How to Get Irrigation Leads: 11 Tested Ways [2024]

What is the Purpose of Irrigation Leads?

The primary purpose of irrigation lead generation is to attract potential customers and nurture them into paying customers.

As with any other company, lead generation is essential to irrigation companies because it feeds the sales pipeline with prospects who can be converted into customers. 

This generates revenue, which keeps the business running.

How to Get Irrigation Leads

Generating irrigation leads starts with putting your business in the faces of potential customers using…

• Digital marketing strategies 

• Traditional marketing strategies

Using digital marketing strategies should be a no-brainer, given that most customers search for local businesses online.

But, there's the likelihood of thinking traditional advertising strategies are "old school." That can't be farther from the truth.

Traditional advertising remains valuable since some people (aka ‘potential customers’) don't use the Internet. Plus, customers are increasingly wary of digital advertisements due to ad fatigue. 

That's why we included both traditional and digital irrigation marketing strategies on this list.

Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Local SEO

Local SEO is a digital strategy that ensures your website appears on search engines like Google for local-intent queries.

Let's say someone searches for "irrigation company near me" from their workplace in Orlando. Here’s what the search result will look like:

If the same person executes the same search query from their home in Miami, the search result changes to this:

Notice in both cases that only irrigation companies serving those respective areas—Orlando and Miami—appear in the search results.  

But it bears asking: what about local SEO makes it a great strategy for designated service area businesses like yours?

Well, it turns out that customers prefer to hire a service business close to them rather than one further away for three good reasons:

• Nearby businesses respond faster.

• Driving a few blocks to local businesses to resolve complaints is easier.

• Trusting an irrigation company owned and staffed by family, friends, or neighbors is easier.

So, it’s fair to say that local SEO brings in high-quality leads.

You'll notice that the display interface for the two search queries we gave above is similar except for the companies listed. That's a Google map pack.

A Google map pack consists of three businesses and a map insert.

To be part of the three businesses that Google's algorithm includes in the map pack at any time, consider doing the following:

Optimize your Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing platform that lets you determine how your company shows up on Google Maps, Search, and Shopping.

You can add business details to your GBP, such as your company name, phone number, and opening and closing hours.

To optimize your GBP and increase the chances of being among the local businesses Google includes in the map pack for any search query, consider doing the following:

• Use your correct business name. Trying to play it smart by adding extra keywords can result in punishment from Google.

• Include up-to-date and high-quality images and videos.

• Add a local phone number.

• Ensure your opening and closing hours are correct.

• Link to your social media pages.

• Fill up your GBP with positive reviews from real customers because paid reviews can get you banned.

The key to collecting positive customer reviews is directing on-site techs to ask for a review once the job is completed.

"Your homeowner already has a relationship with that technician, [so] they're going to want to help them out," says ServiceTitan strategic project manager Heather Donaldson.

However, techs may forget to ask for reviews, especially as your company grows. And others may not like the extra pressure of requesting reviews.

That's where automating the review process with ServiceTitan's Marketing Pro Reputation platform comes in handy.

With Marketing Pro, you can send automated review requests to customers once the job is completed. Techs no longer have to remember to request customer reviews after each job.

The platform also consolidates reviews from your business listings into a single dashboard, making it easy to respond to reviews.

This way, you can contact unsatisfied customers who leave negative feedback and try to resolve their complaints before they damage your online reputation.

Further reading: Find out how to respond to negative reviews.

Create location-specific service pages

If you have different locations, creating location-specific service pages is advisable. That’s because the odds of website visitors booking your services increase once they discover you operate in their area.

However, you must optimize your location service pages with the right keywords so potential customers see them when they search. 

You can find the right keywords using:

A. Google Keyword Planner

Sign up for Google's Keyword Planner. Then, enter your target keyword in the search bar and wait while it generates related keywords.

For example, using the keyword "irrigation services," you'll get related keywords such as "sprinkler repair," "sprinkler systems repair," and more.

Google's auto-complete and related search feature

First, switch to your borrower's incognito mode or use a VPN. Then, execute a search with your target keyword and wait for predictions from Google's algorithm.

Using the keyword “irrigation services Iowa,” you get this:

2. Facebook lead ads

Facebook is a platform businesses serious about lead generation should pay attention to. The data shows:

• Over 186 million people in the United States use Facebook.

• Approximately 31 percent of customers say they use small businesses due to a Facebook ad.

So, Facebook is a crucial lead-generation platform for any service business.

Facebook lead ads are more effective than Facebook ads because of their frictionless and seamless user experience.

Unlike traditional Facebook ads, which take prospects to pages outside the platform, lead ads allow prospects to fill in their contact information in the ad.

You can even program the ad to pre-populate contact information from the prospect's Facebook profile. This way, prospects don't need to go off Facebook and wait for a landing page to load before inputting their information.

It's one of the reasons why research from WordStream shows conversion from lead ads surpasses that of Facebook ads by almost 20 percent.

