When do you guys typically start running ads or promoting the start of your season? I’m sitting here after clearing another couple inches of snow and daydreaming about warmer weather and brainstorming some ideas…
I’m trying to figure out the best timing… too early and people forget, too late and they’ve already booked someone else. Do you find it works better to build a waitlist ahead of time? I’ve been considering putting one together so that once the temps warm up, I can start knocking out those jobs right away.
It would be nice, psychologically and financially, to have a few lined up to fill those first weeks/months. I’ve already got a few repeat customers and some late-season jobs from last year, but of course, the more the better.
I send out an email and text blast at the end of February with Early Booking Deals to all my existing customers. I’ve done this for the past 5 or 6 years. Works well and gets me my first few weeks of work. I take it you’re in Ohio, I’m in Indianapolis so our weather is probably about the same
Yes… Columbus, Ohio. We usually get your weather a few hours later or the next day. So I was thinking the end of February or early March. I haven’t done much advertising over the past couple of years, and jobs always seem to come. However this year, both littles will be in school, so I’ll have more availability and want to be more intentional about filling my schedule when I can.
Going to be 43 here tomorrow, shorts and t shirt after those temps last weekend. I can do without -7 before the windchill. It’s going to be chaos, all the hillbillies will be out and the car washes will be packed. I might actually advertise this year, thinking about a small paper add, most of the people that hire me are older and they all read the paper still.
Yep… mid-40s to low-50s all next week, but with most of it being rain not much can be done. Hoping it knocks out the remaining snow banks and maybe by the first week of March we are ready to roll… realistically it will probably be mid to late March though.
For now, I’ll probably stick to reaching out to past clients. I’ve been looking into setting up an automated email/text campaign, and it seems pretty straightforward. If you’re not already on Nextdoor, I’d definitely recommend it. The majority of my clients come from there (I haven’t run any paid ads), and it seems to be where my target market hangs out.
Do you get any additional spam calls/texts/scams with the number on that site too? Goog’s business listing sometimes gets me 4-5 a day. It’s annoying.
Going into the attic today, -9 with 45 mph winds showed me a problem with my insulation on one wall. I’ll be covered in insulation and foam before the day is over.
I haven’t noticed a spike in spam. Occasionally I still get the usual “can I get an estimate? It’s approved; when can you come? I’m out of town but will pay in advance send your Venmo” texts or calls which I assume is from the site, but I can’t be sure.
In my first year I answered every call. In year two I only answered local area codes. Last year I ignored unknown numbers altogether. My logic tends to be… if they’re serious about hiring me, they’ll leave a message or reach out by email/text/another call… if not, they’re likely just price-shopping. If they left a message, I can easily weed out legit from scam.
It kind of depends on your market and your business model.
I like to line up springtime work the autumn before. Maybe I miss out on the last-minute premiums but as you said: it’s nice to have a list to chip away on as the weather (often) slowly fades from winter into springtime.
I know local guys here who laugh at my face for doing this. Their argument is “don’t answer the phone until April,” by which time around here it’s a game of musical chairs and homeowners are more worried about time and schedules than price. So, they pass up on the plan-ahead crowd in order to cash in on the I-waited-too-long-and-now-it’s-a-crisis crowd.
For the most part, I’d rather work for folks who plan ahead.
Agreed. The people who stay on top of things also tend to pay on time and don’t need reminders. I’ve gotten pretty selective about who I work with… one of my biggest red flags is when someone starts asking for discounts or trying to haggle before they’ve even seen the estimate. That’s usually a no-go for me.
When I first started, I created a business page and posted before-and-after photos once or twice a week, usually including a brief description of the process, a helpful tip, and always had my contact information. I also kept an eye out for service requests and responded whenever I saw a post for someone looking for what I offer.
It was slow at first, and honestly, I’m not sure how effective the above methods were. But after receiving a few recommendations and a handful of “faves,” I began hearing from people who specifically said they found my business on Nextdoor.
Now I’m sitting at over 200 “faves” and a couple dozen reviews. According to my insights, anything I post to my page gets at least 1,000 views from users in my surrounding neighborhoods. I’ve stopped actively searching for posts to comment on because other customers often chime in on my behalf. In my experience, people prefer hearing from fellow customers rather than directly from the business owner.
