Short answer: the best way depends on how fast you need work. Free and slow: a Google Business Profile, reviews and referrals. Fast and paid: Facebook and Instagram ads in your own area, or exclusive estimates booked for you. Fast but shared: lead marketplaces like Angi. A good setup is a mix: free channels for steady work, plus one paid channel you can turn up when you have room for more jobs.
The main ways, compared
| Way | Cost | Speed | Shared with competitors? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile + reviews | Free | Slow (months) | You compete on the map |
| Referrals and door hangers on the same street | Low | Steady | No |
| Lead marketplaces (Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack) | Per lead | Fast | Often yes |
| Running your own Facebook ads | Ad spend + your time | Fast once it works | No |
| Exclusive estimates booked for you | Paid | Fast | No |
| Direct mail (postcards, EDDM) | Printing + postage | Medium | No, but competitors mail the same streets |
Free ways first
- Google Business Profile: fill in everything, add job photos every week, and ask every happy customer for a review right after the job.
- The same street: your truck in the driveway is an ad. Knock on the neighbours' doors and ask about their trees.
Paid ways
Your own Facebook ads work when you show real tree work to homeowners in your towns, then call back fast and check who's serious. That's a lot of work on top of running crews. Read Facebook ads for tree service companies.
Exclusive estimates booked for you means someone else runs the ads, checks the homeowners and puts the estimate on your calendar. This is what Branch Up Digital does: one tree company per area, no setup fee, no retainer, and you don't pay for no-shows.
Matthew from Western Washington Tree Service had used flyers and EDDM mail before, and said it "started to die down because a lot of competitors started doing it". He did about $12,000 in tree work in his first month with us. See client results.
Which to start with
- No Google Business Profile yet? Start there. It's free.
- Need a fuller calendar this month? Use a paid channel that's exclusive, so you're not racing anyone.
- Whatever you pick, track cost per job won, not cost per lead.
Quick answers
What is the cheapest way to get tree service leads?
A complete Google Business Profile, steady reviews and referrals from the same street. They're free but slow.
What is the fastest way to get tree removal leads?
Paid channels: Facebook and Instagram ads in your area, lead marketplaces, or exclusive estimates booked for you. Exclusive ones mean you're not racing other companies.
How should I compare lead sources?
Track what you paid for each job you won, not what you paid for each lead.