Paying for leads
Shared lead sites or your own ads: which should a tree company use?
By Zachary Spencer, founder of Zenith Co.
Published
Shared lead sites are quick to start and need no ad skills, but the same request can go to several companies, the homeowner belongs to the site, and you keep nothing when you stop paying. Your own ads take more setup and fast follow-up, but every lead is yours alone, the ad account and its history stay in your name, and the homeowner only hears from you.
Most tree companies have tried a home-service lead marketplace at some point. You sign up, set your area and job types, and requests start showing up. It feels like buying jobs. Then you notice how many of those requests already have three other companies calling them.
How shared lead sites work
A lead marketplace runs its own ads and its own website. Homeowners request a tree service there, and the site sells that request to pros in the area. Pricing and rules vary by site, but the common pattern is that you pay per lead or per contact, and on many of them more than one company can get the same request.
That last part shapes everything. When three companies get the same homeowner at the same time, the job usually goes to whoever calls first, not whoever does the best work. You're paying to enter a race.
How running your own ads works
You (or someone you hire) run ads on platforms like Google and Facebook, in an ad account in your business's name. Homeowners see your company name, land on your page, and the lead comes to you and nobody else. You pay the ad platforms directly for the clicks or views.
The trade-off is that someone has to build and manage the ads, and someone has to respond to every lead within minutes. A lead that sits for hours is wasted no matter where it came from.
Side by side
| Shared lead site | Your own ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who else gets the lead | Often other companies in your area | Nobody |
| Whose name the homeowner sees first | The site's | Yours |
| What you pay for | Each lead or contact | Ad spend, plus whoever runs them |
| Setup | Minutes | Days to weeks |
| Speed you need | Faster than the other companies | Fast enough to catch the homeowner |
| What you keep when you stop | Only the jobs you won | The jobs, plus the ad account and its history |
What you build versus what you rent
The biggest difference shows up over time. Money spent on a lead site buys leads this month and nothing else. Money spent on your own ads also builds an ad account with your history in it: which ads worked, which areas responded, what a lead cost you. That history stays with the account, and the account stays with you. If you change who runs it, the next person starts from your data, not from zero.
That only holds if the account is actually in your name. Plenty of tree companies have run "their own" ads for years in an account the agency owns. How to check who owns yours.
When a lead site still makes sense
- You're filling a gap fast. A slow month and crews standing around, and you need calls this week.
- You can call within minutes. Someone in the office who does nothing but jump on new leads.
- You treat it as a supplement. Not the only source of work, and not one you'd be stuck without.
Where we fit
We run ads in your name, so every lead is yours alone. Then we text and call each one in your company's name, aiming for under a minute, and book them onto your calendar. You pay your ad spend on your own card and a fee only for estimates where the homeowner showed up. One tree company per service area, so we're never running ads for your competitor down the road. How it works.
Questions about lead sites and ads
Are shared lead sites worth it for tree companies?
Sometimes, as a short-term supplement. The same request can go to several companies, so you're paying to race competitors to the phone, and you keep nothing when you stop paying. They work best when someone can call every lead within minutes.
What is the difference between buying leads and running your own ads?
Buying leads means paying a site for requests it collected, often shared with other companies. Running your own ads means the homeowner sees your name, the lead comes only to you, and the ad account and its history stay yours if the account is in your business's name.
Do exclusive leads cost more than shared leads?
Usually, per lead. But a shared lead you lose to a faster competitor still costs money, so compare what you pay per estimate where the homeowner was actually there, not the price per lead.
What do I keep if I stop running my own ads?
If the ad account is in your business's name, you keep the account and its history: which ads, areas and offers worked. Whoever runs your ads next can start from that. With a lead site, you keep only the jobs you won.
Does Zenith Co. sell leads?
No. We run ads in ad accounts in your business's name, follow up every lead in your company's name, and book them onto your calendar. Nobody else gets your leads, and we take one tree company per service area.