Content Marketing: Rising Above the Hacks

tomthetreeman said:
I apologize if I didn't read the entire thread, but there's a difference between marketing to target the client you want and educating the public. I spent many years trying to educate the public, and I have acquiesced a bit because life is too short. I am now marketing towards clients that understand and appreciate our services and talents, and hope that it becomes a bit of a Zeitgeist. It's been quite a process, and I've been in it for well over 20 years. I am not as eloquent as treehumper, so I apologize if this post leaves a bit to be desired. Here's a link to our updated website:

www.tfmorra.com

Let me know what you think!

Tom
Click to expand...


Really nice design, Tom. Thanks for chiming in.

I guess I'm odd in that I usually skip videos. As a web surfer, good images and good words hook me first.
(the video is great, though)

Landing on the opening page - your hemlock cone, the clean fonts, the simple color schemes: nice work man.

Tell me about your blog -
If you are moving away from educating clients, what is the rationale behind running the blog?
Do you think or do you find it to be a useful marketing tool?
 
frashdog said:
Used to try and say too much that not many understood or cared about.
I changed my adds to say simply, "expert tree service" ,"fulling insured/free estimates". Instant expert when you put it on your adds, trucks and shirts.lol

Our web site is simple but effective. www.arboropstreeservice.com
Click to expand...


Great web site. I think if I were a consumer clicking through various Google results for my local tree service, yours would certainly hook me.

The simplicity seems like a real strength - easy to see who you are, what you do, etc. quickly without wading through a bunch of excess information.
 
opposablethumb said:
Really nice design, Tom. Thanks for chiming in.

I guess I'm odd in that I usually skip videos. As a web surfer, good images and good words hook me first.
(the video is great, though)

Landing on the opening page - your hemlock cone, the clean fonts, the simple color schemes: nice work man.

Tell me about your blog -
If you are moving away from educating clients, what is the rationale behind running the blog?
Do you think or do you find it to be a useful marketing tool?
Click to expand...
I guess what I meant was that I realized I can't change the world... I spent a great deal of time volunteering with ISA, my local RI Tree Council, garden clubs, schools, etc, bc I believe that educating the public will raise the tide of arboriculture in general. The blog is a way of keeping people aware of what's going on, and also I am pretty sure that it makes the website more visible with searchable terms, etc.

Tom
 
opposablethumb said:
Great web site. I think if I were a consumer clicking through various Google results for my local tree service, yours would certainly hook me.

The simplicity seems like a real strength - easy to see who you are, what you do, etc. quickly without wading through a bunch of excess information.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
Most people are simple. Me/we might think way too much about this stuff. I have.

I mostly suck at business, I'm a technician and do what I do cause I love it, feel like I'm really good at it and own accomplishment most days.

To be in our business ,I'd recommend first and foremost, befriending all your local hacks or "perceived competition". Some have been super helpful and/or entertaining/fun to deal with. The two biggest guys have been wanting me to buy their businesses for last few years. One guy is 65, talked about quitting few years ago. Other guy does not enjoy tree work. Both do not climb.
I know all of them round my parts, love them all. Blessed be how they help me stand out. I have a good handle on what they all charge for what and who is capable of what. The big problem for me in my area, is they all do not charge enough. When your bidding against a full time correction officer who makes $75k/year for working 11 days a month and on the side for fun dabbles in tree work with his buddies, people think the price the correction officer gives them is sustainable for a real business to operate...and some might think I'm ripping them off for $1600/day with three insured people, 60'rear mount, 1890 chipper, mini skid steer, trucks, trailers... I'm biding my time and making it work till I own it. IMO Should be around $100 a man hour. Most charge $800-$1400/day with 2-3 guys. Now, the landscapers are the ones who do the ass raping. Most "successful" land scrapers round here go big when they have no clue about tree work. Like getting $5k for a day job they make look dangerous and hard. What a show. I'd do it in half the time, make it look easy, safe and charge $800 cause I'm a dumb ass at business. I'm working on it.

