Where do you get your best results from advertising?

[B.A.]

Great Thread Again & Again....

We are in Northern Virginia and service everything from Richmond to Henry's backyard (but not in it).

I think we can all agree that what works in FLA may not work in MASS, and vice versus. Every region will be different in its response to advertising, and on top of that your region may shift in effectiveness towards any given advertising. I often think of it as gambling while fishing on high seas. Unfortunately there is no Constant only variables in this equation. I do think that your best educated guess relies on a multi approached system with a definate emphasis on internet marketing.

 

[Ron Musgraves]

Great Thread Again & Again....

We are in Northern Virginia and service everything from Richmond to Henry's backyard (but not in it).

I think we can all agree that what works in FLA may not work in MASS, and vice versus. Every region will be different in its response to advertising, and on top of that your region may shift in effectiveness towards any given advertising. I often think of it as gambling while fishing on high seas. Unfortunately there is no Constant only variables in this equation. I do think that your best educated guess relies on a multi approached system with a definate emphasis on internet marketing.

Go get them

 

[Prestige_Pressure]

Word of mouth and direct mailers are the best way to get business for me. It helps when you have a buddy in the mailing business too.

 

[Lester]

I leave door hangers only after not getting an answer at the door. Door to door has proven to be the best method for me. The roof cleaning is new to this area so education of the public is essential.
All marketing methods I've tried, produce results...
*newspaper
*homeshow
*realtor magazines
have cleaned 15 roofs already this year with another 8 on the board.

 

[MHasterok]

Lets keep this thread going for years! Lots of great info. I have been in business a little less that a year, starting off slowly while learning as much as I can. Here's what I am trying out...
Residential:
I went to Walmart and purchased a few 18"X24" blank white corregated yard signs (2 pack is only about $3). I cut each one in half horizontally, so I doubled the amount of signs. I bought 3" vinyl lettering packs (again only $2 or so, one pack does several signs). The signs come with small metal rods. The only thing I'm putting on them is my website, and placing them along the side of many busy roads out of the way if a car had to use the side of the road, but very visible to traffic. I'm placing them as soon as my website is re-done. I've attached a pic of an old sign I have.

I also placed ads in HOA newsletters for Active Adult communities. They start running next month. These people usually have disposable incomes. The stats from one of the communities is...over 5000 homes my ad will go to, 96% of the h/o own their home outright, and 1/3 of them make over $100,000 per year. These retired people are constantly communicating with each other in these resort communities, so hopefully I'll get alot of word of mouth referrals also.

I know these two ideas were mentioned previously, but maybe the way I'm doing it is a bit different, and can help someone.

As for commercial, I'm new to this side of the biz. So far i'm cold calling, doing free demos, and mailing/faxing bids after seeing the properties.

 

[MHasterok]

Forgot the pic of the road sign, very simple and cheap to do, gets your name out there...

 

[allbay54]

Most of my business is from refferrals ,and I do door hangers and flyers around where we've just done work inviting them to look.And I put together marketing programs for other businesses to sell roof cleaning and pressure washing for me.

 

[propressurewashing]

What about online?

I get lots of work from my websites. You gotta make Google your friend, otherwise it is your enemy.
Another thing I do with moderate success is have postcards made that say something along the lines of: "Pressure Washing America just finished pressure washing the home at ________________________________. We could make your home this great too!......" Write in the address in the blank and put it on the 20 or so nearest houses after the job is done. It doesn't work every time but it creates a sense of "keeping up with the Jones'" and has a much better success rate because the people can see the results for themselves. The clean house becomes your salesman....for free!

Daniel Simmons
Houston Roof Cleaning
Katy Roof Cleaning

 

[Ron Musgraves]

This is a great thread!!

 

[kcpowerclean]

I get lots of work from my websites. You gotta make Google your friend, otherwise it is your enemy.
Another thing I do with moderate success is have postcards made that say something along the lines of: "Pressure Washing America just finished pressure washing the home at ________________________________. We could make your home this great too!......" Write in the address in the blank and put it on the 20 or so nearest houses after the job is done. It doesn't work every time but it creates a sense of "keeping up with the Jones'" and has a much better success rate because the people can see the results for themselves. The clean house becomes your salesman....for free!

Daniel Simmons
Houston Roof Cleaning
Katy Roof Cleaning

I like this practice also. Don't know why I stopped doing it, just got lazy I guess.
It immediately builds some credibility because you were working in the neighborhood. Anything to keep that flyer from hitting the trash can seconds later helps.

 

[MHasterok]

Yep, I agree, the "we just cleaned" is an important one. We even do this repetedly at locations around our regular accounts. If they keep receiving one every two weeks, they will either call to tell us to stop leaving them, which opens a chance to talk with them, or at least they will see the regular maintenance schedule of their neighboring businesses and how clean it is.