Advertising?

[Al Smith]

Tom just runs an ad in the local paper nearly all the time .He claims it's money well spent .He chose the name Alpine Tree so it would be one of the first listed .

I haven't heard anything lately but he was going to do an online thing too .

 

[thattreeguy]

radio is a waste of $

 

[MasterBlaster]

I think so, too.

 

[Rborist1]

#3 here

 

[emr]

Just wondering, has anyone ever tried or seen a tv add for a tree care co?

 

[Tucker943]

I dont know what a TV ad would produce. A large bill at a minimum. I find that my greatest advertising besides word of mouth is a strong presence in the community. I draw a lot of work/opportunity to bid because of constant tree truck activity in the community. I have always put large signs on any of my trucks and all trucks are white cab, black body. Those trucks are constntly bopping around the community and people, upon meeting me often say "Well Ive seen your company around so much I figured Id call." Ive come to believe that large, uncluttered logos on trucks help a lot. Yard signs have done wonders in the past too. Before the recession, yard signs almost always generated leads. Since the economy going down the tube, they dont seem as productive. Before the recession, I would have piles of neighbors coming to my jobs to request bids while we were there. For awhile, the stopped entirely. This past year, Ive seen a little more of that starting to pickup. I guess I should quit ranting and make a solid point here.....

Make your logo appear all over your community. Vehicle lettering, yard signs, and clothing. My wife and I wear OHara Tree Service logos on all of our clothing. We are constantly displaying our company name, even while grocery shopping. It helps. When people have seen/heard of a company name enough, it will pop up in their mind when looking for prices on work.

One thing that I think is time/money well spent, though I have not done it myself, is to make a presence at lawn and garden shows and community showcases. I dont even think you need to create the image of a big elaborate operation. I think setting up a table with a few potted trees from the nursery for aesthetics, some nicely formatted befoe/after pics of your work on a large display, and some Arbor day pamphlets on tree care would be a good starting point. I know of guys that have been successful doing that.

 

[bstewert]

I feel placing advertising inside a mailbox without postage is unprofessional. If it's tacked somewhere outside the box, then it's litter. We have a row of neighbors' boxes at the end of "our" driveway. Yard service guys and others tape their flyers all over the boxes; it looks like crap. The neighbors don't remove them. Then the rain and wind blows 'em to the ground, and guess who has to clean it all up?

Word of mouth is by far the best. If you can get your name out in front of the public without cramming it down their throat. Our local paper does a little story each week on somebody's biz. It's news/interest, not in-your-face spam. "Ask me about your trees" is a great idea!

If you have to buy materials ahead of the job, I can see asking for a deposit, but I won't hire anyone asking for a deposit on labor. If someone promised me I could do their job and then got someone else, or promised me to do a job and never showed up, I wouldn't do business with either of them. Good riddance.

TV and radio is a total waste. Really take care of the customers you do have, and always do a little extra. Remember the story about the girl at the ice cream counter who seemed to have all the customers. While the other servers would grab a big scoop and then take a little bit off, she would grab a smaller scoop and then add a little bit "extra."

 

[Mr. Sir]

I feel placing advertising inside a mailbox without postage is unprofessional. If it's tacked somewhere outside the box, then it's litter.

I've always heard that it is illegal to put anything in a mailbox without postage. Don't know if that's true or just an urban legend.

 

[NeTree]

It's true.

 

[FJR]

I dont know what a TV ad would produce. A large bill at a minimum. I find that my greatest advertising besides word of mouth is a strong presence in the community. I draw a lot of work/opportunity to bid because of constant tree truck activity in the community. I have always put large signs on any of my trucks and all trucks are white cab, black body. Those trucks are constntly bopping around the community and people, upon meeting me often say "Well Ive seen your company around so much I figured Id call." Ive come to believe that large, uncluttered logos on trucks help a lot. Yard signs have done wonders in the past too. Before the recession, yard signs almost always generated leads. Since the economy going down the tube, they dont seem as productive. Before the recession, I would have piles of neighbors coming to my jobs to request bids while we were there. For awhile, the stopped entirely. This past year, Ive seen a little more of that starting to pickup. I guess I should quit ranting and make a solid point here.....

Make your logo appear all over your community. Vehicle lettering, yard signs, and clothing. My wife and I wear OHara Tree Service logos on all of our clothing. We are constantly displaying our company name, even while grocery shopping. It helps. When people have seen/heard of a company name enough, it will pop up in their mind when looking for prices on work.

One thing that I think is time/money well spent, though I have not done it myself, is to make a presence at lawn and garden shows and community showcases. I dont even think you need to create the image of a big elaborate operation. I think setting up a table with a few potted trees from the nursery for aesthetics, some nicely formatted befoe/after pics of your work on a large display, and some Arbor day pamphlets on tree care would be a good starting point. I know of guys that have been successful doing that.

There is some very good advice in here.

As far as the mailbox advertising... If there is shit on my mailbox or door I either throw it on the fire or in the shredder. I can not stand when people waste paper on that. When I need something I will find it. If you come to my door looking for work, your not the type of person I want to give my money to.