These days, I mainly post project updates, sales announcements, and seasonal appreciation messages and at this point, it almost runs itself.
Yeah, voicemail is normally the only way I know for sure. I have a lot of older people who get their houses/decks done by their kids calling me. Most have moved out of the area and have out of the state area codes.
I did enjoy the scam text that I played with this winter. Had no idea of the local weather, asking if I could wash his house by the end of the week. Was a high of about 20 that week.
I decided to take another look at the paid ad options on Nextdoor. After digging into it more, pretty much everything I read said the same thing: don’t bother running ads until your business page has solid social proof… recommendations, photos, activity, the whole deal… so figured why not test it.
I went with the cheapest option (at $3 a day, If it landed one job every four months, it would pay for itself) and was able to set the target market by zip code, age range, income level, etc. Nextdoor is giving pretty high reach and impression numbers, but I also think that is based on using the most expensive advertising option and casting a wider net.
I set up a separate form that’s only accessible through the link in the ad. That way I’ll know exactly what comes from this and what doesn’t. I’ll report back at the end of April.
I get scams like this but also people that want me to do stuff for them during winter. We had a 3 day heat wave. was like 39 degrees and they wanted house washed while it was warm and could I do it in a day or two. Told em maybe April
I’m curious about your results on NextDoor. My client in North Carolina has been voted the neighborhood favorite several years in a row but we don’t feel that NextDoor has been the best for him because it’s a lot of smaller guys jumping on posts and racing to the bottom for price. We’ve opted instead to put a system of ads on Meta that present him as likable and an expert in the area at a premium price. I don’t get to fully unlock my skills on his company because he doesn’t want to scale any more than what he already has until he passes on his business to his sons. He’s super protective over his name reputation and is hesitant to hire workers.
My client in another state has also felt the same way about NextDoor, which is an even more competitive area than in North Carolina. So he had me focus on SEO, Meta and Google Ads.
All my clients have already sent out their reactivation texts and deals to past clients. They did that end of February as well. That is by far the best way to get booked work in the Spring.
I’ve been a Nextdoor Favorite for the past two years, but I’ve only had a business account since late 2023. I’m not sure how much weight that designation truly carries with homeowners, but it does add another layer of social proof.
What I’ve noticed is that Nextdoor is extremely location-dependent, which shouldn’t be surprising but even then, the surrounding neighborhoods play a big role. For context, the two zip codes that make up the city I reside in have a combined population of about 98,000+, with roughly 75% owner-occupied housing. The average home value is around $575k, and the average household income is about $125k. Those zip codes are on the lower end of the bracket compared to nearby neighborhoods.
The audience I tend to attract isn’t looking to hire “Joe with a rusted-out pickup” they’re looking for an established, credible, insured professional and they are willing and able to pay for that. I’ve also noticed that when posts asking for services come up, I’m rarely the one promoting myself; other people usually recommend me first. I even have one woman, who I have never worked for, continue to promote my business because she has seen enough other posts to feel confident in doing so. On Nextdoor, that kind of word-of-mouth says a lot, and it’s something I see with other successful businesses on the platform as well.
I can’t count how many times someone has told me they chose me over another company specifically because of the reviews they saw for me on Nextdoor. Just yesterday I wrote an estimate and the customer came back saying they had quotes from others that were $150–$200 cheaper. I explained why my pricing is what it is and walked them through my value prop. I had the job approved and scheduled within five minutes of that conversation.
On the flip side, around here I see far more $99 guys and high-school side hustles advertising on Facebook than on Nextdoor… so I guess it all just depends.
On NextDoor that’s the case for clients too - they’re getting promoted by others a lot rather than us putting a ton of work into recommending ourselves.
mwpws had it right with the end-of-february blast to existing customers. but the thing i keep seeing: the message is at least half the result.
“we’re scheduling spring jobs now” as a mass blast does okay. but “hey, we did your driveway last May, wanted to reach out before the schedule fills up” converts completely differently. customers who already used you aren’t shopping on price the way a cold lead is — they just need a reason to reply. not a pitch.
for existing customers i’d skip the waitlist friction entirely. just ask them directly what week works and get them on the calendar.
