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Time Business News
5 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
How Pest Control Companies Can Attract More Local Customers Through Social Media
In today's digitally driven world, pest control companies are discovering the undeniable power of social media in reaching new customers, building trust, and establishing brand loyalty within their communities. Traditional marketing methods like newspaper ads or flyers may still have a place, but they no longer dominate local consumer behavior. Homeowners and businesses are turning to online platforms to find reliable services, read reviews, and learn about a company's reputation before making a decision. Leveraging social media for pest control is no longer optional, it's essential. When used strategically, social platforms can significantly boost visibility, drive engagement, and generate qualified leads. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok have become local search engines in their own right. A potential customer scrolling through Facebook might see a post from a pest control company offering seasonal tips on keeping rodents out of the attic or preventing mosquito infestations in summer. That quick interaction can lead to a click, a message, and ultimately, a service call. Here's why social media is especially effective for pest control businesses: Hyper-Local Targeting: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow businesses to target specific ZIP codes, neighborhoods, or even individual cities, ensuring your message reaches nearby homeowners. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow businesses to target specific ZIP codes, neighborhoods, or even individual cities, ensuring your message reaches nearby homeowners. Customer Reviews and Trust Signals: Happy customers can tag your page or leave positive comments on posts, creating social proof that influences others. Happy customers can tag your page or leave positive comments on posts, creating social proof that influences others. Visual Storytelling: Before-and-after photos, technician spotlights, and time-lapse videos of service treatments provide engaging content that builds brand identity and authenticity. To attract more local customers, pest control companies need a clear and intentional strategy. Random posts won't drive results. Here's how to shape a winning plan: Start by identifying your ideal customer in your service area. Are you focusing on homeowners in suburban neighborhoods, renters in apartment complexes, or small businesses with recurring pest needs? Knowing your audience helps craft content that resonates. You can then use social media ad targeting features to zero in on those demographics. Posting generic content might attract views, but location-based content builds real connections. Share pest control tips relevant to your region's climate and pest seasons. For example, a spring post in Oklahoma City might focus on termite prevention, while summer could emphasize ant or mosquito treatments. Not every platform will yield the same results, but these stand out for pest control marketing: Still the top choice for many local service providers, Facebook offers robust targeting tools and allows for a mix of organic posts and paid ads. Its Events and Groups features can also be valuable for community engagement and networking with HOAs and local business associations. Instagram is ideal for visual content showcasing team members, equipment in use, and tips in a more casual, creative format. Stories and Reels are especially effective for short, educational videos that explain common pest problems or service processes. While not traditional 'social media,' Google Business Profile posts and YouTube videos can enhance your local search presence and provide long-form content opportunities. Tutorials, FAQ videos, or 'day in the life of a pest technician' can differentiate your company and build credibility. A dormant page gives the impression your business is inactive. Use a content calendar to schedule 3–5 posts per week across your platforms. Even if you're short on time, short videos, quick tips, and behind-the-scenes shots go a long way. Social media is a two-way street. Fast, friendly responses to comments and messages can turn curious prospects into loyal customers. Social platforms often reward responsiveness with higher visibility. Organic reach is increasingly limited, especially on Facebook. Paid advertising can amplify your message to the right audience. Promote special offers, seasonal services, or educational blog posts with a call-to-action like 'Book a Free Inspection Today!' Working with a team that understands pest control social media services can maximize your ad budget and help craft high-converting campaigns. If you're stuck on what to post, here are some content ideas that tend to perform well: Before-and-After Shots: Showcase a home before and after a rodent exclusion service or termite treatment. Showcase a home before and after a rodent exclusion service or termite treatment. Seasonal Reminders: Warn about increased mosquito activity or tick dangers in warmer months. Warn about increased mosquito activity or tick dangers in warmer months. 'Meet the Tech' Spotlights: Introduce your team with photos and short bios to humanize your brand. Introduce your team with photos and short bios to humanize your brand. Myth-Busting Posts: Address common pest myths (e.g., 'Do ultrasonic pest repellers really work?'). Address common pest myths (e.g., 'Do ultrasonic pest repellers really work?'). FAQs: Create short videos answering common customer questions, such as 'How long does a treatment last?' or 'Is it safe for pets?' Measuring your return on investment (ROI) is critical. Use metrics like: Engagement Rates: Likes, comments, shares, and saves Likes, comments, shares, and saves Lead Generation: Form submissions, calls, and messages from social channels Form submissions, calls, and messages from social channels Website Traffic: How many visitors came from your social platforms How many visitors came from your social platforms Conversion Rate: How many followers or ad viewers turned into paying customers Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer insights directly in-app, but using tools like Google Analytics or working with an SEO agency can provide deeper analysis. Building and maintaining a social media presence takes time, consistency, and expertise. Many pest control businesses see the best results when they collaborate with a marketing partner who understands both digital strategy and the unique needs of service-based industries. Whether you're new to social media or looking to improve your current efforts, focusing on content that educates, engages, and targets your local community will help build your reputation and grow your customer base. IronChess Oklahoma City SEO is a results-driven digital marketing agency that specializes in helping service businesses like pest control companies thrive online. From targeted social media for pest control strategies to full-service SEO, Google Business optimization, and web design, our team is committed to helping local brands dominate their market. We understand the importance of attracting local leads and turning them into loyal customers. