LANDSCAPE BUSINESS
What it takes to scale digital marketing across markets
By J. P. Carter
The home services industry has been replicating a similar formula for growth for decades. But as the market has faced volatility in recent years, social interactions have increasingly moved online and word-of-mouth referrals may be fewer and farther between, meaning that businesses are looking to scale in new ways. Whether it’ s new products, expanded service offerings, sales tool technology or local paid advertising, business leaders are thinking beyond the realm of traditional scaling methods.
For many landscaping and outdoor living-related businesses, growth depends on the ability to scale to new markets, tailor the approach and shift to new strategies. Growth can unfold in regions with distinct climates, varying customer demographics and even in areas with stiff competition. The challenge is to scale in a way that preserves brand integrity and generates meaningful, authentic local engagement.
Rethinking scale in a multi-market business
In my experience, scaling digital marketing in this new era is a multi-level effort that takes all factors into account at a local level. Businesses need to consider how geography, climate, location, customer demographics, seasonality, trends and demand intersect in each market. Every region has a unique set of variables, and success depends on recognizing when and how to act on them. The opportunity to scale is tied to timing, data and a firm understanding of local customers’ digital behaviors.
This approach begins before entering a market. Evaluating digital readiness means analyzing how prospective customers research, engage and make decisions. By grounding strategy in these understandings, brands can feel confident entering new markets, using data before opening the doors and applying a disciplined testing approach to identify what appeals to the local customer base.
There are many factors to consider when developing this strategy. It’ s especially important to consider situations that involve multiple markets. Recently, my own marketing team was faced with a new challenge as we launched a new branch of our business in our first East Coast state, Georgia, after 30 years of experience across the West and Southwest. We realized we would be overlooking key details if we assumed the data and executions from previous launches would automatically translate to the Southeast.
We know from our boots-on-the-ground research that Georgia homeowners are more interested in certain elements and products that fit their lifestyle better than homeowners in other regions. This provided us with an opportunity to adjust messaging and test what resonates to attract new leads via digital channels. However, it takes time to get it just right. While it’ s easy for the goal to be a quick win, the evolution of strengthening a campaign and learning about your audience will serve you well long term.
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Building a consistent brand with local relevance
Brand strategy is an evolutionary process, and growth requires flexibility. Although core identity and principles must remain constant, local execution must feel personal and authentic.
Customers don’ t want to feel like part of a broad, low-effort campaign; they want to be understood, and for the brand’ s positioning and presentation to be genuine. That means adapting messaging, visuals and timing to be locally relevant without compromising brand identity. Foundational brand elements and performance thresholds should remain consistent, while campaign strategy and targeting should evolve based on market-specific insights.
Especially true to home services industries, trust-building is at the center of all marketing efforts. The emotional weight of making a large investment in your home can be heavy, and facing that angst with authenticity will go a long way. Every market has its own local feel that matters when building this level of trust.
Scaling with discipline and data
Launching and expanding in new markets requires discipline. A“ crawl, walk, run” approach, grounded in market research and driven by aggressive testing, ensures campaigns scale. Core KPIs at every stage of testing serve as success thresholds, while creating a framework for decision making and helping teams assess potential opportunities. This is what enables a company to create targeted marketing.
One-size-fits-all campaigns that ignore local dynamics often underperform, regardless of the amount of advertising dollars invested. Similarly, boosting ad spend without the right fundamentals in place creates campaigns destined for negative returns. Effective scaling calls for precision: targeting the right audience with the right messaging at the right time.
Adapting to change in a seasonal, regionalized industry
As digital marketing strategies evolve, consumer expectations and behaviors evolve as well. Homeowners still fundamentally seek to be educated and inspired, but the ways in which they consume that content are constantly changing. Formats, platforms, presentation and timing all influence their decisions, requiring steady acclimation to new technologies and habits.
In the often regional and seasonal industry that is outdoor living and remodeling, attention to detail is everything. Seasonality is real at the local level, and having a team that understands how to forecast, plan and execute at strategic and tactical levels is essential in this category.
Ultimately, scaling isn’ t about doing more at a high level or spending more money; it’ s about combining strong brand fundamentals with finely tuned market approaches and evidence-based insights to communicate locally and cultivate sustainable, brand-wide growth.
J. P. Carter is vice president of marketing at System Pavers. A leader in digital marketing, Carter honed his management skills as a mountaineering instructor in the U. S. Marine Corps. From there, Carter moved into the world of advertising. With more than a decade of experience, Carter uses data-driven methods to develop campaigns that encourage growth and elevate brand presence.