2.9 million households in the U.S. experience sightings of mice and roaches in their homes. Pests have earned the name pest for good reason. Not only are they annoying, but they’re also unsanitary.
Around 79% of homeowners have attempted some form of DIY pest control on their own. But sometimes the problem is too big to manage. That’s when a professional pest company is needed.
As of 2022, there are a reported 29,535 pest control businesses in the U.S. If you’re a small business pest company, it can be especially difficult to stand out to potential customers. You’ll need to undertake the proper marketing strategies for a small business.
If you want to find out more about small business marketing for your pest company then keep reading below for 15 marketing strategies you can use.
1. Do Your Research
First things first. You need to know what you’re up against before you implement any marketing strategies for small a business like a pest company.
You need to take into account factors such as your potential competition. You’ll also need to figure out your ideal customer base and the best ways to reach them. Market research is also crucial to fully understand the market area where your business is located.
Knowing these things in advance will help you develop the best marketing strategies moving forward. You can create an effective plan of action that will get your pest company noticed.
2. Turn to Social Media
Social media is a great way to get your small business out there. Marketing strategies for a small business that incorporate social media can expand a business’s reach by engaging with consumers. Local social media pages can help customers find and rate businesses in their area.
Social media is also ideal for boosting your business through targeted advertising. Use videos, photos, and promotional offers to get the attention of potential consumers. Social media users feel like it’s a more organic form of advertising.
With TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, you have to opportunity for brand awareness across multiple channels.
3. Optimize Your Pest Company Website
Marketing strategies for a small business need to focus on your website design. Driving more traffic to your pest company’s website through social media won’t do any good if your website is underwhelming. If your website takes too long to load or doesn’t have the proper information, it can deter customers.
Add features like online appointment scheduling and individual customer portal set-ups. Make sure your website has enhanced security protocols in place to keep customer data from getting hacked.
Link to all of your social media accounts in case customers want to explore further information.
4. Add a Pest Control Blog to Your Website
Providing original content is a key way to get customers to view your site. Cover topics like “Best Ways to Roach-Proof Your Pantry” to get eyes on your brand. Not only is it informational, it also sets you apart from the competition by offering insight into pest control.
A blog establishes you as a professional in the field. Cover a wide array of areas customers can search like DIY tips and bug identification guides.
With so many people turning to the internet to find answers to common questions, your blog is one of the best marketing strategies for a small business.
5. Utilize Unique Video Content
With the influx of technology, short video content is king. Instagram reels and TikTok videos provide catchy and entertaining content that also spread brand awareness. You can jump on this bandwagon and incorporate it with your marketing strategies for a small business.
Do short-form videos that tap into current dance trends with an exterminator wearing your pest company’s logo. It’s a fun and effective way to get your brand out there. For longer explanatory or educational videos, turn to YouTube.
Consumers are more responsive to visual content. But if you combine written blogs with integrated video content, you’ll have a two-pronged approach to increasing your reach.
6. Create Informative Infographics
Marketing strategies for a small business come in many forms. One way you can accomplish this is through the use of creating informative infographics.
For example, so much of the fear of spiders is due to not knowing that many species are actually not dangerous. If you create an infographic showing spider markings and describing their attributes, it will help to better educate the public.
You’re helping to educate and inform through these infographics while also putting your pest company brand out there.
7. Manage Your Pest Company’s Online Presence
Marketing strategies for a small business also include being aware of your business’s online presence. View your small business social media accounts periodically to ensure that they are performing well. Respond to messages and comments, post updates, and check reviews.
You should also take note of what areas are working well and what may need improving. For instance, if video content is receiving more engagement, work on offering more video content.
Signing up for Google Alerts will also send you updates when certain search terms receive more search results. This could be for search terms relating to your brand or your competitors.
8. Harness the Power of SEO Keywords
SEO is quickly becoming one of the most popular marketing strategies for a small business. The right SEO keywords can make your pest company appear higher up in search results.
Research popular search terms relating to your business to get a feel for the best ones to use. Using SEO in your blog posts will also draw internet traffic to your website through the proper search keywords.
So many consumers rely on the information found solely on the first page of Google results only. SEO creates a more organic reach for your small business.
9. Expand Into Local SEO
SEO marketing strategies for a small business can help elevate your pest company in Google search results. You can take your SEO strategy a step further by expanding into local SEO as well. Local SEO is a local business’s best asset.
Whereas some search terms apply to businesses all over the world, a local SEO search narrows down businesses in a set location. When a consumer searches for an SEO keyword phrase like “pest companies in New Jersey” or “pest control near me” they will receive tailored results to that particular area.
10. Consider PPC Advertising
PPC, also known as Pay Per Click, advertising can be a part of beneficial marketing strategies for a small business. It’s preferable since, as the name implies, the advertiser only pays when a consumer actually clicks through on the ad.
Using a PPC ad puts your business front and center in the first search results. It’s an affordable and scalable ad option.
PPC ads can also be targeted at consumers looking for a specific business like a pest company. PPC ads offer a better return on investment versus other ad campaigns.
11. Leverage Your Google My Business Profile
Google My Business is a free tool that lets you create a profile for your business on Google. Using the power of Google is one of the smartest strategies for a small business to use. Google’s growth and reach potential as a search engine can help catapult the exposure of your small business.
Simply create or claim a business profile on Google’s My Business. You can post updates, connect with customers, list services, and more. Set your business hours and manage how your business appears in Maps and search settings.
12. Establish a Strong Philosophy for Your Brand
More than what they see, customers also learn to rely on brands like a poset company for their business’s philosophy. This could include a number of facets like the values and core beliefs of your business or its underlying principles.
Maybe you base your company’s beliefs on a satisfaction guarantee. Or you could use religious principles to back your workmanship and service.
Having a strong business philosophy is more than just another group of marketing strategies for a small business. It can lead to your business becoming the one a family trusts to be their go-to pest company long-term.
13. Reviews Are Your Friend
Reviews can make or break your pest company. No reviews will make other customers skeptical about engaging in business with your company. Encouraging honest reviews is one of the best marketing strategies for a small business.
It shows that you value their opinion. It also shows you as a business where you need to improve. Reviews also build trust in your brand.
Ask customers who have had a positive experience with your pest company to give you a good review on social media. Never try to make up fake reviews or you’ll risk losing your credibility.
14. Don’t Forget Traditional Marketing Strategies
While a majority of advertising today takes place on the internet, you shouldn’t underestimate using traditional marketing strategies for a small business.
Printing out company brochures is still a terrific way to create brand exposure. You’re offering a physical representation of your pest company for customers to view and read through.
They may save your brochure in a drawer or put it on the refrigerator to call at a later date or tell friends and family. You can enhance brochures by sending out an attached coupon for a free inspection or a percentage off of their first job.
15. Provide Multiple Communication Methods
Responsiveness is key to attracting and retaining customers to your pest company’s small business. You should offer phone and text options for contacting your company, as well as a chatbox on your website, an email, or a way to send a message on social media as marketing strategies for a small business.
Prompt responses to these customer inquiries are also important. If you leave customers waiting too long for an answer, they will be more likely to go to a competitor instead.
Trust Your Marketing Strategies for Small Business to Marketing Pests
With so much at stake, your small business marketing needs to hit all the right marks. Effective marketing strategies can mean the difference between expanding your horizons or closing up shop. Marketing strategies for a small business like a pest company are crucial to help your business stand out better.
That’s why you need Marketing Pests. Our company specializes in all aspects of digital marketing in the pest control industry. We can help you manage your pest company’s digital marketing strategy from website design to social media marketing and local search optimization.
Contact us today to book your marketing strategy session.
