How DIY Pest Tips Can Actually Drive More Paid Services

The pest control industry rakes in a whopping $26 billion every year, according to IBiSWorld. Interest in DIY pest control has surged as homeowners look for safe, budget-friendly options in their pantries. Google has seen a spike in keywords like "eco-friendly"," non-toxic", and "smart pest control.”

The aisles of commercially available products are a typical first line of defense against pests before calling an exterminator for help.

Store-bought products rely on the consumer to identify the pest and understand the instructions. Even if the consumer clears those hurdles, the products on the shelves are less effective than those used by the pros.

With so much room for error, we can identify opportunities to educate the target market and turn them into paying customers.

How DIY Pest Tips Can Drive More Paid Services

• Establish authority as a trusted source: Keyword-heavy blog posts, expert quotes, and reviews from satisfied customers build brand/domain authority. A sleek mobile-friendly website and quality backlinks let customers know your site is legit.
• Position your brand as an expert: Stick to what you know. If your brand is an environmentally friendly pest control company, target that market. Known for ways to deter rodents? Make your brand synonymous with your service through strategic content marketing.
• Provide valuable, free content to build credibility: By offering customers honest, high-quality content, you are more likely to have your information shared and circulated. All those extra eyes on your content boost your authority as an expert source.

Practical Strategies to Use DIY Tips as a Funnel to Paid Services

Now that you have the trust and interest of your market, it's time to funnel them into paying customers. By the time most homeowners notice a pest problem, an infestation has already happened, and infestations require professional intervention.

• Set Realistic Expectations: Since the goal of offering free pest tips is to be top of mind when DIY pest control fails, it's essential to inform customers of the limitations of DIY pest control.
• Clarify when professional intervention is necessary: Since we can't see into the target's home, it's safe to assume they need to hire pest control services. Complex pest problems, such as bed bugs and termites, will undoubtedly require professional treatment. However, rodent droppings and multiple pest sightings also warrant a thorough home inspection.

Use a uniform CTA, or call to action, persuading those on the fence to book a service is a way to coax straggling prospects into paying customers.

Here is a closer look at how to funnel free content into paid services:

Infographic Created on Canva by Caleb Leonard

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Promoting DIY Pest Tips

Offering DIY tips is a shrewd strategy to transform your pest control sales, but avoid these common mistakes:

• Overpromising DIY results: Don't get so caught up in helping the customer that you lead them astray – remember to protect your brand's authority and keep the opportunity for sales alive.
• Not guiding customers toward booking a service: Your content should encourage prospective buyers to take action. Even free advice should be a friendly sales pitch. A compelling CTA should persuade the customer to pick up the phone. A site-wide CTA works for larger companies, but custom CTA's are a way small businesses can cut through the noise.
• Neglecting professional follow-up: As marketers, we tend to get ahead of the sales department, especially when trying new things.

Let's say you uploaded a how-to video to Instagram outlining how to bait and set mouse traps. Hoping to stand out from the competitors, the tech leading the tutorial is wearing a rat costume and intentionally snaps the trap on his oversized glove. The video ends with the tech telling interested customers to comment "pest" for a free consultation.

This locally targeted ad goes semi-viral, and now people hundreds of miles outside your service range are indicating their interest.

As your sales team sifts through the leads, the viable customers are seeking alternatives. Failure to follow up with prospective customers within a reasonable timeframe damages your reputation and brand authority.

If you've ever needed pest control, you understand the urgency with which customers are seeking professional intervention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cover Image by Alexa from Pixabay