With constantly rising lead costs, roofing companies are shelling out hundreds of dollars to buy roofing leads in today’s market. And that’s just to get the lead! There’s often no guarantee the appointment will be set or that the customer will buy.
That’s why it’s never been more critical for roofing companies to develop ways to market their businesses and generate leads, all on their own.
But where’s a roofer to start?
You’re in luck! For over 10 years, gFour Marketing has helped roofing companies grow their sales and profits with creative strategies to drive high-quality roofing leads.
Helping home improvement companies is what we do. That’s why we’re thrilled to reveal 7 roofing marketing ideas to get more leads in your roofing business — without dumping all of your hard-earned profits into paid ads.
In a recent survey of homeowners by Roofing Contractor Magazine, the #1 deciding factor for homeowners choosing a roofing company was reputation.
This makes sense when you consider the relatively high cost of replacing a roof, along with the fact that the roof protects the entire home. Because of this, homeowners want a reputable roofing contractor they can trust.
In today’s world, nothing communicates your reputation to the masses more than 5-star reviews. And reviews are critical for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rankings. When your target audience searches for “roofing company” in your local area, you want to show up near the top. A fresh, steady stream of positive online reviews will help you do that!
The only problem is, it can be challenging for roofers to easily and consistently get online reviews from their pleased customers. Once a project is complete, your production crew is ready to move on to the next project. And your sales and marketing team is trying to drum up new business.
So, who is going back to the homeowner, checking for their satisfaction, and getting that 5-star review?
That’s what gFour Marketing does for roofing businesses every day with their signature 1into5™ Program. Their proven relationship marketing program uses a carefully crafted combination of email, text, and direct mail to help roofing contractors capture 5-star reviews. gFour’s system then displays those across the sites online that matter most for new lead generation, such as Google or Yelp.
Another way to generate easy-to-close leads is to focus on the most trustworthy lead source out there: referrals.
A 2021 Nielsen study shows that 88% of consumers trust recommendations from someone they know above any form of advertising. That number is actually 4% higher than when the study was conducted in 2012; and in 2012, it was 6% higher than when the study was conducted in 2007. This means that as the digital media landscape diversifies, consumers value the authenticity of a referral more and more.
And a referral lead isn’t just any lead. On average, a referral will close more easily, at a higher price point, AND be more likely to refer you to others. Sounds like a no-brainer!
But how do you go about getting referrals for your roofing business without spending a lot of time on the phone or emailing past customers?
The key is to create a referral program and make it a systemized part of your marketing efforts. To help roofers ensure that not a single referral slips through the cracks, gFour Marketing helps contractors ask for referrals at job completion in a proven and highly effective way. Then, they institute a pre-planned system for regular referral check-ins and follow-ups.
You never know when your customers will have an opportunity to refer you to their friend or neighbor. That’s why it’s so important to keep in touch with them and regularly remind them about your referral program.
One surprising way to market your roofing business and generate leads is sending personalized appreciation gifts to your customers.
While these feel-good touches may seem like just a nice gesture, they’re actually a marketing tool rooted in science. Consumers value equality and balance. When retail shoppers are provided with a free gift, they feel obligated to return the favor and make a purchase.
Sure, shaking the customer’s hand and saying “thank you for your business” in person is enough to meet customer satisfaction standards.
However, when your customer receives a package in the mail after the fact with a thank-you card and gift, that is the type of customer experience that is going to surprise and delight them. They may return the favor and post that 5-star review for your roofing business. And the best part about this is, you’re making them feel comfortable referring their friends, family, and neighbors to you. Once they know their loved ones are going to receive an exceptional customer experience by working with your roofing business, they will be even more likely to give you a valuable roofing referral.
Of course, customer gifting can be tricky. Logistically, you need to order the right amount of branded material so that you have enough on hand at any given time. You may also need help from a graphic designer to create the gift or the cards and office or warehouse space to keep the gifting items. Lastly, you’ll want to designate at least one specific person on your team who can go to the post office or set up shipments regularly to ensure the packages arrive at your customers’ homes in a timely manner.
