Branding is the method of making your business or service memorable to the public. It’s more than just the name of your business; it’s all the components combined.
In addition to a unique business name, branding includes an identifiable image logo, color scheme, lettering font, musical jingle, and slogan. You can also use your branding to let customers know your company’s mission, ecological commitment, dedication to service, and any other aspects that make your company unique (like being a family-owned, woman-owned, or veteran-owned business, for example).
Elements of branding include:
- Physical Marketing. Business cards, signs, banners, promotional items, etc. Print marketing is still valuable, but don’t forget to apply it digitally as well.
- Emails. Messaging your info electronically. Send newsletters, company updates, customer deals, and referral links. Don’t forget to apply all the branding to these emails as well.
- Visuals. Logos, colors, and fonts help people remember your name.
- Word of Mouth. Customer testimonials, positive online reviews, and neighborhood gathering sites get the word out about your lawn care business.
- Blogs. Well-written articles (fewer than 1,000 words) relate information and tell stories that help to educate consumers. Post these on your website and social media accounts. The more knowledge you have on a subject, the more credible you appear to customers.
- Web Design. Creative design and easy website navigation push consumers off the landing page and onto the information pages.
- Customer Experience. Good service and professional employees who dress cleanly, show up on time, and clean up afterward prompt customers to give your business a good online review.
The landscaping business for residential and commercial properties is highly competitive—everyone wants a piece of the pie. Local competition and word of mouth from neighbors are strong marketing methods.
Online Presence
Online presence is one of the most important ways to make your lawn care business stand out among the crowd. Search Engine Optimization and social media promote messaging to potential customers with advertising, commenting, information sharing, and interacting. Growing your lawn care business starts with browsing sessions on Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or a number of other search engines.
Check out Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and any other social networking platforms where you may find customers. People love to see the behind-the-scenes of businesses. Post videos or pictures of “before and after” projects, show time-lapse videos of landscape transformations, and record videos of interviews with key employees so your customers feel like they know who you are.
Get Visual
Make your lawn care business stand out visibly…be creative! Color schemes, pictures, typography… it all blends together to give customers their first impression of your marketing materials, website, and social media pages. Logos with bright colors and easy-to-read fonts show off your brand’s personality. Be consistent—all marketing materials, email signatures, social media posts, and blogs should have the same colors, fonts, and logo.
Create Your Image
What colors and images work best for your business’s mojo? Hot colors are easy to see, but muted colors also work for lawn care operations. How about a cartoon graphic, mascot, nature photo, or colorful abstract design for the logo? Whatever branding image you choose, determine how well it works on paper and the computer screen. If you don’t have a designer’s eye, hire a creative marketing team.
… And Audio
While radio and TV commercials aren’t something we suggest, you can still incorporate audio into your brand. Music is memorable—jingles sell products and business services. Videos and ads on social media should include variety, and this is one way to stand out.
Branding audio is a sound clip that, when played often for a certain product or service, helps the listener easily identify and “connect to” the advertisement. Repetitive audio cues get the message across in a subtle yet productive way. Test out your sound clips on friends, family, or test groups before publishing to ensure they have a positive effect. Everyone knows certain jingles or sounds that drive them crazy, and people are much less likely to hire a company they already can’t stand just from listening to their ad.
Community and Sponsorships
Digital and print marketing aren’t the only ways to get your branding out to the public. Vehicles, equipment, and uniforms should have your lawncare business’s unique branding on them… not only to identify the company but to enforce the idea of professionalism.
Sponsoring local events helps get your company’s name out into the community. For example, paying for the t-shirts or uniforms (with your company’s name and logo) for a kids’ softball team is a good way to show off your business’s advertising while giving back to the community. Sponsor local 5K races, give small discounts to customers who let you place a little yard sign in their lawn, and attend local business-to-business networking events.
Promote Your Business
Attend local events and get in touch with the community. Whether it’s an elementary school’s spring fling, a church’s mission trip fundraiser, a fitness center’s grand opening, or a local farm’s fall festival, get your face and business in front of people, and then give them free stuff! Kids love balloons and squishy toys. Parents like pens and notepads. Set up a cornhole game at your booth. Draw people in with discounts for initial services. Have people fill out forms with their info and enter them into a raffle for a free service (then add those email addresses to your mailing list).
The need for lawn care is never-ending but so is the competition. Visual advertising with memorable colors, images, and mascots and a consistent brand voice are what brings customers to the yard. Professionalism, honesty, transparency, and high-quality results are what keep them long-term.
