Successful Ways to Advertise to get Tractor Work

[LDowney]

Hey guys. I wanted to get advice on the best way to communicate tractor work in your local communities. What are you guys doing to get the word out that has been successful?

Right now, I have an add on Craigslist. I also have an add in our local paper under "services" for tractor work. See links below. I have business cards printed and I have a business flyer that I distribute throughout my area. On rainy days like this one, after I get off work, I'll ride through the country side looking for large pastures or fields that look like no one bush hogs. I leave one of my flyers in the mailbox. That has been a slightly successful. Out of 100 I've left, I may have gotten 3 calls. I have also searched the Land and Farm website which list large acre tracks for sale in your area. I email the agents that have these properties listed offering my services. Out of 75 I've emailed, I've heard back from 4 of them. No actual jobs have come from those contacts though. As of right now, I would say 99% of my business comes in from Craigslist.

I feel like I've done everything right. I have excellent maintained equipment, 20 years of experience and a 2 million dollar liability insurance policy. For my area, I have the largest equipment offered. Tractor size, bush hog size and roto-tiller size. I charge $65 an hour from the time I leave the house until the tractor is loaded at the job site with a 2 hour minimum. Most guys in my area charge $75 an hour with 3 hour minimums using older, smaller equipment.

I've owned tractors for years but recently decided to offer my services locally. April was a great month for me. The phone rang off the hook. I stayed very busy nearly every evening. May has been a different story. Not a single call and we are half way through the month. My question in this thread is, what am I missing in advertising? What else could I be doing to get phone ringing?

Thanks guys as always for your input. My adds are below. Let me know if you see something out of place or missing.

Webpage
http://advancetractorservices.com/

Craigslist Ad
http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/sks/5568659153.html

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AdvanceTractorServices/

Local Paper Ad
http://marketplace.salisburypost.com/AdHunter/SalisburyPost/Home/Ad/99777

Business Flyer

 

[GWD]

Around here the local tractor work guys nail a 1' x 2' piece of plywood to telephone poles and fence posts along well-traveled roads. But, eventually someone takes them down.

The most important thing is that the sign is simple and in large letters able to be read from a moving car. "TRACTOR WORK" and the telephone number (also large).

 

[D2Cat]

Might put some cards on the local hardware store and farm store bulletin board. Talk to the manager at the small engine repair shops. Tell your customers as you're leaving you are trying to expand your business and appreciate their business and ask for referrals. Give them an incentive to spread the word.

I think your CL ad is too long. Something that gets their attention/interest and have to call you to get details. You're overselling, because it's free? Make it similar to the Newspaper ad.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Facebook and a web site!

 

[LDowney]

Facebook and a web site!

I like the website idea. Facebook would be a nightmare though. I'd be doing all free work for friends. I never charge close friends and family anything. If I listed my services on facebook, I'd be busy for sure. Just not making a dime.

 

[LDowney]

Facebook and a web site!

Thanks for the suggestion. Created a webpage today.

http://advancetractorservices.com/

 

[Tooljunkie]

Put a sign on your trailer,for hire and insured. When you haul a tractor around people are likely to notice.

 

[Diydave]

Secret to successful ads on CL, is keep the ad short, and don't be "that guy" that puts 20 on at a time. Advertise one service, but say other services available, too. If you do put more than one ad on, at a time, make the ads look as different from each other as you can, and don't list your phone # in the ad. There are those parasites, who harvest phone #'s to try and sell you something. I run 2 ads a day, for services, that are in season, in the areas I serve. Don't try to cast too big of a net, and you won't be running around doing estimates too far from home...

 

[Dalroo]

Great job on the website!

 

[LDowney]

Great job on the website!

Thank you. I really thought it would be harder to do than it was. Downside...I have to print all new business cards now.

 

[hodge]

The problem with the website is that you still have to promote the business, so that people will search for the site.
Facebook is a great way to promote a business. Make your webpage your homepage on your computer, and ask all of your FB friends to do the same thing for a limited time. All of those computers, pulling up the site, will move your site up on a google search, and for free. Plus, facebook gets the word out locally. And, it's free.

 

[LDowney]

Okay guys. I took a portion of everyone's advice. Obviously I couldn't follow every recommendation because some were conflicting. After much time spent and about $300, I have done the following as suggested.