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Crowds cheer on Crystal Palace at victory parade
Thousands of Crystal Palace fans have lined the streets to congratulate their football heroes at a victory parade following their FA Cup win. The route near Palace's Selhurst Park stadium in south London became a sea of blue and red as cheering and chanting fans blew horns and waved flags, and residents along the route displayed banners and scarves in their windows. The players showed off their trophy during a 45-minute long open-top bus parade, before a large a "party on the pitch" event inside the ground. The team were celebrating winning the first major trophy in their history, following their 1-0 win over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on 17 May. Many fans told the BBC it was a day they had been waiting for all their lives. Following the parade, fans with tickets filed into the stadium to see the team lift the cup once again, as confetti rained down on the players. Manager Oliver Glasner told the crowd: "I couldn't be more pleased to manage a club like Crystal Palace with fans like you guys. "We had tough moments but you were always behind us." Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who saved a penalty in the final, told fans the celebration was "phenomenal", adding that supporters "deserve it". "Look at the turnout; they have been our 12th man all season," Henderson said. Following speeches and the club's end-of-season awards, fireworks were set off and the club's anthem Glad All Over blasted from the PA system as the players left the stage. They were later seen high-fiving some of the fans as they left the pitch while more red and blue confetti rained down. Earlier, local resident and Palace fan Billy Thompson - a Team GB goalkeeper in the 2012 Paralympics - told the BBC the parade was "fantastic" and gave him "goosebumps". He said it felt "surreal" to see the trophy in such close proximity. "I've enjoyed this more than the Paralympics... because this is Crystal Palace. We deserve this. This is our time now," he said. He said the crowd was at least eight-deep at one point. "There were kids everywhere, standing on walls... it was lovely; a lovely family experience... really good atmosphere." Students Luka Chijiutomi-Ghosh and Talya Kuleshnyk arrived long before the parade to secure a good spot near the start of the route. Ms Kuleshnyk, 18, said she expected the atmosphere to be "electric". She said: "I only became a Crystal Palace fan a few months ago and since then I'm really invested. "I love the games and it's just incredible to see that they've won a trophy and it's mad to see all these people come out. I'm so excited and it's amazing." Mr Chijiutomi-Ghosh, also 18, an Eagles fan growing up in Thornton Heath, joked that Ms Kuleshnyk had been "quite spoilt". "I've tried to explain the previous years of finishing 12th and having never won a trophy; nothing," he said. "I'm so happy that there's actually a parade in south London... It's unreal. I feel like I'm dreaming." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Crystal Palace beat Man City to win FA Cup & end wait for major trophy
Al Jazeera
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Yet another Israeli war crime is buried in the sand as the world looks away
Every day, Mohammad Bahloul gambled with his own life in the hope of saving others. As a medic in the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), he would step into the unknown each workday, never knowing if he would return to his family. A week before Eid al-Fitr, Mohammad was dispatched to Rafah's Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood to recover the wounded and dead in the aftermath of Israeli attacks. Shortly after he and a team of medics and first responders arrived on the scene, Israeli ground troops encircled the area and closed off all the roads in and out. As the PRCS lost contact with its team, rumours began to spread across Rafah that those stuck inside would be massacred. During the attempts of rescue teams to reach the area, UN workers witnessed civilians trying to flee being shot dead. On March 29, they were finally able to reach the area where the PRCS teams were attacked. There, the teams discovered the mangled remains of ambulances and UN and Civil Defence vehicles as well as a single body – that of Muhammad's colleague, Anwar Alatar. On March 30, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, they went back and uncovered 14 more bodies buried in the sand in a mass grave. All of them were still dressed in their uniforms and wearing gloves. Among them were Mohammad and his colleagues Mustafa Khafaja, Ezzedine Sha'at, Saleh Moammar, Rifaat Radwan, Ashraf Abu Labda, Mohammad al-Hila, and Raed al-Sharif. The killing of these paramedics is not an isolated incident. Israel has been systematically targeting medical and rescue workers as part of its genocidal war – a war against life itself in Gaza. Only in Gaza, medical uniforms and ambulances do not offer protection, which international law affords. Only in Gaza, medical uniforms and ambulances can mark people as targets for execution. For the seven agonising days in which Mohammad's fate remained unknown, his father Sobhi Bahloul, a former principal at Bir al-Saba' High School in Rafah, whom I have known for decades, and his mother Najah, prayed for a miracle to save their son. They imagined that Mohammad had escaped just before the area was sealed, or that he was hiding under the rubble of a house, or perhaps that he was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers but was still alive. As Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian national poet, said, Palestinians are suffering from an 'incurable malady: hope'. Although the Bahloul family dared to hope, they also carried within them the dread that Mohammad would never be seen again. They knew the stories. In January 2024, the paramedics sent to rescue six-year-old Hind Rajab who lay in a car, injured and bleeding, beside her slain relatives, were also targeted and murdered. Likewise, in December 2023, the medics dispatched to rescue Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abudaqa, who was bleeding in a street in Khan Younis after being hit by an Israeli drone, were also killed. For seven long days, hope battled fear. 