Over the past few years, millennials have become the most powerful consumers — surpassing baby boomers with their unprecedented buying power. Millennials were born in the eighties and nineties, and are now in their twenties and thirties. They’re rising in the ranks of business and are having their moment.
It has become more important than ever to build a strong relationship with your millennial customers. Research conducted by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) shows that over 70% of millennial customers use professional pest control services. They are much more likely to call a professional than they are to attempt a do-it-yourself solution.
Millennials are a huge part of the population and they need pest control services, which makes them an essential target customer.
5 Ways to Improve Millennial Marketing for Pest Control
To build your business and secure its future, it is essential to develop pest control marketing for millennials. How can you attract millennials to your pest control services — and keep them? When marketing to millennials, pest control services should follow the five best practices below.
1. Develop an Online Presence
Millennials are much more likely than the generations before them to do extensive online research before making a purchase or choosing a service. Because of this, it is essential to develop a strong online presence. If customers cannot easily find you online, they will not choose your pest control services.
To grow your business, you must build an effective digital presence through the following.
A Well-Organized Website
You can make an excellent positive first impression with a well-organized, easy-to-use website.
One of the most important elements of any business’s online presence is a carefully developed site, as it can have a massive impact on your reach and growth. A website gives potential leads a space to quickly learn more about your business.
SEO-Friendly Content
A great way to lead more traffic to your website is by implementing search engine optimization (SEO) and creating SEO-friendly content. When your site makes use of SEO, your search visibility goes up, and you may appear more often in online searches conducted by potential millennial customers.
Online Marketing Campaigns
Using online marketing campaigns — such as pay-per-click ads, social media ads, and even email campaigns — is a great way to attract the modern customer. Online marketing should be developed with millennials in mind, as people within this age range are typically avid mobile users.
Social Media Engagement
Up to 80% of all consumers use social media to research services and products before spending money. Millennials, more than any generation before them, trust social media — making these online platforms a powerful marketing tool for reaching new customers.
To develop a strong social media presence, it is important to build a strong brand across all of your social media platforms. An effective social media presence includes:
- A compelling brand story
- A distinct, genuine brand voice
- An evocative logo
- Consistent branding
- Personal interactions with potential and existing customers
- Relevant content
2. Improve Visual Branding
From your website and social media presence to your physical marketing materials, you must develop aesthetically pleasing visual branding for your pest control business.
Even when it comes to pest control, millennials tend to gravitate towards minimalist branding. No matter what type of visual branding you choose, make sure to avoid dated design elements or negative branding, which can repel younger customers and make your business look unorganized or unpolished. Your branding must also represent your business effectively.
Don’t forget to make your visual branding consistent across all platforms. Using consistent imagery makes you look more professional and will help you appeal to millennial customers.
3. Utilize Technology
To appeal to millennial customers, modernizing your pest control business is a must. One of the most efficient ways to elevate your business is through cutting-edge sales and customer service technology. Using online tools can help your customers feel supported and can help you conduct business quickly and more effectively.
You can accomplish this by utilizing technology such as:
- Live web chat. Instantly connect with potential customers who visit your website.
- Social media analytics. Use social media analytical tools to track engagement and better understand your customers.
- Text services. Use text services to communicate with clients quickly and easily.
- Web lead responses. Follow up with online leads through speedy personal communication.
4. Boost Your Response Time
In a world driven by instant responses, pest control services for millennials need to be quick and efficient. You must offer instant assistance to potential and existing customers. You can boost your response time to customers by utilizing tools such as:
- 24-hour customer support service. Pest control services often call for instant response times. Using a customer support service ensures that your customers are taken care of at all hours of the day and night.
- 24-hour sales representatives. Potential customers, especially millennials, value an instant response to their questions about the services you offer.
- Emergency dispatch services. Customers will be grateful for your prompt assistance when facing an emergency pest situation. Emergency dispatch guarantees that you are there for your customers when they need it most.
Text services, live web chat, and lead services are also excellent resources for consistently connecting with your customers and building a sense of trust.
5. Procure Online Reviews
Around 85% of consumers trust online customer reviews as much as a recommendation from a friend. Because of this, gaining quality online reviews can have a major impact on attracting millennial customers to your pest control business.
Recognize when customers are happy with your services and encourage them to leave reviews on platforms like Yelp or Google Reviews. Gathering positive reviews can help build credibility and foster confidence among potential customers.
Why Pest Control Providers Need to Reach Millenials
Millennials are an essential part of building a thriving pest control business. Attracting them to your business, communicating quickly and efficiently, and following through with excellent services and support can help grow your business and develop a loyal customer base that will seek your services repeatedly over the coming years.
If you’re ready to invest in the success and longevity of your pest control business, Slingshot has the resources you need to find success in the modern market.