Part of being a successful roofing business owner involves figuring out how to get the word out about your company so that when homeowners need a new roof, they can easily find you. This means finding the right advertising formats and channels—whether that's organic, unpaid advertising such as an email campaign or a company blog, or a paid marketing plan that includes buying print space or investing in paid search strategy.
Here are some of the key types of advertising formats and channels you can consider that could help you achieve more visibility for your business.
Organic Marketing Methods
Many free or low-cost advertising strategies, like sending out email blasts, creating a blog on your website, or posting on social media, can help boost your business by tapping into the huge number of people who are online every day. The best part? It doesn't have to cost you a dime.
Becoming more active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other popular digital platforms is a casual yet direct way to build your online presence and create brand recognition. You could try engaging with homeowners on social media by starting or joining conversations about roofing, sharing photos of projects your company recently completed, and spreading the word that you're available to take on new clients. This can help you build an online community and demonstrate who you are to potential customers.
Of course, when you cast a very wide net on social media, you can't guarantee that you're reaching the ready-to-sign customers who need a new roof. That's when you'll want to look into some paid marketing options.
Print Advertising
It may sound old-school, but giving homeowners something to hold in their hands can help you make an impression. Any physically-printed promotional items—such as posters, postcards, bulletins, mailers, sell sheets and flyers—are considered print advertising. Print ads can also be placed in newspapers and magazines. Having print material available offers a physical package you can hand out to clients when you visit for a sales call.
Billboards
Billboard advertising kicks things up to a much larger scale, thanks to its design, size, and placement. Often, billboards or public transit ads feature more image-focused design with few words, so your message can make an impression when potential customers drive or walk quickly by. Then, when their roof leaks, they may recall the giant billboard they saw during their morning commute or while running errands around their local neighborhood.
TV and Radio Commercials
Short broadcasted commercials are designed to captivate audiences who are watching television or listening to the radio or a podcast. This type of marketing offers viewers or listeners a multi-sensory advertising experience they won't get from print or a billboard. Potential customers can watch clips of a roof being replaced and imagine the work being done on their own home, for example.
Paid Social Media
Social media is an effective way to advertise, but it can take a long time to build an audience. Paid social media advertising can speed this process up.
Paid promotional posts on Facebook, Instagram and other online platforms get displayed in user newsfeeds. Some digital platforms allow you to target options like age and location so you can find users who are most likely to become your next roofing customers. Other platforms help you collect followers and have conversations with potential clients online, or spread your message to other business professionals who could refer people to you, such as real estate and insurance agents.
Paid Search Advertising
Designed to generate leads and target customers, paid search advertising is also known as pay-per-click or PPC advertising. When someone types in certain keywords, your ad can be displayed at the top of the search results so potential clients see your company's post first. Paid search advertising can drive more traffic to your site, allowing you to boost your customer base. Using tools like Google's Keyword Planner, you can research which phrases to employ. This paid marketing strategy can be adapted to any size budget.
Online Display Advertising
There is also an opportunity to capture potential clients browsing online with a more visual advertisement instead of a text-based one. Usually, banner ads appear in horizontal boxes at the top of a web page and display ads run on the side. Either way, this type of marketing strategy showcases your business and builds brand awareness on various affiliate websites through sharp graphics, vibrant colors, and a memorable headline.
Native Ads and Sponsored Content
Marketing through sponsored content happens when a company pays to have custom, brand-oriented content published on a blog or in a magazine. It promotes your services while also offering information to potential consumers. For example, sponsored content could be a blog post entitled, "5 Things to Do if Your Roof Starts Leaking."
Whether you choose organic searches, a paid advertising strategy, or a combination of both, there are many digital tools you can add to your marketing plan that will elevate your company and help you connect and engage with new customers. It may take time to figure out the strategy that serves your business best, but continuing to try new things can help you attract more clients and generate more revenue.
