Everyone from homeowners to those working in the property business requires pest control services now and again. Not only are pest control services highly sought-after, but they're also known to enjoy great customer loyalty. After all, how many people do you know who call up a different exterminator every time they spot an unwanted critter in their kitchen? Regarding pest control, customers tend to stick with the business that gets the job done right.
However, with the increasing number of businesses venturing into the pest control territory and the competitive pricing strategies that these businesses employ, it's becoming difficult for local pest control services to retain customers in ways they did before. Therefore, developing a sound marketing strategy to promote your pest control services and increase your revenue is more important now than ever. Think of it as setting traps to lure in new customers. Except instead of mousetraps, you're using targeted ads and compelling content!
When developing a marketing strategy, you’ll first need to consider how involved you want to be. Your involvement will depend on several questions discussed throughout this article.
How Much Time Do You Have?
Developing an effective marketing strategy for any business is no child's play, but this is especially true in the case of pest control services. I say this because there's nothing particularly unique or attractive about pest control services, nothing that'll make them stand out by themselves. These services are mostly considered mundane and essential – not very exciting elements with which you can design a great marketing strategy. It's not like you can make an ad showing glamorous models lounging on a sofa while roaches scurry across the floor - although that would certainly be memorable!
For instance, if you advertise a product like a smartwatch or a service like an online streaming service, you'd find it easier to market these simply because they're non-essential products/services and generally cause intrigue or excitement in potential customers. In other words, they're more desirable than essential services, and you won't have to put in as much time and effort to promote them as you would with essential services.
Therefore, you need to consider how much time you have on your hands that you're willing to dedicate to developing a pest control strategy. Suppose you can spare the time to be as involved as you can be. In that case, your marketing campaign may turn out to be more personalized than a campaign created by an agency or PPC expert. On the other hand, if you'd rather focus on providing your customers with high-quality extermination and prevention services, you'd be better off involving yourself in the strategy and development process only when required.
How Much Do You Know About Marketing?
It may not be a good idea to foray into developing a marketing strategy for your pest control services if you have no more than a basic idea of how marketing works. Marketing is a whole different animal than dealing with the critters your business usually handles! It's an area of expertise that takes years of education and training, so if you're not familiar with the nuances of marketing, you should trust your ad Campaign to someone who does.
Suppose you insist on involving yourself in developing the marketing strategy for your business without the required knowledge and expertise. In that case, you may become a liability to your ad campaign (as harsh as it sounds). Now, I don't mean that you shouldn't give your marketing department or PPC expert your input; you should ideally rely more on their instincts than yours when it comes to calling the shots on the specifics of your marketing strategy. You handle the bugs. Let them handle the buzz!
Are You Comfortable With Not Being In Control?
It's not unusual to want to be as involved as possible in developing and executing your marketing strategy. After all, who knows your business better than you do? However, you can still be in control of every step of the way; you may have to step back and allow your marketing department or PPC to take control.
This leads us to the question: will you be comfortable relinquishing control over your marketing strategy to someone else, be it an employee or an expert? Suppose you're not comfortable being alienated from the development process. In that case, you can discuss your degree of involvement with your marketing team or expert. If you are comfortable with stepping back, you can oversee only the most important aspects of your marketing campaign and leave the rest to their expertise. Like how you tell your clients to let you handle their pest problems and not try to do it themselves, sometimes it's best to let the marketing pros take the reins.
Are You Hiring An Agency Or Relying On A Marketing Department?
Here's a handy decision tree to help you decide the best approach for your pest control company's marketing needs:
In this decision tree, the pest control company owner starts by considering their monthly marketing budget. DIY marketing is the most suitable option if the budget is less than $1,000 per month, provided they can dedicate at least 10 hours per week to marketing efforts.
If the budget is between $5,000 and $20,000 per month, the owner has two options:
- If they prefer to focus on their core business and have minimal time for marketing management (1-10 hours/month), hiring a marketing agency would be the best choice.
- Building an in-house marketing team would be a good option if they could allocate 5-10 hours per week to manage and collaborate with an in-house team.
If you wish to be more involved in developing your marketing strategy. In that case, consider setting up a marketing department to promote your pest control business. This may not come cheap since you'll likely have to hire more than one employee to get the job done, but it certainly gives you a great degree of control over the development of your marketing strategy.
However, if you're going to engage the services of a marketing agency, you might not get much say in the development and execution of your marketing strategy. I wouldn't say this is necessarily a bad thing though, considering these agencies have several marketing experts and PPC experts who would be more than capable of designing an effective marketing strategy for your pest control service. And isn't that what you are hiring them to do? Therefore, they'll make sure your leads and sales are multiplying faster than a colony of ants at a picnic!
Have You Taken Your Marketer’s Preferences Into Account?
Unless you speak to your marketer, you won't know their preferences and, therefore, won't be able to take these into account. After an open discussion, you'll be able to reach a middle ground that may prove comfortable for both you and your marketer and not hinder the creative process. Find that sweet spot where you're collaborating without bugging them too much, pun intended!
In summary, here are the key questions you should ask yourself to determine your ideal level of involvement in your pest control company's marketing strategy:
- How much time can you realistically dedicate to marketing activities?
- What is your level of marketing knowledge and expertise?
- Are you comfortable giving up some control of the marketing process?
- What is your marketing budget?
- Do you have the resources to build an in-house marketing team, or is hiring an agency more feasible?
- Have you discussed your preferred level of involvement with your marketing point person?
In conclusion, your involvement in the development of a marketing strategy for your pest control services depends on various factors, each as significant as the other. By carefully considering the questions above, you can determine the best approach to buzz-worthy marketing that will have new customers swarming to your business! With the right strategy in place, there will be no putting a lid on your company's growth potential.
