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Finding Very Specific Information About People.

Marketing, social media, advertising

Spicymemer45

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Hey Fastlane!

Some of you who have been following me know that I run a small lawn care business and it's been going really well.

In fact it's been going so good I have the need to write this post.

From the customers I have acquired I have noticed these explicit things about them all.

1.) They're almost all elderly (55+)
2.) They have decent income (Houses are all at least 200K value)
3.) Most are in sub divisions and have previously hired people to mow (I am the yard thief in the night)

So in essence they're either old as shit, or got alotta money.

Word of mouth just ain't getting that major look anymore, plus going door to door is only possible for so long and isn't as strategic as could be.

How do I find this specific information about different households?

I know there is generalized Demographic websites but I'm talking like singling out househoulds by age and income.

I appreciate all help!

Cheers- G​
 
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G-Man

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Hey Fastlane!

Some of you who have been following me know that I run a small lawn care business and it's been going really well.

In fact it's been going so good I have the need to write this post.

From the customers I have acquired I have noticed these explicit things about them all.

1.) They're almost all elderly (55+)
2.) They have decent income (Houses are all at least 200K value)
3.) Most are in sub divisions and have previously hired people to mow (I am the yard thief in the night)

So in essence they're either old as shit, or got alotta money.

Word of mouth just ain't getting that major look anymore, plus going door to door is only possible for so long and isn't as strategic as could be.

How do I find this specific information about different households?

I know there is generalized Demographic websites but I'm talking like singling out househoulds by age and income.

I appreciate all help!

Cheers- G​

I don't really know about websites, and when we buy scan data for cpg products, it runs in the thousands for every spreadsheet, so here's a cheap, quick and dirty thought, with two basic assumptions:
  1. You would rather have customers clustered in a smaller area for logistics reasons
  2. The value of someone's house is representative of their income
Find a subdivision you don't have any customers in but would like to, and either by driving there or using google maps, notate the street names, as well as the first and last house number on each street. Use excel to fill in all the middle numbers (caveat is that a lot of numbers may be skipped, which is why a quick drive of the neighborhood might be better).

Now you have a direct mail list. Design snappy mailers. Get leads. Sell leads to those kids you're hiring to mow lawns.

Maybe not the best approach, and the info might not be specific, but the most important things seem to be that they a) have a yard, and b) have large amounts of disposable income.
 

MidwestLandlord

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Word of mouth just ain't getting that major look anymore, plus going door to door is only possible for so long and isn't as strategic as could be.

Have you incentivized word of mouth yet? (A month free for every new customer they bring you or something?)

You can use google earth to "drive" down the street and gather addresses too. Not all addresses will be legible, but most should be (if it's on the house or curb)

I would assign a neighborhood to a kid that works for you, and have him gather addresses. Then you can direct mail to them and not have to scope out the 'hood yourself. Pay him in a percentage (5% of sales from his neighborhood or something) so you don't have to pay hourly (because then a 1 hour job takes 10 hours haha)
 

Spicymemer45

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I don't really know about websites, and when we buy scan data for cpg products, it runs in the thousands for every spreadsheet, so here's a cheap, quick and dirty thought, with two basic assumptions:
  1. You would rather have customers clustered in a smaller area for logistics reasons
  2. The value of someone's house is representative of their income
Find a subdivision you don't have any customers in but would like to, and either by driving there or using google maps, notate the street names, as well as the first and last house number on each street. Use excel to fill in all the middle numbers (caveat is that a lot of numbers may be skipped, which is why a quick drive of the neighborhood might be better).

Now you have a direct mail list. Design snappy mailers. Get leads. Sell leads to those kids you're hiring to mow lawns.

Maybe not the best approach, and the info might not be specific, but the most important things seem to be that they a) have a yard, and b) have large amounts of disposable income.

Thank you very much G-man my man!

Do you recommend using a Direct Mail Service, or just mailing them myself?
 
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Spicymemer45

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Have you incentivized word of mouth yet? (A month free for every new customer they bring you or something?)

You can use google earth to "drive" down the street and gather addresses too. Not all addresses will be legible, but most should be (if it's on the house or curb)

I would assign a neighborhood to a kid that works for you, and have him gather addresses. Then you can direct mail to them and not have to scope out the 'hood yourself. Pay him in a percentage (5% of sales from his neighborhood or something) so you don't have to pay hourly (because then a 1 hour job takes 10 hours haha)

Bless you MidWestLandDiety, you and G-man have got the ball rolling, I'm driving down the street rn.

And same question for you as I asked G.

For the Direct Mail, do you suggest a service or just mailing them myself?

You guys rock!
 

G-Man

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For the Direct Mail, do you suggest a service or just mailing them myself?

no damn way I'd be sitting there stamping a gazillion postcards - use a service.
 

MidwestLandlord

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no damn way I'd be sitting there stamping a gazillion postcards - use a service.

On a bootstrap type startup like this?

I might stamp the postcards myself. Might.

But it would be a temporary thing, only until I knew what worked and what didn't, and then I would hire it out.
 

G-Man

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I might stamp the postcards myself. Might.
Maybe, but do some price shopping first, @Spicymemer45. Those services probably have machines to do it, and I'm guessing they'll do it cheap enough that it isn't worth the opportunity cost. That said, if you decide to stamp envelopes while you're watching your normal netflix or college football, then the opportunity cost drops to zero.
 

MidwestLandlord

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I think this would be a great thing for adwords too.

A simple landing page with your number, targeting things like "lawn service" searches etc. Get creative with it. Can you target people looking for used lawn mowers for sale? Get them to use a service instead? Get them to try you once while their mower is broke?

Read everything ever written by @Andy Black for direction on that...

Do your competitors put signs in the yard? Send their customers a mail piece. They already use a service, you just gotta get them to switch.
 
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Spicymemer45

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My new plan is to infiltrate the U.S Census Bureau

Steal all the info on the old rich people, and then casually elicit a fairly priced mowing out of them or I release their SSN to every single Microsoft Computer Virus Scan Company there ever was and they will never sleep again.

But thank you all for the good advice in this thread, I will test the waters and do my own mailing first and measure the results.​
 

G-Man

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Steal all the info on the old rich people, and then casually elicit a fairly priced mowing out of them or I release their SSN to every single Microsoft Computer Virus Scan Company there ever was and they will never sleep again.
You never mentioned you work for Equifax.
 

Spicymemer45

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You never mentioned you work for Equifax.

Considering the fact Richard Smith "Retired" as the CEO about 20 minutes ago. I have decided it is only by Divine Judgement that I should carry the torch.
 
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MattR82

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This thread name and your avatar had me chuckling :playful: but the Sopranos will forever be one of my favourite shows.
 

JAJT

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What's your average lifetime customer value?

Couldn't you hire college / uni kids on commission and give them a pretty sweet per-house payout that's still well under your LCV?

Example:
- Each house pays you $50 per month for service.
- Each house stays with you for 2 years
- LCV = $1,200

Put up ads around campuses, in classifieds, whatever, and say you'll pay each college kid $100 per house they sign up (condition that the house stays with you for 3 months). Throw in a first month free to make it easier to sell. You're out $150, but gain $1,050 for each house.

How many houses would a college kid have to sell per day for it to be totally worth it for them? One? MAYBE two? It's a pretty solid "everyone wins" proposal.
 
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