truck decals, and other practices offer simple yet effective ways to bring in business. “It’s really just about touches,” says Smith, who recommends leaving door hangers at the homes of surrounding neighbors during a job. “Just putting a yard sign out for the day also gets people making impressions.” Smith, Hemingway, and Turssline all practice what they preach when it comes to marketing. This is what al- lows them to understand and cater solely to the needs of the tree care industry, a niche, they say, is unique and special. “We love the world of arboriculture. We’ve been in the industry a long time, and we’ve seen so much need,” says Hemingway. “Aer 15 years, we know what works and what doesn’t. We’ve seen it, we’ve tried it, we’ve tested it.”
says Smith. He uses Google ads, which can cost $10 to $12 per click, as an ex- ample. If someone searching for tree care gear engages with an ad for tree care services, that’s a “wasteful click,” as it probably won’t result in a lead.
“We’re providing meaningful leads that our clients can turn around,”- Turssline says. “We’ve helped com- panies go from really small to really large in a short amount of time.” Smith acknowledges that buying leads can help companies gain an edge, but cautions against relying on them too much. “If that’s all you’re doing for five to 10 years, that’s time you could be work- ing on your brand,” he says. OUTSOURCING MARKETING Good marketing is the result of pa- tience, trial and error, and persistence. And while some business owners and savvy employees are happy to figure out how to make it work, sometimes it’s best le to the professionals. “Where a marketing agency comes in is that they are going to make sure you don’t spend money that doesn’t work,”
Hemingway agrees.
“With anything where you’re paying for it, you get to have clear metrics in place to see if it’s working for you,” says Hem- ingway. “You need to tie leads to the amount of sales they generate. That’s the ultimate measure of success.” Hemingway also encourages busi- nesses to go offline and develop real networks within their communities. Offering to write a monthly column in a local newspaper, for example, may be more effective than running an ad in the publication, she says. While most modern marketers empha- size digital marketing efforts, old-fash- ioned efforts still work. Door hangers,
46 | ArborTIMES Spring 2024
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