1. Removed all pricing details from every point of advertisement.
2. Reduced the wording in my Craigslist ads.
3. Created a web page
(www.advancetractorservices.com)
4. Bought 50 ad signs to post locally at busy intersections.
5. Created a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AdvanceTractorServices)
6. Left the newspaper ad since I've already paid it through next month.

Thanks again for the many suggestions. I think the fact that it's rained the last 12 out of 16 days hasn't helped much either. We'll see if these new avenues of business advertising will work. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[bonz]

I like the web page, gives the feeling you do honest, reliable top notch work for a good rate.

 

[LDowney]

I like the web page, gives the feeling you do honest, reliable top notch work for a good rate.

Thank you. I like to think I do.

 

[76PHD]

Okay guys. I took a portion of everyone's advice. Obviously I couldn't follow every recommendation because some were conflicting. After much time spent and about $300, I have done the following as suggested.

1. Removed all pricing details from every point of advertisement.
2. Reduced the wording in my Craigslist ads.
3. Created a web page
(www.advancetractorservices.com)
4. Bought 50 ad signs to post locally at busy intersections.
5. Created a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AdvanceTractorServices)
6. Left the newspaper ad since I've already paid it through next month.

Thanks again for the many suggestions. I think the fact that it's rained the last 12 out of 16 days hasn't helped much either. We'll see if these new avenues of business advertising will work. I'll let you know how it goes.

I think you've done a great job. Just one tidbit for information on #4. The local towns/cities/counties will likely have regulations in place prohibiting signs in the street right-of-way. The NCDOT has a similar prohibition. So those signs will have a chance of being picked up by one of those agencies or you may be contacted and asked to remove them.

Another idea might be to use them on properties while you are there working on them, with the property owner's permission. Then remove them shortly after the work is done. Similar to how a roofing contractor or handyman would do. A freshly tilled garden with your sign next to it would be great advertising.

 

[skeets]

Scantly clad young ladies will get folks looking at your site,, HAve them running equipment and so on,, and say our well trained staff is always ready to give you what you need

 

[LDowney]

Scantly clad young ladies will get folks looking at your site,, HAve them running equipment and so on,, and say our well trained staff is always ready to give you what you need

Yeah, the wife would love that. lol. Nah, just going to keep it simple and easy to navigate. I was just looking for an easy point of contact for my business other than a craigslist ad.

Thanks again guys for the suggestion. My website so far is getting about 80 hits a day. 1/2 I'm sure from this post. When I look at the google analytics each day, more than 1/2 of the hits are from my hometown area. Most within 25 miles so that's good. 68% male, ages 35-44.

 

[D2Cat]

Soon you will have so much work you can't get it done in your available time. Then you have to raise your prices!!

 

[LDowney]

Soon you will have so much work you can't get it done in your available time. Then you have to raise your prices!!

Well, if it comes before the last week of June and all of July, that would be great. They are closing down my office because they found black mold in the walls. They are completely gutting the department from the outside in. We will be closed for 4 weeks they tell us. You know how construction time estimates go. I'm planning on being closed 6 weeks.

That time period would be a great time to be busy with tractor work. We'll see.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[lugbolt]

Is your area flooded with folks who do the same work? Out here, tractors are everywhere. Every "country" homeowner has one (even the city folks with more than 1/2 acre will call it a farm and buy a 30hp tractor). And along with that, they'll almost all of them do work for others. It's very common, and 99% of them don't advertise.

Then there's the guys who do this stuff for a living. Tilling, dirt moving, driveways, bush hogging, baling, etc. To my knowledge, their advertising is by word of mouth only. They've been doing it for a long time and everyone knows them by name. I know a bunch of them too as they're using their tractors and equipment for commercial purposes, but they get the full "homeowner" warranty. There's not a huge difference except for the lawn & garden equipment warranty, by the way. Most of those guys have zero insurance, they are not legitimate businesses, they all work for cash-and cash only (or sometimes horse trading). You get the idea.

So that being said, it looks to me that if you're just getting started, you have some work to do until you're established. Once established, you'll be finding yourself with plenty to do with very little advertising.

If you had a backhoe, you could go into the grave digging business, and there is some money in it. I looked into doing it for a living a few years back, and it was mind boggling how busy the diggers are. The guy I worked along with, stayed busy-even at 88 years old-digging 42-50 holes a week on average, at $600 a pop. Sounds easy. But it ain't! That old grave digger is STILL digging, at 93. He buried his own wife about a year ago. That could not have been easy.