As far as I can tell, to saturate that first results page, when some one is looking for you specifically, or just a local tree service, start with a simple web site (designed around mobile), face book page, you tube channel (with commercial), google images (logo, pics). In your ad words/search terms, use all of your competitions names and every city around with tree service after. I have two domains for my web site, one is our name and the other is the local city with tree service after it. Get in a local news paper and/or publication. Some day...

Your post has helped me collect thoughts on a very relevant matter, thanks!
 
We use education as really our only sales tool. I educate the client and then diagnose the issue. We write a program based on best management practice. If they choose to use our services then thats great. 70% percent of our potentials do not due to the crazy low end of the market. Our website which was updated in July has a prospective client guide on the front page. This pdf packet we also print and distribute to all clients during consulting sessions. Check it out.

www.prestree.com
 
marlinspiker said:
We use education as really our only sales tool. I educate the client and then diagnose the issue. We write a program based on best management practice. If they choose to use our services then thats great. 70% percent of our potentials do not due to the crazy low end of the market. Our website which was updated in July has a prospective client guide on the front page. This pdf packet we also print and distribute to all clients during consulting sessions. Check it out.

www.prestree.com
Click to expand...
Awesome!
 
frashdog said:
Thanks!
Most people are simple. Me/we might think way too much about this stuff. I have.

I mostly suck at business, I'm a technician and do what I do cause I love it, feel like I'm really good at it and own accomplishment most days.

To be in our business ,I'd recommend first and foremost, befriending all your local hacks or "perceived competition". Some have been super helpful and/or entertaining/fun to deal with. The two biggest guys have been wanting me to buy their businesses for last few years. One guy is 65, talked about quitting few years ago. Other guy does not enjoy tree work. Both do not climb.
I know all of them round my parts, love them all. Blessed be how they help me stand out. I have a good handle on what they all charge for what and who is capable of what. The big problem for me in my area, is they all do not charge enough. When your bidding against a full time correction officer who makes $75k/year for working 11 days a month and on the side for fun dabbles in tree work with his buddies, people think the price the correction officer gives them is sustainable for a real business to operate...and some might think I'm ripping them off for $1600/day with three insured people, 60'rear mount, 1890 chipper, mini skid steer, trucks, trailers... I'm biding my time and making it work till I own it. IMO Should be around $100 a man hour. Most charge $800-$1400/day with 2-3 guys. Now, the landscapers are the ones who do the ass raping. Most "successful" land scrapers round here go big when they have no clue about tree work. Like getting $5k for a day job they make look dangerous and hard. What a show. I'd do it in half the time, make it look easy, safe and charge $800 cause I'm a dumb ass at business. I'm working on it.

As far as I can tell, to saturate that first results page, when some one is looking for you specifically, or just a local tree service, start with a simple web site (designed around mobile), face book page, you tube channel (with commercial), google images (logo, pics). In your ad words/search terms, use all of your competitions names and every city around with tree service after. I have two domains for my web site, one is our name and the other is the local city with tree service after it. Get in a local news paper and/or publication. Some day...

Your post has helped me collect thoughts on a very relevant matter, thanks!
Click to expand...


I love that you've build relationship with your competition. This is what I believe to be an under-used, highly advantageous tool for beating the hacks. This is not easy in larger areas, but is great in smaller markets. And the hacks tend to know each other, so find one and the rest gets easier.

As far as saturating Google, there are two keys. Everyone knows the phrase "Content is King", and for good reason- it's true. The queen, inseparable from her mate, should be traffic. Google notices high traffic sites. Generating legit traffic and having quality content are the best ways to dominate Google. When I was heading the website for my tree-mentor's company, we usually had three listings on the first page (usually the first, a top 5, and one other), and a top 3 spot on the map (fluctuated). I focused on funneling everyone to the website: leads, customers, friends, and other businesses. Also, update your site REGULARLY. It's not a "once and done" kind of thing. Google like fresh and new because that translates to relevant for searchers. Photos are probably the easiest and most easily forgotten category to update.
 
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