Consider increasing your lead ad's effectiveness by:

• Integrating your CRM with your Facebook Ads Manager account to collect leads' contact information automatically.

• Adding a click-to-call button and an option for new customers to book appointments.

• Minimizing the number of questions and fields customers have to answer or fill.

What’s the optimal number of questions and fields to include in your lead ads?

As many as you need to qualify and follow up on the lead. 

According to Luke Lintz, CEO at HighKey Enterprises LLC, “Asking for the full name, email address, phone number, zip code (for location targeting), the type of service needed, and a brief description of the issue is sufficient for a home service business.”

3. PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising

PPC is a form of online advertising where advertisers pay to showcase their ads on digital platforms such as software applications, search engines, and websites.

Google PPC is the most popular type of PPC advertising. This is expected since most customers use Google to evaluate local service businesses.

At any given time, several irrigation companies are running PPC campaigns. But since Google can't display them all, they use an algorithm to select four ads for each search query.

For example, look at the four companies Google displays for "irrigation company Texas."

How can you ensure your irrigation business features in the sponsored section?

• Perform in-depth PPC keyword research to find relevant keywords.

• Use compelling ad creatives—images and videos.

• Make your ad copy value-focused.

• Use compelling copy on your landing page.

• Constantly measure, test, and improve.

You can use traditional home service marketing tools such as Google Analytics to track your ad's performance.

However, they only track the number of calls. And since not all calls convert into a job booking, it's fair to say that the campaign ROI information these tools provide isn’t entirely helpful.

"...we found that oftentimes [the] contractors that we spoke to didn't know the ROI of their individual campaigns," says ServiceTitan’s  product manager, Dylan Kessler.

"They knew things at an aggregate level [and] channel level," he adds.

ServiceTitan's Marketing Pro platform is a more accurate alternative that shows you the exact revenue each campaign generates in real time.

It ranks all your campaigns using the revenue they've generated, giving you an accurate insight into their performance.

The system automatically allocates your ad budget to the campaigns bringing in the most revenue. This means you can quickly move your budget from a low-performance campaign to one returning 5x.

The platform also allows you to create and assign unique toll-free phone numbers to each online campaign. ServiceTitan's system uses these unique phone numbers to track, calculate, and display the exact ROI of each marketing campaign.

This ensures you maximize your ad dollars, spending only on performing campaigns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3S7Mbk4OiY&ab_channel=ServiceTitan 

Pro tip!

Velizara Tellayan, founder of Digital Concept Consulting, advises businesses to upload customer data from their CRMs to Google Ads to re-engage customers and connect with others like them.

This lets Google “automate bidding to optimize for the most valuable customers (thanks to machine learning),” she adds.

4. Local services ads

Local services ads (LSAs) are paid ads from Google that let local service businesses collect leads directly from Google through phone calls, appointment bookings, or messages.

They typically appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPS), side-by-side with key company information such as operating hours, reviews, and location.

Here's an example:

Although PPC and LSAs are both paid ad offerings, they differ in many respects.

First, PPC charges for each click. But with LSAs, you only pay for the lead—a call, message request, or booked appointment.

Second, with LSAs, you don't directly bid on keywords like PPC. Instead, Google uses specific criteria to determine which ads appear at any given time:

• Review response rate

• Ratings

• Number of reviews

To capture leads with your LSAs, do the following:

• Optimize your GBP

• Verify your business to get Google’s guarantee badge, which builds trust with prospects

• Provide all the information requested when creating your profile

• Respond to customer reviews

• Use high-quality photos

To start generating leads with LSAs right now, consider using ServiceTitan's Local Service Ads integration.

Due to our Google partnership, this integration pulls the contact information associated with LSA job bookings directly into your ServiceTitan account.

This eliminates data redundancy and the risk of human errors when copying information from LSAs manually.

5. Referral marketing:

Referral marketing encourages current customers to recommend your business to their friends, family members, colleagues, and other people they know.

Referral marketing generates high-quality leads since many customers prefer learning about service businesses from referrals. Plus, customers trust recommendations from people they know over branded ads.

Getting referrals starts with delivering five-star customer service. Only satisfied customers will recommend you to others.

CSRs should pick up customer calls early. Techs should arrive early and be fully prepared to handle the job. And you should regularly send text message updates to customers throughout the job cycle.

ServiceTitan's customers use our Customer Experience platform to exceed customer expectations.

That's because it lets you text reminders to customers alongside the full bio of the tech who’s en route to their house.

This reduces no-shows and eliminates the customers' apprehension of letting strangers into their homes, especially if the customer is still at work.

Further, ServiceTitan's GPS technology lets irrigation contractors keep customers informed with real-time location updates regarding the technician's truck.

These constant updates throughout the job cycle increase customer satisfaction, leading to referrals and five-star reviews.

