[ViewPoint] What’s your mission? It’s an important question.

As a company, what's your mission? If you don't know, you better find out because without a mission you're doomed to failure. For successful PMPs, more often than not, their mission is a genuine desire to protect the public's health and property, while operating a profitable business in the process. That's because at their core PMPs are problem solvers. A customer calls with a pest problem and you arrive at the customer's front door to address the problem in as timely a fashion as possible. On a good day, PMPs make a tangible difference in the lives of a handful of customers, protecting a home from termites, removing a raccoon from an attic or eliminating a cockroach infestation at a local fast food restaurant. If you're in this business for the right reasons, you go to bed at night knowing that you've contributed in a positive way to the well being of your community.

While our "mission" at the PCT Media Group may not be quite as noble as yours, we do feel we're on a mission to provide our readers with the educational and informational resources necessary to enhance their businesses. It's a mission we take very seriously so that's why we're pleased to announce several exciting new initiatives.

First, as you'll see in the ad that appears on page 91, PCT has partnered with a company called SocialTract to provide a valuable new "blogging" service to our readers. As a PMP, I don't have to tell you that with all the moving parts associated with running a small business, developing a "blogging" presence on the Web isn't always at the top of your "to-do" list, although it should be. That's because research shows that service businesses that blog on a regular basis produce more leads, close more business and generate more website traffic than their competitors, which ultimately translates into a stronger pest control business over the long term.

Joe Pulizzi, founder of SocialTract, says there are three primary reasons pest management professionals should consider launching a blog or enhancing their current offering. They include:
 

1. You'll find and sell more recurring accounts. Yes, we all know the majority of residential business is generated following a pest event at a customer's home (i.e., termites swarming, ant activity, animal sounds in the attic, etc.). And we all know that the most valuable customers are those who sign an annual contract, generating recurring revenue. A great blog can attract customers who are looking for more than just a temporary fix to their pest problem.
 

2. You'll retain current contract customers with compelling content. A great blog also positions you as a trusted partner and valuable educational resource for current customers. By providing at least two pest control tips or other pest-related information per week on your blog, customers will come to count on you for trusted advice about a range of pest issues.
 

3. It will position your company as the local pest control leader. People want to do business with a leader. That's true of any service business, including the pest management industry. And how do you become a leader in the customer's mind? By solving their pest problem, while strenghtening your long-term business relationship with that customer by providing valuable pest control insights on a frequent, readily accessible basis. And you do that with a blog.

"The key to being found on the web is by creating content that is interesting to your customers," Puluzzi said. "By joining the PCT Network, you can put one of the market's top content creators on your team to create the professional stream of content for your customers and prospects, positioning you and your company as the local authority and 'go-to' company for their pest control information needs." To learn more about this valuable new service from the PCT Media Group, visit www.socialtract.com/thepctnetwork.

Two additional initiatives tied closely to the PCT Media Group's editorial mission are the soon-to-be-published 10th Edition of the Handbook of Pest Control, which is scheduled to ship in mid-October, and the Mallis Handbook Technical Forum, a three-day event featuring some of the brightest minds in the pest management industry, including Dr. Robert Corrigan, Jay Bruesch, Dr. Karen Vail, Frank Meek, Dr. Michael Potter, Jeff Tucker, Scott McNeely and Stoy Hedges, just to name a few. Scheduled for Dec. 5-7 in Orlando, Fla., the three-day event offers a unique opportunity to learn the latest about the key pests likely to shape your company's future in the years ahead. To learn more, visit www.mallishandbook.com/forum. There's also a feature story about the conference on pages 46-47 of this month's issue of PCT. We hope to see you there!

The author is publisher of PCT magazine. He can be contacted at dmoreland@giemedia.com.