This process can be overwhelming for some roofing business owners. This is why many choose to outsource their customer gifting to a roofing marketing agency like gFour Marketing as part of their relationship marketing strategy. This way, your customers think you bent over backwards for them to write them a thank-you card and send them a personalized gift — without you having to lift a finger!
For any business, keeping in touch with customers is key. But for roofing contractors, the stakes are even higher.
First of all, it is so challenging to even get a lead and close a sale. Once you have spent time and money to form that relationship, you need to nurture it so that you can continue to receive 5-star reviews, referrals and even repeat business.
There’s no better way to do that than with your own company newsletter!
For roofing companies, though, this can be a challenging task to carry out. To help you out, here are a few tips for creating your own company newsletter:
Creating a newsletter and getting it sent out regularly and on time can be a daunting process for some roofing companies. That’s why gFour Marketing makes it a part of our 1into5™ Program for roofing contractors. By helping roofing companies stay top of mind with their audience, they’ll garner more positive online reviews, more referrals, and more potential repeat business.
Marketers are actually increasing their spend on direct mail in 2024, and it’s not surprising. In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more digital, direct mail gives businesses such as roofing contractors a fresh, tangible way to connect with their customers and prospects.
Direct mail can take the shape of postcards, thank you cards, flyers, or brochures. Including coupons or special offers can make your direct mail piece more effective.
A solid roofing marketing strategy, radius mailers can be helpful for lead generation. This involves sending postcards to the homes surrounding a roofing project you’re currently working on or one you have recently completed. In the direct mail piece, you can offer to do a free estimate “while you’re in the area.”
Roofing contractors who work with gFour Marketing get the benefit of regular direct mail campaigns to their customer lists. gFour’s expert team makes the process easy and hands-off, using best practices for successful roofing lead generation.
With consumers spending more and more time on social media, it’s the perfect opportunity for roofing companies to message to their current and potential customers.
When you give your target audience information online about how to maintain their roof or how to know when to fix it, they’ll be more likely to feel they “owe” you when it’s time for them to have their roof repaired.
Social media also presents an opportunity to start building that critical trust factor that can lead a potential customer to reach out to you when the time is right.
One challenge with social media marketing is that it’s ever-changing. Staying up to date with the best platform for finding your target audience is key. Is it Facebook? Maybe they prefer Instagram. Or even YouTube. Survey your target audience and find out.
Something to keep in mind with social media marketing is that it is a long game. It can take time and plenty of work to post consistently and eventually see results. Of course, you never will if you don’t get started!
For many roofing companies, repeat business is not a top priority. On the surface, it makes sense. Most homes only have their roofs replaced every 15-20 years.
However, past customers can generate business for you today in a variety of ways. First, you may not know if they are moving to a new home in the near future that may need a new roof. Additionally, they may own a second home or rental property that could need roofing service. And lastly, they could need a roof repair for their home, their business, or even a church or community center where they sit on the board.
Your past customers are your raving fans who can not only sing your praises to others, they can be your easiest opportunity to close that next big sale.
If you want to keep this lead source alive, it’s essential that you not only nurture these customer relationships, but give them offers that make them feel special. Giving significant discounts to past customers not only is a way to generate business; it earns you goodwill with those potential repeat customers.
gFour Marketing has actually broken down the way to maintain and monetize these relationships for the roofing industry. Talk to a representative from gFour today, and they can tell you all about how you can turn past roofing customers into repeat business.
Consumers lead such busy lives. The average person now receives anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 advertising messages per day. Staying memorable and top of mind with your past customers will only get tougher as these numbers grow. Bottom line, it’s essential to diversify your marketing efforts and consider even your past customers as a source for new business.
When you’re seeking ways to maximize ROI in your roofing business and implement marketing strategies that generate high-quality leads from your current customer relationships, gFour Marketing can help you lay a firm foundation.
Talk with gFour Marketing today to find out how you can grow your roofing business with profitable, easy-to-close leads that are hiding right under your nose.
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