6. Lead magnets

A lead magnet is any free resource a company offers potential customers in exchange for their contact information—usually their email address. The company then contacts the prospect and tries to nurture them into customers.

Lead magnets can be website articles, free webinars, ebooks, infographics, sweepstakes, etc.

Any lead magnet you create must solve the customer's pressing needs. For example, let's say you’re based in a cold region where lawn sprinklers easily crack and break during winter.

You could create an infographic with high-quality images showing customers how to winterize their irrigation system.

Customers can then download the infographic after supplying their email addresses, which you can use to send them more educational content until they book a job.

You can easily create an email campaign using ServiceTitan's Marketing Pro Email offering.

With its easy-to-understand interface, you can create and design emails using professional-looking pre-built templates.

Simply upload your postcard, add your email copy and brand elements, include the customers' email addresses, and hit send .

More importantly, to ensure you maximize your budget, the software shows the exact ROI of each email.

This way, you can track the performance of each email and use the insights to make improvements like tweaking the copy, changing the timing, or swapping images.

7. Involvement in the local community

Though often overlooked, local community involvement is an effective strategy that irrigation companies can use to attract local leads.

It helps you connect with potential customers, earn their trust, and showcase your expertise as an irrigation professional. Caring for the local community also portrays your brand in a positive light.

How can you get involved with your local community?

1. Host free irrigation seminars or webinars

Consider hosting free seminars on irrigation topics such as lawn care, water conservation, and landscape design.

This positions you as an expert, making your business the first company customers call when they face such problems.

2. Sponsor local events

Offer to sponsor local events like business expos, county fairs, festivals, etc. You can also organize events on your own, such as community clean-up of the area around water bodies.

3. Volunteer with local nonprofit organizations

Volunteer with local nonprofits that support causes related to your business. Encourage employees to do the same thing with any local nonprofit.

4. Offer your location for events

If you have large headquarters, offer to host local chamber of commerce meetings, networking events, workshops, etc.

8. Customer loyalty programs

Loyalty programs reward repeat customers with perks such as free tickets to exclusive events, discounts, redeemable points, and gifts.

The prospect of receiving a gift or reward for using your business can coax prospective customers to book an appointment with you over competitors.

Existing customers can be incentivized to refer your business to others by offering a  reward for such referrals.

When creating your loyalty program, ensure the rewards resonate with potential customers. They will only sign up if they feel the perks are worth it.

You can survey your current customers and competitors' loyalty programs to find the best perks to use.

Once you've created the loyalty program, remember to promote it on fliers, your website, and social media. 

Also, train your employees—especially CSRs and techs who interact with customers—to sell the loyalty program to customers.

9. Free irrigation system inspections

Another traditional lead-generation strategy is to offer free irrigation system inspections.

These free inspections are a way to demonstrate your expertise and convince prospective customers to book an appointment.

To turn a free irrigation system inspection into a paid appointment, consider the following:

• Ensure you inspect the system thoroughly. Check for leaking pipes and broken sprinkler heads.

• Explain the issues you found and the recommended solutions to the prospect, clearly and concisely.

• Answer any questions the prospect may have.

You could also offer limited-time discounts to customers who book and pay for a repair or maintenance following the inspection.

Remember to add your free inspections to advertising materials such as brochures, billboards, social media pages, etc. You could also promote them to your email subscribers.

10. Teaming up with other local businesses

Partnering with local businesses that offer complementary services is another great lead-generation strategy.

You can cross-promote your services, recommend each other's services to customers, create bundled packages, and so on.

However, it's important to choose wisely by selecting a partner with customers who will likely need your services.

Examples of such companies are:

• Local hardware stores and retailers: offer in-store free consultation. Or host a free DIY irrigation workshop together with the irrigation tool store. You could offer the store commissions for each referral.

• Garden centers and nurseries: host joint educational workshops on efficient water conservation and irrigation practices.

• Smart home technology companies: offer to help install smart irrigation systems in their customers' homes.

Aside from local businesses, you can also partner with community organizations such as local water-management authorities, ecological nonprofits, and science clubs.

11. Trade shows and events

Besides keeping track of industry happenings, trade shows and events are a great way to connect with prospects and complementary local businesses.

Meeting prospects face-to-face helps you learn more about your customers' needs and collect their contact information. You can then follow up with them.

You can also pay for a booth at such events and use the opportunity to increase your brand visibility and network with other businesses.

You can check the local newspapers' event listings or community centers' calendars for upcoming events.

Also, follow the website or email newsletter of your local chamber of commerce. They sometimes promote new events there, too.

Now Over to You

To grow your irrigation company, you must generate leads. Lots of them.

Now that you have all the strategies, pick those best suited to your business and implement them. Also, use ServiceTitan to generate more leads for your business.

ServiceTitan provides you with digital solutions for automating your business processes. Thousands of contractors nationwide use our software to grow their businesses, interact with customers, and generate more profit.