Common Missteps in Pest Control Marketing

Pest control marketing, like any other marketing, requires a lot of prep work to create a plan that attracts customers. While setting up a Google Ads account and writing some ads may seem like the first step, there are actually steps prior to this that need to be taken–and oftentimes aren’t. You may think you know your audience, but do you really and have you taken the time to learn about them? If not, you may not even be targeting their needs in the first place. Here are some common missteps taken in pest control marketing that can make a difference in the success of the campaign:

Not Knowing Your Client-Base

Your clients are the backbone of your business–both new and returning, so the biggest first step in pest control marketing is to know them. This is not something that can 100% be done prior to hitting “live” on your campaign, but it is a great starting point. When do your clients call? What are they calling about? What are their pain points when it comes to pest control? All of these pieces of information can really go a long way. Perhaps, you know you get your most calls during the 8 am – 12 pm time frame, so putting the most budget into those hours can help your business. Maybe, your clients are trickling off after the initial call because the price is a bit too high, but re-working the numbers to offer a discount for both new and returning customers may be the deal-maker. All of these little bits of information and knowing your clients, demographics, and their search habits are key to improving your market efforts, but oftentimes, this is a step that is missed.

Not Marketing To Your Client-Base’s Needs

Taking a page from the step stated above, the next step is taking what you know about your customers and listening to their needs to re-work it into your marketing plan. You may get calls on your answering machine late at night that go unanswered until the morning, so maybe 24/7 emergency service can be provided if you have the manpower. You may find customers are hoping you are eco-friendly, so if you aren’t already then maybe doing the research and finding the equipment will endear you to your customers. There is a fine line between understanding how your client works in terms of call times, demographics, etc. and the extra needs they have to create a marketing plan that incorporates these pieces of information. You will then need to ensure all ads, marketing materials, and your website reflect these needs in the form of coupons, emergency phone lines, and ads stating you provide same day service or a free inspection–based off of what you know about your customer’s needs. Without taking the time to learn and formulate it into your marketing plan, you may not even be trying to target your customers and lose a giant piece of the market.

Not Re-Working Your Data Periodically For Improvements

Now, it’s great if you actually have implemented the two above steps into your marketing plan and have really targeted your prime audience and client-base well. But, what happens over time? People move out, new people move in, demographics change, and it happens more frequently in larger cities–but small cities do change too. Making it a point to re-work your marketing campaigns on a yearly basis to still keep your client-base as the forefront of your thoughts can really keep your marketing fresh. You do not want to be marketing for out-dated needs and be losing money if no one is engaging with what your pest control business is providing anymore. Updates can be anything from new promotions, bid re-adjustments, or new ad writing, but time needs to be taken to re-learn the needs each year. Missteps happen in marketing, pest control marketing is not immune from it, but these are some quick steps that, while tend to be missed, can be helpful both for creating a marketing plan for your customers and making sure money is well-spent.