Are you interested in how Thumbtack works for professional organizers?
I will walk you through what Thumbtack is, how to use it, its pros and cons, and advice for using it to drive leads to your home organizing business from my experience using it.
What is Thumbtack?
Thumbtack is a website and app where customers can find and hire local service pros to help care for their homes.
From a customer’s perspective, It’s super simple!
Customers can sign up for free, search for the type of service pro they are looking for in their area, and then reach out to their preferred professionals.
Thumbtack for Professionals: How to use it?
The first step is to create your account.
Go to thumbtack.com, and click the blue button “Join as a pro”.
Then, you select the services you would like to get jobs for in your area, in this case, “Home Organizing”.
The setup includes:
- Filling out your business profile with a profile photo.
- A description of your business.
- Basic business info.
- Pictures of your projects.
- Having you complete a background check.
This is your time to showcase your work, differentiate yourself from your competitors, and ask past customers for reviews to help strengthen your Thumbtack profile!
Once completed, it’s now time to set your job preferences.
This is where you decide what local areas you want to service and how far you will travel to jobs.
The more places you provide your service, the more places you show up in Thumbtack search results and Google searches. However, this means the more leads you will pay for.
Thumbtack makes you pay for leads?
Yes! Once your service areas are set, it’s time to set your budget for Thumbtack.
This budget is the max amount you would like to spend weekly on leads. So yes, you pay each time you receive a new lead.
Each week, Thumbtack sends leads that match your preferences until your budget runs out for the week.
I personally have my weekly budget set to “unlimited.” This means you get the most leads and bookings possible without a spending limit.
This is optional, though! Weekly budgets will depend on your marketing budget and how much you want to spend to get leads.
Once completed, Thumbtack will have you add a card on file that will get charged each time you receive a new lead.
Getting Thumbtack Leads
Okay! Your Thumbtack profile is now completed. What’s next?
Based on the job preferences you filled out, Thumbtack will now send you direct leads (if any). Remember, each time you get a new lead, you are paying for this lead.
The direct lead will send you details of their project, including the day(s) they are looking for help, a little info about their project, where they are located, and a few photos of their project if you’re lucky.
You also have to remember that these customers, 9/10 times, have reached out to the other professional organizers in their areas.
One of the awesome things about Thumbtack is that when you receive a new lead, Thumbtack will tell you how many other professionals that lead reached out to (if any other ones) and if those other professionals have already reached out.
This is why it’s essential to have your profile stand out from the others and have your notifications on your phone/computer let you know when you get a new lead!
Closing Thumbtack Leads
So, from that moment on, It’s game on. Once you get that direct lead and quickly read over their project details, immediately send that lead a message if it sounds like a job you want to do.
Once you send them a message, you will receive their phone number.
It’s crucial to contact leads as soon as possible for optimal results. If you want this lead, call them asap before a new pro gets to them first. I aim to call a new lead within 5 minutes of the lead coming in.
If they don’t answer, leave a voicemail and a detailed text message with something like,
“Hi, this is {Your Name} from Thumbtack. I just saw your message and would love to help you with your {type of project} project!
When would be the best time for a call?”
Then attach a screenshot of your profile so they know who you are.
After you get the lead, it’s on you if that lead decides to have you help them with their project or not. Use the phone call to gather more details about their project, their timeline for getting it done, and their budget to complete the project.
You may be able to close the lead over the phone, but an in-person consultation may be necessary.
Is Thumbtack worth it?
Having used Thumbtack for my professional organizing business for over a year, it’s worth it. Next to my Google listing and website, it is the #2 source of where I get most of my leads.
I have closed many $1,000+ plus jobs from Thumbtack. But I have also spent a lot of money on leads that didn’t go anywhere. However, what I’ve made from Thumbtack leads heavily outweighs the cost I’ve paid to get leads.
As with any lead generation site, it requires patience, competitiveness, a marketing budget, and the desire to succeed.
Remember that the benefits you experience from Thumbtack will depend on factors like location, competition, the demand for home organization services in your area, and how well you utilize the platform to showcase your expertise and professionalism.
In conclusion, Thumbtack is “what you put in, is what you get out.”
Pros
- Access to a Wide Customer Base: Thumbtack has a large user base, so that you can reach a broader audience of potential clients looking for professional organizing services in your area.
- Can provide a consistent flow of leads: When users search for professional organizers or related services, your profile can appear as a potential match, leading to increased visibility and potential job inquiries.
- Refunds: Thumbtack will give you a refund (in particular cases) on direct leads for several reasons.
- Reviews: Thumbtack will let you transfer ten reviews from your current Google listing to your new Thumbtack profile to give you a boost starting out.
Cons
- Cost: Thumbtack operates on a pay-per-lead model, which means you pay for each customer inquiry, regardless of whether it leads to a successful booking or not. Depending on the level of competition in your area and the number of leads you receive, the costs can add up quickly, and it may only sometimes result in actual clients.
- Competition: Thumbtack attracts many professionals from various industries, including professional organizing. This high level of competition can make it challenging to stand out and secure new clients, especially if there are already established pro organizers with many positive reviews in your area.
- Inconsistent Results: The number of leads and the quality of leads can vary significantly from one period to another. Some professionals may experience fluctuations in the number of inquiries, making maintaining a steady stream of clients challenging.
- Price Shopping: A good portion of the customers on Thumbtack looking for professional organizers are also just price shopping
Words of Advice
To get the most out of Thumbtack, I recommend a few words of advice.
The prices you set for organizing and decluttering must be high enough to make a suitable profit.
Thumbtack can be a great platform to drive leads, but you need a solid sales process in place to avoid a wasted ad budget.
Thumbtack is probably not best for someone that can’t directly access their phone or computer during morning, afternoon, and evening hours.
Having a quick response time for Thumbtack leads or any leads, in general, is crucial for improving your chances as a professional organizer of landing most clients.
Thumbtack is an excellent tool to add to your marketing tool kit, but it shouldn’t be your only marketing channel. Maximizing your lead flow means having a handful of marketing channels to drive leads.
Lastly, pictures can make a big difference. High-quality, well-lit photos can significantly improve your listing’s chance of being interacted with. Using relevant photos from recent projects and professional photos of yourself goes a long way.
Closing Thoughts
Thumbtack, just like most platforms, can be beneficial for a professional organizer, but it depends on various factors, most of which are in your control.
As a business owner, to successfully grow a professional organizing business, you must drive leads from multiple avenues and try not to be so reliant on one.
If you’d like to continue your reading, check out our other posts on our favorite marketing channels we use in our home organizer business.
SEO for Professional Organizers
Key Elements Every Professional Organizer Website Needs
Ways to Find Clients For Your Professional Organizing Business