'May God return you and all your colleagues to us safe and sound,' Sobhi wrote on Facebook above a photo of his selfless son. The family had already suffered so much during the genocide, having lost many loved ones. Early on, they had to flee from their home in eastern Rafah to al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, searching for an illusion called safety. When the ceasefire was announced, the family marched back to their home in the eastern part of Rafah with thousands of others. They found their home destroyed but did their best to restore two rooms to functionality where they could sleep. During that period the children resumed their education in makeshift tents because so many schools had been destroyed. Just a week before Mohammad disappeared, an air raid flattened the house across the street from the family home, and his father's car was severely damaged. Once again, the family fled, carrying what little they had left. With each displacement, their possessions dwindled – an unbearable reminder that as belongings shrink, so too does dignity. But Mohammad had no time to help his father pitch another displacement tent. He immediately returned to his duty, working around the clock with his fellow medics in Khan Younis, answering endless calls for help, rushing from one horror to the next. Even during Ramadan, the holiest month of the year, he barely had a moment to break his fast with his family and play with his five children – among them Adam, his three-month-old baby boy. The holy month ended with the heartbreaking news of his murder. On Eid, I tried to reach Sobhi, but there was no answer. On his Facebook, I found these painful words: 'We mourn our son, Muhammad Sobhi Bahloul, a martyr of duty and humanitarian work. To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.' Despite the Israeli army's attempt to cover up its crime by burying it in the sand, evidence speaks for what happened. A statement released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on March 30 said the Israeli forces carried out an execution and that some of the victims were handcuffed and had injuries to the head and chest. The chief of the UN humanitarian affairs office in Palestine, Jonathan Whittall, said the paramedics and first responders were killed 'one by one'. Israel, of course, used the familiar playbook of denial and obfuscation. It first claimed the paramedics were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Then it claimed that its soldiers fired on the ambulances because they were 'advancing suspiciously toward' them. Meanwhile, in an act of blatant cynicism, the Israeli government announced it was sending a rescue mission of 22 to Thailand and Myanmar following the deadly earthquake. Ten days earlier, it sent a medical delegation to North Macedonia. From Asia to Europe, it seems acceptable that a country that has massacred more than 1000 health workers and first responders in a territory it occupies illegally can feign humanitarianism abroad. The Geneva Conventions, which explicitly protect medical personnel in conflict zones, have clearly been rendered meaningless in Gaza. International bodies, designed to uphold human rights, continue their performative outrage while failing to act. Western governments continue to be actively complicit in the genocide by sending weapons and inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite the warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court. How much longer will the world watch this genocidal violence in silence? There seems to be no end to the barbarity and crimes. The executions of these medics should have been a turning point, a moment of reckoning. Instead, they are yet another testament to the impunity granted to the Zionist apartheid regime. May the souls of those who died in Tal as-Sultan rest in peace and may the political leaders of the Western world rest in shame. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
NBC News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Organizers of Taiwan marathon apologize over trophies shaped like a Chinese machine gun
HONG KONG — Organizers of a military-linked marathon in southern Taiwan have apologized after handing out trophies in the shape of a Chinese machine gun. The prizes from the Fengshan Marathon near the major city of Kaohsiung drew backlash over the weekend because of their close resemblance to the QBZ-95, a Chinese-developed assault rifle used by the People's Liberation Army of China. China sees self-governing Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to achieve its unification goal. The ruling Chinese Communist Party, which came to power in 1949, has never controlled Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. The trophies were gun-themed because the route ran through multiple military facilities affiliated with Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense. Hsu Chih-chieh, a legislator from Taiwan's governing Democratic Progressive Party whose office co-hosted the race, said it was an 'oversight' of the organizers to model the trophies after a non-domestic military firearm. 'We have requested an immediate recall and apologize for the inconvenience,' Hsu said in a Faceb o ok post on Sunday. 'Future events will be handled with greater caution.' The Kaohsiung City Fengshan Jogging Association, another organizer of the event, also issued an apology but said the trophy design choice was made with 'aesthetics in mind.' 