Increase your client base and awareness of your business by focusing on these 4 strategies.
Implementing a successful marketing and public relations plan for your company doesn’t necessarily require major outside help, but it does require strategic thinking. “The reason most contractors don’t have a PR plan is they don’t have time. It’s not urgent to them unless there is a crisis on hand, which is unfortunate because it is one of the most effective tools for positioning a company there is,” says green industry expert Tony Bass, president of Super Lawn Technologies. “People do business with people they know and will only sign a contract if they trust you. Having a successful PR strategy gives you almost instant credibility,” Bass says. He should know. Bass leads seminars across the country in which he talks to landscape contractors about the importance of having a good marketing and public relations plan, which, he observes, most of his clients don’t have. Along with Bass, we surveyed several experts for the most cost- and time-effective ways to implement a marketing and public relations plan. Here are four basic areas where you’ll net results.
1) Increase awareness via Community service Volunteering in your community allows you to network with the “movers and shakers” of the community, who in turn, may recommend you for jobs.
“People are always going to reciprocate. It shows you care for the community. It sets you apart,” says Jerry Gaeta, a business consultant and 30-year landscaping industry veteran.
One client Gaeta advises provides free maintenance to the grounds of a local school. In turn, the school lists his business as a partner on their school sign, their website and all PTA materials. “You can’t buy that kind of publicity,” Gaeta says.
What experts suggest:
