Leads are critical to gaining new customers. Find out how to get pest control leads for your business.

How to Get Pest Control Leads: 9 Tips

Knowing how to get pest control leads for your business is essential to success. Lead generation allows you to create a healthy funnel of potential clients so you can stabilize and grow your business. 

If you want to get more pest control customers, sign up with CraftJack to get phone-verified leads for your area. We've also got a number of tips for lead generation below.

Good News About Lead Generation for Pest Control Firms

The good news is that, as a pest control company, you offer a necessary service. After all, around 14 million households reported seeing roaches in the home in 2020, and 14.8 million reported dealing with mice or other rodents.

If you can connect with consumers in an engaging way and demonstrate your authority and expertise in the space, you're likely to convert any leads into clients. If someone has a pest problem, they're probably already thinking about who they should hire to deal with it. It's a matter of showing up for those consumers at the right time.

9 Tips on How to Get Pest Control Leads

The tips below explore a number of ways you can show up for consumers and generate leads for your business. 

1. Search Engine Optimization

Around 35% of consumers search online for local businesses multiple times every week, and around a fifth do so daily. If you're not investing in search engine optimization, or SEO, your firm may not show up in the top listings for the right searches. That means you're giving up business to the competition, which is showing up in search results and getting the clicks.

Take time to create an SEO strategy. That should include, at minimum:

• Keyword-rich, relevant, and helpful on-page content in the form of landing pages, service pages, and blog posts
• Internal and external linking strategies to help search engines understand what your pages are about and what services you offer
• Claiming local listings and NAP — name, address, and phone number — data to boost your chances of showing up in local map results

2. Social Media Marketing

More than 75% of businesses use social media to connect with potential customers. It's no wonder many businesses find social media marketing lucrative — increasing numbers of individuals use social media platforms like Facebook as a sort of search engine when looking for goods and services. They might search for "pest control" profiles in their area or ask their friends and family for recommendations on social media.

By ensuring you have a strong social profile and regularly publishing helpful content that connects with your existing audience, you can expand your reach on social. Each new person you connect with on Facebook or Instagram is a potential lead. 

3. Search Engine Marketing

Search ads account for around 40% of ad spending from U.S. companies. They're some of the most lucrative ad formats you can run as a pest control company because they put your information in front of people who are already looking for your services.

For example, if someone searches for "pest control in Dallas," they get a list of potential links that are relevant to their needs. If your search ad shows up for this query, it does so at the top of the page, which is where people are most likely to look first and click.

Search engine ads also let you tailor your connections to just the right audience. For instance, if you want to increase revenue for your rodent control services, you can specifically target keywords that relate to rats or mice. Or if you're launching a green pest control service, you can target keywords people looking for eco-friendly pest control might use. 

4. Email Marketing

More than 60% of businesses using email marketing said their open rates improved from 2021 to 2022, indicating that this tried-and-true digital marketing approach continues to grow. The ROI for email marketing is pretty impressive, too, with some reports indicating it can be as high as $42 for every $1 spent. That's a return on investment of 4,200%.

It's a good idea to build a list for your pest control newsletter. Use it to send out helpful content for each season and remind customers about your services and deals. 

5. Customer Referrals

When you provide proactive customer service and have happy clients, they may generate leads for you. This is a great solution for lead generation as it allows you to generate new revenue without any marketing spend. However, you can increase the chances of customer referrals by offering a loyalty rewards program.

Consider offering a rebate or discounted services for customers who refer friends or family members. For example, you could run a special that allows existing customers to get $100 off their next pest control service and new customers $100 off as well when they sign up via a referral code.

6. Online Listings and Profiles

Sites such as Yelp often show up in local search results. If your business shows up in such online listings, take a few steps to maximize the marketing potential from them. First, claim the profile if you're able to so you can manage the information in it. Then, make sure the listing is accurate and the NAP data matches the way your business name, address, and phone number show up in other places, including your website.

When NAP data matches exactly across various sites and profiles, it strengthens the overall authority of your business. That can help with your site's performance in the search engines. 

You should also claim and manage your Google Business profile. This is often what shows up in the search results when Google thinks your business is the best result of a local query. It also helps you show up in map results and other Google properties. 

7. Local Events and Sponsorships

Networking locally is another great way to drum up leads for your pest control company. Consider sponsoring a booth or signing up as a vendor at a local home and garden show or any other event where homeowners might gather. Other opportunities might include charity walks or events, neighborhood or school fairs, or library events. 

Pest control companies that want to build awareness for their brand might also consider local sponsorships. Sponsor a recreational ball team to get your firm's name on uniforms, field signs, or programs, or reach out to local schools to find out if they place ads in their yearbooks. 

8. Direct Mail Marketing

The average return on investment for direct mail letters is 43%, and way more people open all their physical mail than open all their emails. Consider sending targeted direct mail letters or including a coupon for your services in a local ValPak mailing. 

Tips for good direct mail campaigns are similar to the types of tips you might get for creating online content. Your mailer should be concise and to the point. Ensure the call to action is easy to see and understand — consider printing it in a larger font or in a different color from the rest of the page. You should also use codes and other methods to track the response to your direct mail campaigns, so you know whether they worked and are worth running again in the future. 

9. Local Radio or Television Spots

Traditional advertising tends to be the most expensive option for local businesses, but it's not without merit. This is especially true if you're attempting to connect with a target audience that isn't online as much, such as older adults.

Local radio ads can be lucrative when they include a strong, compelling message and a memorable call to action. Remember that many people listen to local radio in their car and won't be able to write down a website or phone number, so ensure you have an easy-to-remember phone number or URL.

Television is more expensive, but you can find affordable spots on local channels. You might also consider reaching out to local news media and offering your services as an expert. Anytime there's a pest-control question or story, they might interview you, which could lead to free publicity. 

Where Are the Best Places to Advertise for Pest Control?

Sometimes, the best "advertisements" are referrals and positive word-of-mouth marketing from existing customers, so always ensure you're paying attention to customer service best practices. You might also want to consider advertising online. Think about where your target audience spends time digitally, including social media, and advertise there. 

As noted above, search engine marketing is also highly effective, so consider advertising via Google search. Finally, you might want to advertise locally via radio or billboards. 

What to Keep in Mind When Trying to Get Pest Control Leads

It's not enough to know how to get pest control leads. You must also know how to convert those leads into customers and then nurture new customers into loyal clients. Ensure you have processes for managing angry customers to reduce retention rates, because it's more expensive to generate and convert new leads than it is to keep your existing customers in many cases. 

To get started with lead generation that works, reach out to CraftJack today.