"Bass Brother's Lawn Service," it was called. "Your Best Catch for Professional Lawn Care" (pretty catchy huh?) One weekly lawn customer became 5 customers. And then 10, 15, 20, 30, and even 40 weekly customers.
The business continued through college, growing to almost 80 weekly customers. It paid for fancy lawn mowers, trailers, parties, even a house a few years later. Running the business while attending Business School at the University of Louisville was also incredible. I had real life application for the concepts I was learning in school, and making pretty good money too.
When I look back on those years and the experiences I had, it was some pretty basic things that created our success, and some of the same concepts can be applied to many other areas of my life. Take the challenge of mastering social media, particularly Twitter. The following list of things I learned while running my lawn service can be applied to mastering Twitter too:
1. Make your customer (or followers) proud I always brought my "A Game" when taking care of lawns. I wanted to look over my shoulder to see that I was leaving my customer with a beautiful lawn, one that made them feel good when they pulled in the driveway later that day. You should use the same focus on Twitter - don't send out Junk! I don't care that you just boarded your flight, or that now you are now delayed by 15 minutes. I am also not real fond of the copy and pasted quote you drop in every morning. Tell me about you - make an impact on my day, and be proud of the words you post on twitter. The world is listening.
2. Keep an eye on the competition Twitter isn't very "competitive" but you can certainly be a better participant if you observe what others are doing. What are they writing about, how often are the posting, and how are the interacting with others? These can give you ideas on new tactics to incorporate into your strategy. Watching what others are doing will push you to become better.
3. Referrals The almighty referral Required to be successful in any business. I always asked my customers to tell their family, friends, and neighbors about me if they were happy with my work. While directly asking for a referral on Twitter is probably out of bounds, you should look to create words and stories that people want to share. Make it fun, make it interesting, and let me know what you think. When you make someone raise an eyebrow to the words you write, they are more likely to share.
4. Be flexible Weather, talkative customers, flat tires, broken equipment... rarely did the day go as planned. The same is true with social media. While you may hope to be active every day, it's okay if you aren't. Sometimes life can get in the way, and that's okay. I never let Twitter get in the way of my real life, my everyday job or the other responsibilities I am accountable for.
5. Hone Your skills All the yards I took care of looked really good - but only because I always focused on how to make them look their best. Adjust the cutting height; change the direction of the rows, use a different mower. They looked so good because of the effort and pre-planning that took place. Focus on changing, or improving the content of your social media. Find new places of inspiration.
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| Exact Match for the 1987 Jetta I bought with early proceeds |
6. What's your "WHY?" For me, the long, hot summers mowing lawns always had a purpose. Originally it was the car, the 1987 Volkswagon Jetta that my brother and I purchased in February of 1992 (a month before our 16th birthday). Twitter for me has always been a way to meet new industry professionals. Why do you Twitter? If you keep this in mind, your message will be come clearer, more fun for others to read, and probably have a better chance of helping you become successful.
Simple principles made my business a success, and they are also helping me grow my Twitter presence. What principles do you incorporate into you Twitter philosophy?
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