Leveraging Your Expertise with Your Local Market

Dr. Jim Fredericks, Executive Director, Professional Pest Management Alliance

Think about the experts you see on the evening news, read in your local paper, or encounter online: the doctor weighing in on a health trend or the financial adviser providing guidance for tax season. They may (or may not) be the biggest names in their fields, but what matters is that they’ve made themselves available, shared what they know, and become the trusted voice their community turns to.

Pest control professionals have the same opportunity. In an industry with more than 16,000 pest control companies operating across the U.S., standing out is not only about having strong advertisements or competitive pricing, but also about being the most trusted name in your market.

When a person is dealing with a pest problem, they want advice from someone they already know and trust, and the most effective way to be that someone is to proactively share your expertise with the media outlets, community platforms, and information channels your community already relies on. 

THE STRENGTH OF EARNED MEDIA  
Earned media is any coverage or mention your business receives that you did not pay for directly. This could include a news segment featuring your technician, a quote from your owner on the local news site, an interview on a podcast, or a guest column in a print publication.

Consider the difference between a consumer seeing your display ad in the local paper versus seeing a member of your team interviewed on the evening news about the coming rodent season. Both the ad and interview could reach your desired audiences, but only one carries the implicit endorsement of a trusted media outlet and makes your name synonymous with expertise. According to Nielsen’s “Global Trust in Advertising” report, 92% of consumers trust earned media, which can include news coverage and word-of-mouth recommendations, over all other forms of advertising. While paid media can drive impressive website traffic or generate business leads, earned media’s role in building brand trust and recognition is undeniable.

For pest control professionals, the opportunity is particularly strong because your expertise is genuinely newsworthy. Pest activity is seasonal, affects public health, ties to weather patterns, and generates strong audience interest. As local journalists and producers actively look for credible local sources on these topics, make sure you are on their radar.

IDENTIFYING LOCAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
Getting media coverage starts with understanding what the media needs: timely, relevant, and locally grounded stories with a credible, expert voice. By providing all those things, you can make their job easier and increase your chances of landing coverage.

Here is how to start:

• Map your local media landscape: Start by identifying relevant outlets in your market, such as TV and radio news stations, community newspapers or magazines, newsletters, and hyperlocal online outlets. Note the reporters, editors, or producers who cover weather, health, home maintenance, business, real estate, or community issues, as they are most likely to be interested in pest-related stories.
• Build relationships: Do not wait for a breaking pest story to introduce yourself. Send a brief, personalized email to relevant journalists introducing your company and offering yourself as a local expert source for future stories. Follow their work, engage with it regularly, and become a familiar name. Then, when a swarm of Formosan termites gets reported across town or bedbug infestations spike in your county, they will already know whom to call.
• Pitch story ideas, not your business: Journalists are looking for information that will help their audience. Maintaining a consumer-first focus can maximize your story’s pickup.
• Tie your pitch to timely triggers: Pest activity follows a calendar, and your pitches should, too. Develop a simple annual editorial calendar around your region’s seasonal pest patterns to give you a reliable rhythm of pitch-worthy moments throughout the year. Outside of the proactive calendar, layering in weather events, breaking news hooks, or national public health stories can also make your pitches timely and give them an urgency that editors respond to.

MAKE YOUR EXPERTISE EASY TO USE
Once you’ve implemented your media relations strategy, make it easy for your team and media contacts to use your expertise. Reporters and producers often work on tight deadlines, and the companies that respond quickly, speak clearly, and provide helpful context are more likely to be called again.

Prepare one or two media-ready spokespeople; these could be the company’s owner, a lead technician, a regional manager, or another trained team member. Before an interview, focus on the key points the audience needs to understand. This can include which pests are most active right now, why they are showing up, what conditions may be contributing to the issue, and when it is time to call a licensed pest control professional.

This kind of trusted presence does not happen all at once. It is built through steady, useful participation in conversations already happening in your community. Each timely quote, helpful interview, or story contribution reinforces your company’s role as a knowledgeable resource clients can rely on before, during, and after a pest issue.

Start with one outlet and build from there. The compounding effect of being a consistent, credible local presence is one of the most powerful long-term business strategies you can implement, and it requires no added cost—just your own expertise. 

About the Professional Pest Management Alliance
The Professional Pest Management Alliance is the voice of the industry, driving demand for professional pest control through innovative marketing programs that educate consumers and earn their trust. Since 1997, the Alliance has grown awareness of the essential role pest management professionals play in protecting health, food, and property, creating market conditions that help businesses of all sizes grow stronger, faster. It actively manages the consumer website, PestWorld.org, and social media channels including @PestWorld on Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube, and @PestWorldOfficial on Instagram. For more information, please visit alliancemainframe.org or npmapestworld.org/alliance.