How can you effectively advertise your business?

[CharonWest]

Hi, I am new here and work in the industry for over 15 years.
But just recently I decided to put up my own business.

My question is, how can I effectively advertise the business?
 

[john paget]

Word of mouth, and a sign outside your jobs, parish magazine. Do a good tidy job and the work will start to flow...

[CharonWest]

Thank you for your recommendation John, which I totally agree.
You know in this age how computers and internet spread the word like a rocket.
I probably need those of online advertisements something.  
Facebook is all I know for now.. LOL!

[tonytree]

Wouldn’t go to mad with advertising on Facebook it’s generally full of time wasters. Get a good website built

[Big J]

Just word of mouth. On the site we're presently working, if I see someone from the village looking at what we're up to, I always hop out of the machine to take 5-10 minutes to chat to them. Forestry work is pretty disruptive, and I try to address their concerns and explain what we're doing, why were doing it and what will be planting in it's place. People are usually a lot more receptive to a clearfell when you tell them how many houses are going to be built from the timber (we're cutting long length larch at the moment, so timber framing will make up part of the timber's use).

 

Those chats with the locals often lead to more work, so I've found that I get clusters of work in small areas where one job leads to another. 

[IronMike]

I have got at least two jobs directly from interactions through Instagram. And I get loads of interest in the machine through there. I haven’t paid for a thing, it’s just grown by itself. I usually post a few photos or videos from the days work and folk generally seem to like it!

 

On a side note, if you type in low impact forestry into google, my Facebook page is at the top of the results, and I’ve not paid anyone to help me do that.

[Chris at eden]

6 hours ago, IronMike said:

 

 

On a side note, if you type in low impact forestry into google, my Facebook page is at the top of the results, and I’ve not paid anyone to help me do that.

Its a very specific long chain keyword which I am guessing no one else uses so it will be top.  It will only work though if someone types that into Google.  The trick is to figure out what your customers are typing in, not what you would type. 

    

[Chris at eden]

17 hours ago, CharonWest said:

Hi, I am new here and work in the industry for over 15 years.
But just recently I decided to put up my own business.

My question is, how can I effectively advertise the business?
 

Decent website is important in my opinion.  Adwords works well for me but it takes time to get it right and can be expensive if you get it wrong.  If you are going down the website route then read up on SEO and PPC advertising. 

 

[Chris at eden]

3 minutes ago, Chris at eden said:

Its a very specific long chain keyword

 

    

Long tail I should say - before someone corrects me.  

[spudulike]

Word of mouth is probably the strongest marketing so you need to always go that extra mile to discuss the job, be pleasant and do what you say you will. Exceeding the customers expectations is always sound.

Any reviews - Google, Forums etc are worth having. I guess Arbtalk is my website but it is worth having some sort of online content even if it is just a single webpage with a bit about you.

Local papers are worth a punt.