How To Get Your First Lawn Care Customers

For those just starting in the lawn care industry, your number one concern is attracting clients as fast as you can to your lawn business. After all, without paying customers, your business won’t take off. But establishing a foothold among your target customers and standing out above your local competition can be challenging. So what’s the best way to get lawn care customers? 
 
Securing a loyal client base requires hard work and dedication, but you can overcome the barrier to entry by implementing a few of the right marketing strategies. To help get you on your way to business success, we’re going to take a look at some tried-and-true marketing strategies and learn how to get lawn care customers fast. Let’s jump right in.

• Build Your Lawn Care Network

  Networking is undoubtedly the first thing you need to do to get lawn care customers, which allows you to establish trust with them. There are lots of simple, yet effective networking methods that you can start implementing right now.
  
  Use Your Existing Networks
  
  The first thing to do, if you haven’t already, is to reach out to your friends and family and let them know that you’re in the lawn care industry. You already have a lot of clout in this network, so be sure to use it. Some great opportunities can come from your friends and family, and it’s easy to leverage—a simple Facebook post or Tweet announcing your business is all you need.
  
  Connect with Clients
  
  Next, you’ll want to connect with potential clients by hitting the streets of your local neighborhoods. You can do so in a few different ways. 
   
  One way is by knocking on doors and handing out flyers. Though it’s rather time-consuming, it’s quite useful, since you’re engaging with potential clients. You can also go door-to-door and leave flyers, business cards, or door hangers. This method is less time consuming, but it does require exceptionally well-written content to engage your target audience.
   
  It’s a good idea to create t-shirts with your company’s name and number and wear them as you walk around. It’s also worth doing this networking on the weekends when more people are likely to be doing yard work. 
  
  Don’t Forget Local Business Associations
  
  And finally, be sure to network with local business associations, as well as your local Chamber of Commerce.

• Establish Social Media Presence

  Nowadays, a strong social media presence is a must. Establishing your lawn care company online is a fantastic free way to market your business and build brand awareness. Though it might seem better to set up profiles on as many platforms as possible, we recommend sticking to a select few. Three of the essential platforms for lawn care services are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
   
  Why? Because your target client (homeowners) likely uses these platforms already. Social media is a fantastic way for them to find you if you haven’t already created a website. Plus, a strong social media presence lends you credibility, especially if you have a large following and positive reviews. 
   
  So how do you attain a strong social media presence that adds to your credibility? Your channels should: 
  
  • Provide quality content
  • Offer helpful information
  • Engage your audience
  • Be a place to respond to your customers
  • Be professional 
   
  Don’t forget that Facebook and Instagram are also both excellent places to kickstart an advertising strategy for your local service business.

• Be Easy To Find Online

  Companies that understand how to get lawn care clients understand the importance of being findable online. Just think for a second about where you go when you are looking for a service. Odds are, you turn to the internet. Your customers may be prevented from finding you if your business isn’t findable in the digital marketplace. 
   
  The good news is that making yourself findable is straightforward. There are several low-cost (or even free) ways to get your name out there.  
  
  Angie’s List
  
  One place you should create a listing is on Angie’s List. Angie’s List is a website that allows service-based businesses to advertise themselves, and customers can use it to find reputable companies. There is a free option that works well when you’re starting, but you may want to consider upgrading to the paid version later on for better advertising.
  
  Create Other Online Listings
  
  Angie’s List is an excellent place to be, but you should also make sure to create online listings with both Bing and Google. These free listings are a fantastic way to advertise your services, and they are easy to set up. All you need to provide is your basic business details, such as a phone number, though the more information you provide, the better.

• Take Care of Existing Customers

  You should never be so concerned with attracting new clientele that you neglect existing customers. After all, it takes a whole lot more effort to gain a new customer than it does to maintain an existing one. Take care of the customers that already trust you by providing excellent service. 
   
  While it may seem tempting to solicit positive reviews early on from the few clients you do have, resist the urge to do so. Instead, ask them for feedback on your services. Hopefully, their comments will be positive, but constructive criticism is helpful at this stage of building your business. 
   
  And what should you do if you receive negative feedback? Knowing how to handle negative comments is imperative. First of all, you should respond to all the feedback you receive, both positive and negative, within a 24-hour window. But it’s especially vital to respond to negative feedback, especially if it’s on a public forum like your Facebook page or Yelp account. 
   
  So how should you respond? The most important thing is to stay calm, even if you feel attacked. Politely ask for more information about what went wrong, and if you were at fault, be sure to remedy your error.