that i think is a waste
Thinking about doing a billboard????

What ways are you advertising this year?
What ways have you avoided?

[greenchoppers]

We do ATT yellow pages, local newspaper (3 publications), door hangers, a few post cards, and signs on truck and trailer.

In my opinion, billboards are reinforcement advertisements. If you use billboards, you need to have your name and number in the yellow pages or in a place where most people in your area would go to shop for the services you offer.

I have always thought that nobody in their right mind would go driving around looking for billboards to buy lawn service or landscaping. I don't think anyone would do that for any service...but it is good reinforcement advertising.

Just my opinion.

[CJCuttingEdge]

I also have signs on my truck & trailer which i forgot to mention
You have the same opinion I do about billboards... I cant think of any other advertising ideas that actually WORK
Word of mouth has been OK to me.

I would like to add 20+ to my lawn cutting route, many maint jobs mulch trimmings etc, and would like 4 hardscapes this year.
I am solo operator for lawns and can cut 50 in 2days...hoping to eventually have 150-200 lawns per week, which is why i need advertising ideas

[greenchoppers]

Originally Posted by CJCuttingEdge

I also have signs on my truck & trailer which i forgot to mention
You have the same opinion I do about billboards... I cant think of any other advertising ideas that actually WORK
Word of mouth has been OK to me.

I would like to add 20+ to my lawn cutting route, many maint jobs mulch trimmings etc, and would like 4 hardscapes this year.
I am solo operator for lawns and can cut 50 in 2days...hoping to eventually have 150-200 lawns per week, which is why i need advertising ideas

Must be some really small yards, really close together to do 50 in two days solo. We have done 15 in one day with two people.

[CJCuttingEdge]

They range in size for this area i would deff consider them average not too small...
The most ive ever cut in one day was 64 which was myself and 2 other guys 7:30am - 8:00pm (unloaded and on my way home)
2 guys on mowers 1 z-turn and 1 48" walker mtghs and the other trimming/blowing
I keep my accounts all close together and have the route organized
Most lawns on one street is 9

"thats with taking pride and not scalping the hell out of everything also"

[ACA L&L]

Lettered trucks, signs for corners, placed every friday morning, they are removed monday-thur am by city code enforcement, we have had minimal luck with val-pak, direct postcard mailings, have had good luck with a monthly magazine that is sent to all homeowners in city, you can do 10 zip codes or all 75 price depends on what you choose. We ususally get at least a couple hundred calls from that ad alone every March. Costs starts at $100 for B/W ad, we usually do a $1200 full color add with a aeration free when you sign up for summer service, or free Month id you go with the year vround package..........door hangers all day every day. We have a program 5 up 5 down, every stop you go 5 houses up and 5 house down, we cut the crew in on it as well, Free lunch if they get a few customers, if one guy sends me alot ill buy him a gift card for a dinner on me for him and his wife........lots of networking, passing out cards, i will stop in or call a number on a sign that has property management company and get the ball rolling with someone about provoiding service for them...........we will try anything once, we also donate to charitys, and are involved with youth groups, this allows us to lend a hand and come into contact with lots of diffeent people in diffrent positions, some of which help make desicionc when they need a landscaper or snow removal.....works well, we lost 1 customer last year, and have scheduled all of our current customers for there intial visit In March. Almost time to start aerations!!

[kilgoja]

i've been putting fliers (flyers?) in newspaper boxes...that's not illegal lol...but the problem is every house doesn't have a paper box...it just takes too much time to get out of the truck and run up to the door of every house...i have noone to help me...putting them in paper boxes takes enough time as it is...hopefully i'll get a few calls....i also put business cards on bulletin boards at grocery stores and such

[XLS]

we are going to try a tested result called shaking hands again this year, hoping to pick up 75-120 more accounts again this year

[CJCuttingEdge]

Thats amazing if you can pick up 120 accounts in one year...Are you the cheapest in the area? or is there no competition at all?
I have done the whole meet and greet shake hands etc but it takes forever when you get a widow whos 80yrs old with no family and wants to sit and have cookies for 2hrs

[kirkmbrown2001]

Originally Posted by CJCuttingEdge

I have done the whole meet and greet shake hands etc but it takes forever when you get a widow whos 80yrs old with no family and wants to sit and have cookies for 2hrs

HAHAHA!