You’ve perfected the art of growing lush, green lawns, but there’s one thing that still eludes you: gaining new lawn care customers. It might feel like you’re shouting into the void as you promote your lawn care company.

You could sit and twiddle your thumbs while you wait for the phone to ring. Or you can take action and transform your marketing into engaging conversations that not only reach potential lawn care leads but also entice them to sign up for your services.

Whether you have a new landscaping business that’s struggling to get noticed or an established one looking to expand, these strategies will help you cut through the noise and grow your customer base. Get ready—it’s time to make your lawn care business the talk of the town.

How to attract more lawn care leads

Are your workers going home two hours early because there aren’t enough jobs? Are you struggling to market your lawn care company while also doing the mowing, mulching, hauling, and fixing? 

Whatever the case, here are 10 strategies to get more lawn care leads in your door and on the phone: 

1. Build your website and target local SEO

Jose’s Lawn Services, LLC, helps customers find them with a website. (Source)

A website is a fairly easy way to attract lawn care leads. Customers can learn more about your business and how to contact you when they search for your company’s name or terms like “landscaping near me.”

Part of your website strategy should include local SEO, a digital marketing strategy that helps your website show up on Google Maps. Considering that 98% of consumers search online for local businesses and local searches have an 80% conversion rate, the numbers definitely add up in favor of local SEO.

Get up to speed on local SEO: Learn all you need to know about getting in front of your customers with our local SEO playbook for small businesses.

2. Engage with customers on social media

C&R Lawn Care shares before-and-after photos on Facebook to promote its services. (Source)

Chances are you’ve already made a few social media accounts for your lawn care business. If you haven’t, it’s time to take advantage of the communities using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Sharing before-and-after photos, polls, videos, and seasonal promotions makes your business more visible. You can also join Facebook groups or use specific hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to help customers find your social media content.

Facebook ads are another way to get your business in front of potential landscaping customers. You can design Facebook ad campaigns to target specific demographics or service areas that match your existing customers.

Just remember: If customers reach out to you on any social media platform with questions, answer them as quickly as possible. Sixty-three percent of customers expect some form of customer service on social media.

3. Invest in Google Ads

Google Ads moves your business to the top of search results. (Source)

A Google Ads strategy gets your landscaping company to appear at the top of the search results when customers search for a term you bid on. This can help you drive traffic to your website more quickly than strategies like organic search engine optimization.

Google gives you four ways to generate new lawn care leads: 

Local service ads

These appear at the top of Google search results when a potential customer searches for services like lawn care. 

You only pay when someone contacts you through the ad, making it a cost-effective way to get high-quality local leads.

Search ads

These are your traditional pay-per-click ads that appear in Google search results. 

You can specify which lawn care-related keywords you want your ad to target along with ad copy and which landing pages are shown when someone clicks your ad. But you may need a larger budget than you would with local service ads for this strategy to be effective.

Customers who see your business on Google are likely ready to buy, which can improve your chances of making a sale. Google itself estimates that businesses earn $8 for every $1 they spend on Google Ads.

But this requires investing time and money into your Google Ads campaigns. Starting with a Google Ads guide or an advisor who’s familiar with Google Ads can get you off to a running start.

Local map pack

Google’s local map pack shows business locations and information on a map when someone searches for local services. It’s free to get your business listed here, but you’ll need to optimize your Google Business Profile to ensure your information is accurate.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

You can optimize your website and target lawn care keywords as well as your geographic area to improve your chances of appearing in the search results when someone searches for terms like “lawn care near me.”

Along with your home page, a service detail page, and a contact page, you can create helpful content about lawn care topics to boost your chances of appearing at the top of the search results even more.

4. Don’t forget about traditional ads

Green Guard Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control uses lawn signs to advertise its business after taking care of customers’ yards. (Source)

Traditional advertisements are ideal for promoting your landscaping services while you’re out in the field. You can drop off a flyer, send direct mail postcards, or leave a door hanger on neighborhood doors to let them know what you offer. Planting a lawn sign in your customer’s yard is another great way to share your business information.

Similarly, you can leave flyers or business cards on bulletin boards at local businesses like hardware stores, restaurants, paint stores, and coffee shops.

5. Ask for reviews

GorillaDesk makes it easy to request customer reviews to encourage new customers to choose your business. (Source)

Most people research their options before deciding which company to do business with, and homeowners looking for lawn care services are no different. BrightLocal found that 84% of consumers check anywhere from one to three different review sites before choosing a local business. 

Not to mention that a handful of positive reviews can help your business rank higher on Google’s search results and its local map pack.

