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Pest control
Pest Control Video Marketing: What to Film and Post, Season by Season
Pest control video marketing made simple: what to film on your phone each month in the Midwest and Texas, how to keep it short, and what not to show.
Quick answers
- What kind of videos should a pest control company post?
- Short, useful phone videos that answer what homeowners are seeing right now: ants in the kitchen in spring, wasps under the eaves in summer, mice in fall. Thirty to sixty seconds is plenty.
- How often should a pest control company post videos?
- One good video a week is a steady pace for a small shop. Match it to the season, because people search for the pest that's bothering them this month.
- Should I show pesticide applications in my videos?
- Keep the focus on finding the problem and preventing it. If you do show a treatment, make sure everything on camera follows the label and your state's rules, including protective gear.
Pest problems are seasonal, and so are the questions homeowners ask. In April they want to know why ants showed up in the kitchen. In October they're hearing scratching in the walls. Pest control video marketing works when your videos answer the question people have this month, in plain words, from someone who looks like they know their way around a crawlspace.
You don't need a camera crew. A phone, a steady hand and a one-minute idea are enough. Here is what to film, month by month, for the Midwest and Texas, plus a few pest control marketing ideas for making each video useful.
How to film a good pest control video on your phone
- Hold the phone upright. Tall videos fill the screen on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
- Keep it to 30 to 60 seconds. One pest, one tip, one call to action.
- Start with the problem. "Seeing little black ants by the sink?" beats "Hi, I'm with [Your business]."
- Film in good light. Outside, or near a window. Wipe the lens first.
- Show, then say. Point to the gap under a door, the mud tube on a foundation, the hole where a mouse got in.
- Add captions. Many people watch with the sound off.
- End the same way every time: your name, your town, your number.
- Get permission before filming at a customer's home, and keep house numbers, faces and street signs out of the shot.
A season-by-season video calendar
Timing varies a lot between, say, north Iowa and south Texas, so slide these a few weeks earlier or later to match your area.
January and February
- Mice and rats in garages and attics: where they get in, and how big a gap they need.
- Indoor spiders and what they tell you about other bugs in the house.
- In Texas, early warm spells and the first ant activity.
March and April
- Termite swarms. Film a short "swarmer or flying ant?" explainer using clear photos. Swarms often show up on a warm day after rain, and people panic. Tell them what to do: save a few in a bag and call.
- Ants coming in from the yard. Show the trail, the entry point, and how to keep counters clean.
May and June
- Mosquitoes: walk a backyard and point out standing water in tires, buckets, gutters and kids' toys. Simple, useful and easy to film.
- Ticks: where they wait in tall grass and brush, and why checking pets and kids after time outdoors matters. For health questions, point people to their doctor or the CDC's tick pages.
- Fire ants in Texas: what a mound looks like and why to keep kids and pets away.
July and August
- Wasps and hornets under eaves, in playsets and grill covers. Film from a safe distance. Tell people not to swat at a nest.
- Cockroaches in hot weather, especially in the South.
- Fleas from pets and yards.
September and October
- Mice moving indoors as nights cool. Walk the outside of a house and show the gaps: around pipes, under siding, by the garage door seal.
- Boxelder bugs and lady beetles gathering on sunny walls.
- Stinging insects getting aggressive late in the season.
November and December
- Rodents in attics and around holiday decorations stored in the garage.
- What to check when bringing firewood inside.
- A thank-you video to your customers and your crew.
What to avoid showing on camera
A few things can hurt more than help:
- Close-ups of a customer's infestation. Even without an address, neighbors may recognize the house. Always ask, and when in doubt, film in your own shop or yard.
- Unsafe handling. No bare hands, no missing protective gear, no shortcuts. Viewers copy what they see.
- Product labels and mixing. Don't give dosing advice or show do-it-yourself mixing. Follow the label and your state's rules, and leave the treatment details to licensed people.
- Scare tactics. A swarm of roaches set to scary music might get views, but it doesn't make anyone trust you. Calm and clear wins.
- Promises. "Gone for good" invites trouble. Say what you do and how you follow up, not how it will turn out.
Turn each video into more than one post
One good video can work several times:
- Post it on Facebook and pin it during that pest's season.
- Share it again next year when the same pest comes back.
- Add it to the matching page on your website.
- Play your seasonal videos on a loop at your fair booth or home show.
If you're stuck for words to go with the videos, the same approach that works for HVAC companies before each season works for pest control: one useful tip, then your number.
Where a song fits
Tips build trust, but a short song is what people hum when they think of you. Put a 30-second song at the end of your seasonal videos, run it as its own post a few times a year, and use it on hold.
Our Jingle package is a 30-second song with your company's name, what it does and your phone number, a vertical video with captions, a thumbnail and an MP3. It's $750, paid once, and you can use it everywhere for as long as you like. You don't pay until you've seen the result. Send us the form to get started.