Monica Hemingway knows the value of being a licensed arborist when it comes to guiding other arborists with their digital and online marketing needs. “As arborists and former owners of tree care and landscape companies, we know how tree-service businesses operate and the issues they face,” notes Hemingway. “That helps us deliver best-in-class results with minimal effort from our clients.”

Hemingway, CEO and founder of Tree Care Marketing Solutions (TCMS), a seven-year TCIA corporate member company, says three things set TCMS apart from other arboriculture marketing agencies. First, TCMS is woman owned and operated; second, the company has two Connecticut-licensed arborists on staff, herself and her husband, Jack; and third, “We’ve won awards for what we do, including the TCIA Professional Communications Award – three times!”

Generating leads

Hemingway holds a Ph.D. in industrial psychology and statistics, and she says that metrics and data-based decision-making are critical to her company’s unique marketing approach. “I find that one of the areas where tree care companies are deficient is in linking sales data to their lead-generation activities,” she explains. “Without that information, it’s very hard to determine if their leads are generating a return that is actual profit to their bottom line.”

Most business owners know what they’re spending on marketing, she says, but very few know how much it costs them per qualified lead or how profitable those leads are. “That information tells you where you should – and should not – be putting your budget and your efforts. And that’s a key part of our services; we want to help clients build their businesses, not just generate leads.”

A focused marketing plan

Tree Care Marketing Solutions does not offer a “pick-and-choose” approach to marketing, but rather a comprehensive and cohesive program of coordinated marketing strategies and tactics. After the initial discovery and development phases, clients move into one of TCMS’s Growth Programs. This is where the rubber meets the road in terms of attaining business goals and maximizing the strength of a client’s online presence.

Each Growth Program incorporates “the services we know are necessary, through extensive experience, to get a tree care business found online and drive qualified leads to contact you.” All programs include website design and development, on-page and technical search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile management, email marketing, Google Ads management and regular reporting on leads and results.

“For those who are ready to take their business to the next level, or those who are in a highly competitive market, their program also may include direct-mail solutions, print marketing, video content and other higher-level marketing strategies,” explains Hemingway.

This is the Lamborghini of tree care marketing programs, according to Hemingway. “It’ll get you there quickly and in style.”

TCMS’s tagline: “Marketing for Arborists, by Arborists”

Hemingway stresses that very few marketing companies are staffed by arborists, and it shows in their efforts. “You don’t want someone putting a photo of a palm on your website if your company is based in the Northeast,” she says. “As arborists, we make sure website photos show correct PPE and best practices, and that content reflects current thinking in arboriculture.”

She notes that staying up to date on industry issues is important when creating content for clients. “That’s why we regularly take tree care courses and keep up with what’s new in urban-forest issues – pests and diseases, tree preservation, even firewood. It also allows us to provide business-consulting services going far beyond just marketing, making us an invaluable partner for our clients.”

Hemingway adds that about half of TCMS’s clients are TCIA accredited, “And we encourage those who aren’t to become accredited. It’s one of the reasons we require our clients to have at least one qualified arborist on staff.”

Sharing best practices

“In our industry, we typically see websites built and written by companies in-house. Unfortunately, those websites don’t get found or generate leads. You really have to know what you’re doing to make online marketing work, and that’s something we’re experts at. In fact, I literally wrote the book on it,” Hemingway says with a smile.

She’s the author of “The Ultimate Guide to Online Marketing for Tree Service Companies,” which was released in conjunction with TCI EXPO ’22. It quickly became “the number-one new release in online advertising and SEO on Amazon in November 2022,” she says, and is “one way I can help more companies get better marketing results.” Currently, the book is available in paperback on Amazon for $17.95, or $1.99 for the Kindle version.

Building long-standing relationships

A final distinction that Hemingway says sets her company apart is the fact that she and her staff build personal relationships with their clients. “I think that’s part of what keeps our clients with us for the long term – and that’s very rare in the digital marketing world,” she notes.

For TCMS, part of building relationships is making personal on-site visits. “Whenever we travel, we try to spend a day with any clients in the area,” says Hemingway. “We do site visits with them, take photos and videos, discuss business plans and really get to know them. I would say we’ve personally visited a good two-thirds of our clients.”

When it comes to hands-on tree-industry marketing, Tree Care Marketing Solutions offers every aspect of product and service at a top level of expertise – and all with a white-glove touch that will make your business shine.

Patricia Chaudoin has been a freelance writer/editor for more than four decades, in areas as disparate as tree care, golf, weddings, luxury travel and international non-profit NGOs. She has been writing for TCI Magazine since July 2016.

TCI Magazine’s Corporate Member Spotlight is a sponsored feature.