In this guide 9 sections
Attracting New local Customers For Free Using Neighbourly.
When it comes to finding new customers, you need to have your name out there. You need to be at the front of someone’s mind when they are thinking about getting their lawns mowed. Whether they are sitting at home or talking to a friend, you want your business to be front and foremost.
So how do you go about doing this?
It is all about being local. It is fine doing things in your community, but if you want your business to be the go-to place for lawn mowing, you need to be active in the community. This is where Neighbourly comes in.
What is Neighbourly?
Neighbourly is an online community available for free to anyone in New Zealand. It is available online and as a phone app. neighbourly.co.nz
Update, October 2026: Neighbourly closed in September 2026 while it moves to a new site. Business profiles and followers are moving across, so if you had a listing you don't need to do anything. Until it is back, everything in this post works just as well in your local Facebook community groups. I have added a section on those further down.
It is the go-to place for people who are active in your local community.
People post about all sorts of things there, including politics, lost animals, and local events.
Some people will even post that they are looking for a cleaner, gardener or lawn-mowing person. These are great opportunities to get local work, and best of all; they are free.
If you are keeping tabs on posts and have set notifications on your phone, you can be “Johny on the spot” and jump on these leads immediately.
What are the benefits of using Neighbourly?
The great thing about Neighbourly is that it gives you a way of being active in the community without leaving your desk. You can keep your finger on the pulse of the community and make thoughtful comments and posts.
How do you use Neighbourly?
There are a few different ways to use neighbourly, and there are also paid and free options.
The free option is to use it as a local version of Facebook (without the baggage).
Post interesting local things like tips on gardening, pruning and local stories that people might find interesting. Do not spam the platform with lots of posts about your business; you will only succeed in annoying and alienating people.
The posts tend to stick around for a while, so one post promoting your business a week should be enough.
This kind of thing works really well because it reminds people that you are around and gets your business out there.
Another thing that people don't generally realise is that Neighbourly is owned by “Stuff”, who also owns a lot of community papers. This means that sometimes posts made in Neighbourly can occasionally get exceptionally good reach and attract new local customers for free using Neighbourly.
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In fact, if you read the news on the Stuff website, you will see a few local Neighbourly posts on the bottom right-hand side of the page. These are not paid positions; they are free. (look for the green circle in the picture below)
The only fundamental limitation with the free postings on neighbourly is that the posts will only show in your suburb. You will need to pay if you want to reach other suburbs.
The premium subscription is around $600 for a two-year agreement, but with the average cost of landing a lawn mowing agreement at around $60, you would only need to land ten for it to pay its own way.
When I wrote this, they were running a three-month free deal with no strings attached. That deal has ended.
Keep track of where your leads are coming from while using the free listing, which will give you an idea of whether it is worth considering.
I am in no way affiliated with Neighbourly. However, I have used the free service with my business for around six years.
Neighbourly Groups
This is another excellent way to get exposure on the site.
You could get a group about gardening, growing fruit trees or even residential beekeeping if you want.
Just ensure that the group is about something that genuinely interests you rather than a topic that is so niche that it will only attract the odd member. The reason you are creating the group is to help build your audience and have fun.
Local Facebook Groups Work the Same Way
Most towns and suburbs have a community Facebook group. It is the same idea as Neighbourly. Locals post about lost dogs, road works and things for sale.
They also post asking for a lawn guy. That is the post you want to see first.
Join the groups for the suburbs you already mow in. Turn on notifications for each one. When someone asks for lawn mowing, reply quickly with your name and number, then send them a message as well.
The same rules apply as on Neighbourly. Be helpful first. Answer the gardening questions. Don't post an ad every day. One business post a week is plenty.
Being quick is most of the battle, the same as getting to the quote before the competition.
Track Where Every Lead Comes From
Free marketing still costs you time. So you need to know if it is working.
Every time someone asks for a quote, ask them where they found you. Write it down. At the end of each month, add it up.
Try one new marketing idea at a time. If you start three things in the same month, you won't know which one brought the work in.
If you are new, aim for two new customers a week. If you win about one in two quotes, that means you need around four leads a week. Your tally sheet will tell you which places give you those four leads.
Not every lead is worth chasing. Community posts asking for someone to tackle an overgrown jungle are rarely the people who turn into regular customers.
Leads You Can't Take
Once you are known locally, you will get asked for work you don't do. Hedges, trees, gardens, rubbish removal, or lawns outside your area.
Don't just say no. Build a list of good local contractors and pass the work on. The customer remembers you helped, and they are more likely to call you again.
I sell my pre-qualified lawn leads to local operators for $20 each. That is easy money for a lead I could not take anyway, and it builds goodwill with the other operators in town.
Why local marketing works:
Local marketing is one of the best ways to advertise your business; there are plenty of different ways to do this.
If you are targeting local leads, there are a considerable amount of benefits
- Less travel
- Save gas
- Get through more work
- You can avoid peak traffic times
- Less time waiting at lights
- You can travel in the opposite direction to the traffic.
- You will get to the quote quicker
- You will beat the competition to the quote.
- Therefore securing more jobs
- Customers also prefer local lawn-mowing businesses.
Using Neighbourly is an excellent tool in your local marketing toolbox.
Even if it is just the free version.
So what are you waiting for? It's time to attract new local customers for free using Neighbourly
34 years mowing lawns. Built it up to five vans and 450 contracts, then cut back to a 20-hour week on the best lawns. My story.
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