'Given the association of the military with rifles, we opted for a rifle-shaped trophy instead of a traditional one, with no other special intention behind,' the association said in a statement on Facebook. The association said it has already contacted the manufacturer and will 'proactively' reach out to the award recipients to offer to replace their trophies. 'We also urge individuals with ulterior motives to refrain from spreading unfounded accusations and labeling the event,' it added. The Ministry of National Defense said it had agreed to provide access to the facilities. 'When supporting similar events in the future, we will proactively remind the organizers to pay attention to related matters to avoid similar incidents from happening again,' the ministry said in a statement. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment on Monday. In recent years Taiwan has come under growing military and other pressure from China, which sends warplanes and naval vessels toward the island almost daily. On Monday, the Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military planes around Taiwan since 6:40 a.m., including 20 that crossed the median line that had previously served as an unofficial buffer in the Taiwan Strait. Last month, the Chinese military carried out a 'joint combat readiness patrol' about 40 nautical miles off Taiwan that included live-fire drills, which the island criticized as provocative and dangerous. China says its military actions are 'necessary, legitimate and just measures' to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'They are a resolute response to external forces' deliberate indulgence and support of 'Taiwan independence' activities,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday at a regular briefing in Beijing. Mao also said the United States, which has no official relations with Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer, had 'taken a series of misguided actions on the Taiwan issue,' including by amending a State Department website last month to remove the phrase 'we do not support Taiwan independence.' China also responded angrily last week to a joint statement by top diplomats from the Group of 7 nations, which includes the U.S., that condemned 'coercion' against Taiwan and omitted the typical reference to G7 members' 'one China' policies, under which they recognize Beijing as the only legitimate government of China. The G7 statements 'ignore facts and China's solemn position, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, and blatantly smear China,' a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement on Friday. Last week, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called China a 'foreign hostile force' and proposed 17 countermeasures against what he called Beijing's influence campaign, including strict review of applications by Chinese nationals to visit and live in Taiwan, and the reinstatement of military courts. In response, China — which considers Lai a separatist and has rebuffed his offer of talks — called Lai a 'destroyer of cross-strait peace' and 'creator of crises in the Taiwan Strait.' 'We warn the Lai Ching-te administration sternly: Those who play with fire will get burned,' Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said Thursday. 'Anyone who engages in 'Taiwan independence' separatism will end up shattered to pieces.'
BBC News
21-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Greater Manchester: Campaigners make case for historic canal revamp
Campaigners behind the painstaking restoration of a derelict canal built at the start of the industrial revolution have said making it navigable once again could bring a "real economic boost". The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, which opened in 1797, was used to carry coal from nearby collieries to power local factories and cotton operated for more than 120 years before it began falling into Franco, of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society, said large sections of the route had been filled in over the years but volunteers now have more "long-term ambitions" for its restoration. The group has been trying to raise awareness of the benefits of restoring the canal through guided walks, public awareness campaigns and lobbying via the planning canal is 15 miles long (24 km) and runs from Bolton and Bury before joining at Nob End and flowing into Manchester through Salford. Around 40 per cent of the route is still in water but the rest has been filled Franco said restoring the waterway to its former glory would "transform the local economy".He said: "Once you've got navigation, then people want to come and visit. People want to sit in cafes and pubs along the route. "It's a real economic boost wherever canal restoration happens."However, he said he and the other volunteers know that re-opening the canal would need "decades of investment". Developer Watson Homes is building 255 houses close to the canal on the site of the former Creams Mill, next to the River Irwell in Little scheme includes repairing a breach in the canal at Nob End which occurred in 1936 and has left a 700m stretch without water for close to 100 Twentyman, 79, from Little Lever told BBC Radio Manchester he uses the canal towpath every day to go walking and said repairing the canal would be "brilliant". The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal is made up of three arms, which diverge from a central junction at Nob nearby Prestolee Locks have been derelict for decades, and John Ashworth, age 66 from Little Lever said he would "love to see" them said: "The locks obviously need quite a lot of work but you can see the craftsmanship. The stones are still there after almost 250 years." About 12 miles of the waterway is owned by the Canal and River Trust with a further three miles owned by United route of the canal has planning protection in Bolton, Bury and sections have been filled in and there are blockages along the route, including in Radcliffe, where a main road cuts the canal in two. The Canal & River Trust has said: "We share the ambitions to bring back navigation, so it is important that the line and the heritage of the canal is protected."In the meantime, our charity's focus will be to continue to raise funds and care for 438 miles of ageing canals in the North West alone." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
