Wanting to Build Your Landscape Business? Get Ahead with These 5 Tips for Using Photos in Your Marketing
Especially in these pandemic times, it’s even more important for landscaping businesses to invest in their marketing practices. Just by adding beautiful, striking photos to your marketing, you can instantly promote your business in a new way, convince clients to continue working with you, and capture the attention of new clients. Read on to get five easy tips for using client photos in your landscaping company marketing plan.
Tip #1: Ask and Educate Your Clients
Never leave the home or business of a client without asking if they will take a few photos for you over the next few weeks once plants are in bloom. You may be surprised by who says “yes” and becomes one of your biggest promoters. Give your clients a few quick photography tips before you leave. For example, consider staging the lawn or garden with a person or pet in the first or last third of the photo. Take a photo during the “golden hour” when the light is soft and gilded. Compile your best tips onto a half-sheet of paper that you can leave with your clients if they are especially interested. A little education goes a long way to
Tip #2: Take Your Own Photos or Hire Out
Ask your clients if you can take a few photos, if you feel comfortable in the role of photographer, or hire out a professional to get photos. Either way, you’ll create a mass of share-worthy photos over time. Keep it up. It’s important to remember that to be able to share these photos and impress clients, you need a large library. Consider sharing your photo library over time, rolling out one or two photos a day, wherever your clients are. Then, consider creating a hardcopy book of your favorites that you can take along with you when you are consulting with clients or when you attend trade shows. The more you showcase what you can do, the more potential clients will have instant confidence in your work and what you might be able to do for them.
Tip #3: Start Social Media Accounts
Instagram is a social media platform that is booming in sales for brands. It’s also an account used primarily by young adults and teens–so likely won’t be the top place where you find or impress clients. You’ll still want to have a presence on this platform simply for awareness. Consider starting a Facebook and Twitter account as well, and create a plan for daily posting. This integrated approach will help to make sure you can test where your audience is–and that you catch anyone and everyone who might be interested in your landscaping services. Also, consider sending regular emails or newsletters that have helpful information in them–such as how to keep your lawn green all summer–and include some of those gorgeous photos. Analyze your data monthly and look at open rates, click rates, and bookings. You’ll be able to see more clearly how your photos are helping your communications by investing in a little data analysis on a regular basis.
Tip #4: Put Some Money Behind Ads
Once you have your social media accounts going, consider budgeting $100-$1,000 for paid social media ads. This is a great wait to test who among new potential clients is interested in your services. You’ll get great data, like the number of people reached and where which you can use to help you make future marketing decisions. In addition, when you are setting up the ad, you can choose where you want the photo ad to appear–such as among men and women aged 30-60 and in certain locations. If you don’t have a large budget for ads, put $100 behind one and see how it does. That will make the case for investing more over time.
Tip #5: Build a Team of Photo Ambassadors
Finally, consider asking your clients to help you out by joining your social media ambassador team. They would be in charge of using the photos they take–or photos you provide for them–and posting regularly on their social media platforms to their friends. Referrals often come by word of mouth, and nothing can beat a neighbor seeing a client’s yard sign or garden and wanting one exactly like the one you have designed for your client. Not everyone will have time to be part of your team, so consider incentivizing with a discount on future services or a monthly prize for those who post a certain number of times or refer someone to you.
If you’re ready to see new clientele for your landscaping business, then make a few marketing changes today. Start an Instagram account, gather a team of client ambassadors to spread around your work via social media and email, invest in a routine that will lead to daily, beautiful photos. With just a little time and patience, you’ll be on your way to seeing a bump in your business over time.