This means asking your current customers to leave a review can do wonders for business growth. You can use lawn care software like GorillaDesk to automate this process and schedule an email requesting a review to arrive in customers’ inboxes after you finish a job. GorillaDesk also lets you link to your review site profile in the email, making it easier for customers to find your business and share their thoughts.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to respond to those reviews. BrightLocal also found that 88% of consumers prefer to shop with businesses that reply to every review—but only 47% would shop at a business that doesn’t reply to any reviews. Check and claim your business profiles on lawn care and landscape design directories like the following:

• Google Business Profile
• Apple Business Connect
• Yelp
• Angi
• HomeAdvisor
• Houzz
• Porch
• Thumbtack

Make your Google Business Profile stand out: Learn how to optimize your Google Business Profile in our guide.

6. Set up a lawn care referral program

The Green Scene gives customers a $25 credit for each referral. (Source)

Referral or loyalty programs can attract landscaping leads through word-of-mouth marketing. When your current customers are happy with your work, chances are they’re telling their friends about you. This is powerful because 89% of U.S. consumers trust recommendations from friends and family.

Up the ante and encourage them to take the extra step by offering a referral discount or free service. You can even offer a small discount if a customer lets you put up a lawn sign.

7. Rally your community

Partnering with related businesses like junk removal and cross-promoting each other’s companies is a great way to find new customers. (Source)

Similar to customer referrals, teaming up with related businesses in your community can help you promote each other’s companies and earn new customers.

Junk removal, pest control, and snow removal businesses are great places to start if you don’t offer those services. But don’t forget about realtors, real estate companies, and property management firms. You can also reach out to local churches, shopping centers, apartment complexes, and commercial building owners to let them know you’re available.

If you’re able to, reach out to some nonprofits in your area and offer free landscaping work. Animal shelters, retirement homes, and food banks will likely appreciate your help keeping their locations looking clean and safe.

Additionally, online communities may offer business opportunities—not to mention more publicity for your lawn care company. Create a profile and join relevant groups on sites like Nextdoor, Facebook, and Yelp to start connecting with other business owners and customers alike.

8. Let your equipment advertise for you

CS Lawn Care knows exactly where people are looking when its workers drive to the next job. (Source)

Bumper stickers, signs, and even full truck wraps make sure that you’re always advertising your business—even while you’re on the road. 

Signs and bumper stickers are a cheaper option for those just starting a business. Consider where pedestrians and other drivers are looking when you place these on your vehicle or trailer, and opt for large, bold print so your business name and phone number are easy to read.

Truck wraps are costly, but a matching fleet of vehicles enhances your professionalism. You might get a lower price if you opt for a decal or lettering instead of a full wrap.

9. Send newsletter emails

Best Greening Services automates its email marketing and lead generation with this follow-up quote email. (Source)

You can re-engage past customers and potentially reach leads that fell through before by collecting emails and sending newsletters. By offering valuable information like seasonal advice, promotions, and lawn care tips, you can remind them that you’re available and build a positive relationship.

It’s easy to overdo it on emails, though. You want to find an email cadence, or frequency for sending newsletters, that doesn’t cause your customers to unsubscribe. 

Thankfully, professional services emails have a low unsubscribe rate of 0.25% and a great average open rate of 32.74%, meaning that if you find the right balance of information and frequency, your customers are likely to read your emails.

Never miss a follow-up email: GorillaDesk’s Growth Plan includes smart views that flag lost leads and former customers, encouraging you to follow up with an email, text, or phone call and grow your sales pipeline.

10. Nurture customer relationships

Use the opportunity pipeline in GorillaDesk to manage new lawn care leads. (Source)

The best way to get new customers in your books is to become known for offering friendly, high-quality services that your existing customers love. Happy customers are more likely to share a positive referral and review, which promotes your business even more.

Make it easier to manage your leads and existing customer relationships by using customer relationship management (CRM) software like GorillaDesk. With GorillaDesk’s pipeline tracking, you can keep tabs on new leads, check whether you’ve sent them an estimate, and celebrate when they sign up for service.

GorillaDesk’s CRM platform tracks customer history, including past quotes and services, outstanding invoices, and any job notes. Anyone in the field can check customer profiles and add new notes on the go, too.

Florida lawn care business PurLawn found that GorillaDesk’s CRM platform completely transformed its business. Before, the company struggled to link its payment processing software to its CRM software. This meant lots of time wasted on manually following up with customers and updating payment statuses.

But GorillaDesk provides a seamless way to connect your CRM platform, invoices, estimates, and more to accounting and payment software like Stripe, Square, and QuickBooks Online. Plus, it automates your scheduling and routing so your business operations flow smoothly and you can focus on delivering excellent customer service.

GorillaDesk helps you grow your business, one lawn at a time

Growing your customer base doesn’t have to be a headache. With a few budget-friendly tips, you can increase awareness of your lawn care brand and drum up new business.

GorillaDesk’s lawn care software makes it even easier to attract new leads and strengthen your relationships with existing customers. Find out how GorillaDesk’s CRM software, pipeline management tools, and integrations with payment and accounting apps make your life easier. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today.