 

[Widow Shooter]

they do it here all the time, must be a Canuck thing, because we are the nicest people in the world I'm thinking I'm just going to do a bigger ad in the paper for a month advertising a % off for winter work. I may see how much it is to include some flyers IN the paper with the rest of the flyers that get put in there.

and I may be tempted to give a smaller company that comes to my door (with a good knowledge of what they do and needs to be done), my cash instead of a big fucktard company that thinks they know it all, ya catch my drift?

 

[woodworkingboy]

Awhile back, I put some flyers out at houses where i could see that the trees needing cutting, maybe 200-300. The name and number on the flyer was the crane operator, I enjoyed pedaling up into various areas to do it, an hour or so per afternoon over a few weeks. We did get a few jobs out of it, less than I had hoped for. The biggest impression from doing that is when I was into the vacation home area, where there appears in some places to have been a lack of human activity for quite awhile, some houses are isolated and pretty scary to go up to. Some old hag with a butcher knife could be waiting, and I couldn't run because my foot went through the rotten stairs leading up to the door.

 

[gf beranek]

Once established referrals is all that a good and credible small company needs in their local. Unless you want to enlarge your services then advertising may be the way to go.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Just wondering, has anyone ever tried or seen a tv add for a tree care co?

I saw a TV ad for Dot Palm when I was traveling through the keys a few years back.

 

[SkwerI]

Looks like I'll work at least 4 days this week and already have a couple days lined up for next week. My phone keeps ringing. It takes a while, but Jerry is absolutely correct. Your referrals are by far the best advertisement you can get. Referrals outrank all other forms of advertisement combined. The best part about referrals is that when they call, it's because they want YOU to do their tree work. Price shoppers calling from across town in response to a phone book ad will cost you money to drive out there and do the estimate (bidding against 5 other tree companies for the low price). If your sales strategy is based on selling with the lowest price, you're losing the game.

 

[thattreeguy]

Once established referrals is all that a good and credible small company needs in their local. Unless you want to enlarge your services then advertising may be the way to go.

true, we have only our ph bk ad going plus net ad for humboldt and even in winter im a month out,
now my new crew in lake county..we are running the occasional ad in the sunday paper as well as the home and garden section during the week, only when i'm going down to do bids, and it so far has turned 1 day of bids into 3..

but my reputation in humboldt is huge, even though im an excentric, people dig my tree work and call me back as well as reffer me to friends....best ads is a refferal

 

[Tucker943]

Looks like I'll work at least 4 days this week and already have a couple days lined up for next week. My phone keeps ringing. It takes a while, but Jerry is absolutely correct. Your referrals are by far the best advertisement you can get. Referrals outrank all other forms of advertisement combined. The best part about referrals is that when they call, it's because they want YOU to do their tree work. Price shoppers calling from across town in response to a phone book ad will cost you money to drive out there and do the estimate (bidding against 5 other tree companies for the low price). If your sales strategy is based on selling with the lowest price, you're losing the game.

I couldn't agree more. I loathe the idea of filling a schedule based on being the cheapest. Is rather do 3 jobs and make $2000 then do 6 jobs to make the same $2000. I'm not a totally out of bounds high baller but I try and remain on the higher side of bids. If your work is top notch, people will pay a premium....

 

[squisher]

Hell yah. I'm suprised that some on here offer 'discounts' for winter work. Blahhh I charge more in the winter, lol.

If people start talking cheap I always let them know that I can suggest atleast a couple of other companies they may want to call. I think someone on here said it, my new favorite unwanted customer line, "There's a treeguy for everyone...................and I may not be the one for you".

 

[bstewert]

Hell yah. I'm suprised that some on here offer 'discounts' for winter work. Blahhh I charge more in the winter, lol.

If people start talking cheap I always let them know that I can suggest atleast a couple of other companies they may want to call. I think someone on here said it, my new favorite unwanted customer line, "There's a treeguy for everyone...................and I may not be the one for you".

Yes, yes, and yes.

It should cost more in the winter! Unless maybe you live in Santa Barbara. In general, treework or anything, out of 10 customers, one or two at the top are willing to pay top dollar. They will expect top quality. One or two at the bottom want the cheapest price, no matter what. Doesn't make a difference how cheap you are or how much extra you do, they won't be satisfied. You can choose where you want to be in that range.

 

[tophopper]

Just wondering, has anyone ever tried or seen a tv add for a tree care co?

Ive heard several radio ads from local tree services, one even did a handful of TV commercials. I bet the return payback is minimal though.

 

[arborworks1]

I think a tv ad would do well. A time-lapse of a pruning or a big nasty removal. It would get your attention if nothing else.
Plus I always think thits neat to see the groundsmen moving at superspeed!!

 

[tophopper]

They made a few, they were mostly "cute". They would run them during local sports events, mostly before, during, and after NHL hockey games.

 

[arborworks1]

I mostly work off referrals. I have yard signs that I put out. But only if I want to work in that area more.

 

[treesandsurf]

I just put a yard sign out in my city, it's a small town and I'm trying to get more work around here. We'll see how it does...

jp

 

[Greenhorn]

even though im an excentric, people dig my tree work and call me back as well as reffer me to friends....best ads is a refferal

thats funny! its eccentric though