Whether you own a startup company or an established business, choosing a marketing mix that's both effective and budget-friendly can pose a challenge. If you own a service business like a lawn care or landscaping company, let your work do the marketing for you.
Yard sign marketing continues to be a cost-effective and results-driven option that reaches a wide spectrum of prospective customers. What was once the standby marketing tool for real estate agents and political campaigns is now a sure-fire way to get your business noticed.
Target Your Ideal Client
Part of creating a winning marketing plan starts with knowing your ideal customer. If you're a new small business, there are many marketing education sites geared toward kick-starting your marketing efforts. Sites like ducttapemarketing.com also provide information to help you identifying your ideal customer.
Geographical location plays an important role when selecting a target market. If your business only provides services in a select area, yard signs create an easy way to target a specific demographic based on where your clients live.
Grow Your Brand
Yard and lawn signs enable you to grow your brand in two ways. The first, and most obvious, is by the display of your sign featuring your company name and logo. The second is by placing a mark on your masterpiece. Showcasing your work enables potential customers to recognize you not only for your logo, but for your quality of work.
With this in mind, make sure both your sign and your work are pristine examples of your professionalism. The last thing you or your customers want is a cheaply made sign taking the focus away from a perfectly manicured yard. Use a quality printing service that lets you fully customize your signs in any shape, color and size you choose in order to match the look you're going for.
Increase Your Referrals
Referrals from existing customers are an ideal way to gain new customers. The downfall is that getting customers to refer your services can take additional effort. Even if they are fully satisfied with your services, they may forget to pass on the good word as time goes on. Yard signs make it easy for customers to refer others by letting the sign become a stamp of approval on your work. Neighbors can easily approach your customer to ask about the services provided. People will see your name every time they drive or walk by, keeping your business top-of-mind.
Instant Word of Mouth
While it is always important to target customers through a variety of advertising efforts, word-of-mouth (WOM) advertising ranks in highest importance.
A recent study by MarketShare shows that offline WOM has a more significant impact on buying outcomes than social media. Each time a customer agrees to let you market your work with a yard sign on their lawn, they are automatically passing on excellent WOM to their friends and neighbors. Additionally, you'll earn added credibility when they see the results of your work first-hand.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Kincaid is a small-business owner who likes to blog about entrepreneurship, personal finance, and how to get and stay out of debt.
