Oakham pest control business channels power of TikTok to grow business
A family-run pest control business is putting the tick into TikTok by using social media to advise fed up homeowners how to deal with unwelcome guests.
Fed up with his factory job, Shaun Muller joined his dad Paul’s business less than five years ago and combined his passion for pest control with knowledge of the digital world.
Shaun set out to raise Oakham Pest Control’s profile through social media, and after a steady stream of videos and content on platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook and Nextdoor, the firm is busier than ever.
“It’s not common in the UK industry to go as far down the social media route as I have,” said Shaun.
“I’m a bit of a geek - I love learning about pest control and putting out posts.
“I’m not claiming to be the world’s biggest expert. I have all of the qualifications, but there’s always something new to learn when you're out on a job.”
One video, featuring a wasp’s nest and a warning to homeowners what NOT to do if they find one, attracted more than 18,000 views on TikTok alone.
“A lot of the wasps nest content is more interesting than me just talking about rats, so the numbers jump right up in the summer,” he added.
“When wasps nests get hit they get quite scary. I put music over the videos and the amount of views they get on Nextdoor is unbelievable. We get a lot of work through that.”
As well as wasps, the company helps businesses and homes manage a range of problems, from rats and mice to mole control and bed bugs.
Company director Shaun will take over the business when Paul retires and hopes to one day pass the baton on to his own son.
Shaun’s forward-thinking approach also earned him an invite on to the board of the National Pest Technicians Association after two rounds of interviews.
“I think they liked the passion I have for it,” he said.
“The personal branding and pumping out all of the content has got me noticed very quickly within the industry.
“I just want to help push the interest forward.”
