If you're like a lot of landscape or tree care companies, you likely use postcards and mailers to promote your business. But are you getting the most possible value out of those marketing materials? If they are not generating a lot of calls (or emails) from prospective clients, then the answer is probably no.
To help get more leads from postcards and mailers, we spoke to Joshua Malik, owner, and founder of Pennsylvania-based Joshua Tree. He has had a lot of success with his postcards and mailers thanks to following some important best practices.
Simplify the layout
According to Malik, a key area where postcards and mailers tend to go awry is in the layout or design. It can be really tempting to try and cram as much information (and photos) on there as possible but that really overwhelms the recipient. If it's too "busy" it's likely to remain unread.
"Remember, you have a very short amount of time to capture that person's attention," Malik says. "The time that they flip through their mail is likely only a matter of seconds and you need to have something that will make them want to actually read or hold onto your postcard or mailer."
Malik says that the color scheme also needs to match the brand of your company and any words and imagery need to be eye-catching and appealing.
Make the message about THEM, not YOU
This might seem counterintuitive but the marketing materials that are most likely to capture prospective clients' attention are those that are about "them," says Malik. What exactly does that mean? It means that rather than have a postcard or mailer that goes on and on about how great your company is, you should focus on how you can help that prospective client.
- Can you help them eliminate weeds?
- Can you help them prune trees and make them safer?
- Can you take over their mowing?
You need to position whatever services you are trying to sell in a light that shows the client how it will help them. After all, there are probably a dozen or more companies in your area that offer the same services. You can show the client how you're different not by saying how great you are but by saying how you can help them.
Use professional photos
Even if you have some half-decent photos that you took yourself, Malik says that it's best to invest in professional photography for any marketing materials. It just sets the tone that you're a highly professional company. This alone can be a differentiator.
If you don't have any professional photos you might be tempted to use stock photography. A high-quality professional stock photo is probably a better option than a low-quality, self-taken photo. Even so, there is something a bit impersonal about stock photography. Plus, your competitors could end up using the same photo.
Professional stock photos that show actual members of your team in action...or actual client properties are a really great way to differentiate yourself from the competition while also building trust in your brand.
Make your marketing materials trackable
Finally, an important piece of advice from Malik is to make your postcards and mailers trackable so that you can know whether they are actually working. Knowing where your leads are coming from is valuable information as you determine whether you want to continue to spend money on these marketing efforts.
Your postcards and mailers should lead prospective clients to a website landing page or a phone number that can be tracked by you. That marketing data can help you determine how effective your marketing campaign has been and whether you need to make changes.
