Local Central Florida businesses need social media to help them cut through the clutter and connect with prospective customers. But that doesn’t mean they need to be on every social platform or post everything that comes to mind.

Pest control companies may seem like they’re at a disadvantage on social media. But by approaching it the right way – with an eye to what their audience really wants and needs – they have the opportunity to build an enthusiastic following.

Let’s face it: Not everyone who follows you is going to be in the market for a pest control company, especially when they first meet you. Here in Central Florida, many common pest control problems are seasonal.

So, your goal with pest control social media marketing is to keep your business “top of mind” through the months when future customers aren’t looking for you. When it comes time for them to make a pest control decision, they will already know your brand best out of their local options.

Here’s how to make social media marketing work for your pest control firm:

1. Start with Helpful, Informative Content

Many pest control leaders worry they’ll “give away the store” if they post about home pest control tips. But people don’t tune in to your social media marketing to learn about you – they want information that will help them reach their goals. Usually, that means controlling a pest infestation!

Now, you know better than anyone they often can’t fix the problem alone.

Frequently, though, they’ll need time to come to that conclusion on their own. They’re on the lookout for techniques they can use, whether on Google, Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere. They might as well get insight from an expert who actually knows how pest control works!

When you share useful blog posts, videos, and infographics, you are putting value on the table even before the first sale. That tells people you stand behind your work and gives them a preview of what awaits if they choose you over the other guys.

On your pest control website, your blog does the majority of this work.

But social media is inherently visual, and plain text just won’t do. Always aim to include an illustration or photo – and nothing too skin-crawling. If you want to maximize the value of your social media, bank on video storytelling: People are much more likely to view, share, and remember video.

Soon enough, your followers will realize they can’t bust pests on their own.

Then, they’ll call in the pros.

2. Give People a “Hook” – a Reason to Tune In

What happens when someone in your service area has no pest issues to speak of?

They probably won’t follow your social media marketing until you can entice them. That comes in the form of tangential content. Like the name suggests, it is content not directly related to the subject of pest control, but that might be interesting to your audience.

If you have buyer personas, you already have a huge head start developing tangential content.

For example, most of your customers are homeowners. They might be interested in topics like gardening or home renovation. The first puts them in direct contact with pests, while the other can’t reach its full potential while pests are on the loose!

When visitors from your service area click through your social media to read your tangential content, you have a golden opportunity to get them onto your email marketing list. Email is far more personal than social media, and subscribers are much more likely to see your offers and updates.

3. Make Your Social Media Marketing Fun

In the end, pest control customers spend a lot of time thinking about everything but pests.

In Florida, having a pest control brand you trust is even more important than in other states. Just ask any homeowner who’s seen a palmetto bug or giant ground hornet come out of the bathroom drain.

Most of the time, though, customers’ minds are elsewhere – and you want to meet them where they are with interesting content. That may mean running a photo contest, providing fun facts, or showing your audience what goes on behind the scenes of your business.

User-generated content, like those photos, gives you more to share on your social feed while creating a reason to keep an eye on your updates. If you offer a prize or giveaway, just be sure it conforms to all state and local rules for contests.

Contact New York Ave to learn more or get started.