If your business has nailed putting shingles down, but your roofing marketing strategy seems a bit leaky, you’re in the right place!
While getting my Master’s in digital marketing, I took a side hustle with an American marketing agency. Our three-member team, with limited knowledge of the roofing industry then, had to retain two different roofing companies, one in Florida and the other in Atlanta.
While putting these two local businesses on the map and getting a steady stream of qualified leads was difficult, we figured it out! Roofing leads kept coming, and both roofing companies were happy to stay as our clients.
It is safe to say that all the roofing marketing tips and ideas listed below are tested and proven to deliver greater results.
1. Never skip audience segmentation
This secret ingredient is essential and a prerequisite for the other roofing marketing secrets that will be revealed later. So make sure you don’t skip it or ignore it.
“I told my husband that metal roofs last a lifetime, and he said, we’re 80! Whose lifetime are you talking about?” My colleagues and I heard that once in one of the sales call recordings.
This shows that even if your product is so good that it’ll last a lifetime, it won’t sell if you market it to the wrong segment or target audience.
The process is pretty straightforward. Create multiple audience segments based on age, location, income level, or occupation. And then decide what service or product you want to market for each segment.
How? Suppose you have a roofing company in Texas; you can segment your audience based on the following cities:
- Arlington
- Bedford
- Dallas
- Duncanville
- Euless
- Fort Worth
- Garland
- Grapevine
- Plano
You can then use a website like datausa.io to get data regarding each city’s median age, household income, and property value. Here’s an example for Duncanville and Irving from Data USA.
Based on this data, you can understand what type of service you can sell to each segment, which will help you tailor your marketing strategy accordingly. You can also rely on your client data, paid surveys, or research to understand your target audience more.
Once you figure out who you’re talking to, you can decide what to market to them. So ask yourself: Does this segment have a high income? If yes, you can sell more expensive roofing materials like tiles or metal instead of shingles. Are they too old? Maybe don’t market metal roofs to them.
The same formula applies to the fears, frustrations, and problems your target audience faces. So, make sure to address these in your marketing efforts.
Through keyword research, you can learn a lot about the questions, fears, and frustrations that go through your target audience’s heads!
2. Keyword Research in Roofing Marketing: A Proxy for Demand
Keyword research is essential for SEO, content writing, and search ads.
You should also consider it a proxy for demand and an opportunity to understand your target audience and their needs better.
There are plenty of tools out there that you can use to get the monthly search volume for specific keywords and discover all the questions and topics associated with these. The most popular ones are Ahrefs and Semrush.
For example, by typing “Tile roofs” in Ahrefs, you can get a list of questions related to that query, like “How long do tile roofs last?” with their search volume indicating how many people search for this term monthly.
If you don’t like the price tag on Ahrefs or Semrush, you can use a cheaper one called Ubersuggest, which has a cool “Keyword Visualization” feature. By Entering a specific keyword like “Metal roofs,” you can see all the questions and the searches people are doing in a specific location around that feature that keyword.
It also shows each keyword’s monthly search volume, Cost Per Click, and difficulty.
For example, one of the questions I came across is: “Do metal roofs attract lightning?”. This unveils a fear or a worry that your target audience has. Another question was, “Does a metal roof increase home value?” that unveils a goal or an objective your audience wants to achieve.
These can help you build target personas for your roofing clients.
So take your time and write down all the worries, fears, frustrations, and objectives your audience has in mind. You’ll need these later!
Why? These are the questions you need to address in your roofing marketing content.
3. Understand the marketing funnel
Segmenting your target audience and understanding their objectives and frustrations isn’t enough. You need to know:
- Who from your target audience is willing to buy, and who isn’t
- Which channels you should use to reach out to these audiences
- What type of topics you should address through these channels
- How to retain clients & leads that you worked hard to get
Anyone can create a website, a newsletter, or an ad. But as a roofing business owner or a marketer, you must understand how clients make their decisions, what affects these, what you can control, and what you cannot.
For almost every business, including roofing companies, these are the types of clients that can be found across the marketing funnel:
- Those who aren’t problem-aware
- Those who aren’t solution-aware
- Clients comparing solutions
- Clients ready to make a purchase
- Customers that you have to help and retain
The good old AIDA model summarises this pretty well. In some other models, the “Desire” stage is divided into consideration, intent, and evaluation.
Looking at the model, you can see that the smallest portion of clients is usually willing to take action or convert. The vast majority are either unaware of the problem and solution or are still researching and evaluating options. This translates to the conversion rate on your website, for example. You’ll notice that it’s less than 5% in most cases.
So, if you focus only on those willing to buy right now, you’ll lose the attention of the 95% who are unaware of the problem and solution or are still evaluating options.
Ideally, you should invest in reaching out to your audiences at each stage of the funnel and also retain those who take action. Make sure to check out our Marketing funnel’s beginner’s guide for more information.
4. Make sure to understand the Attribution Window
So a user sees an Ad from a roofing business, clicks on it, fills out a website form, and BAM! You get your lead! Well, that’s not how it works, unfortunately.
People do their research, read reviews, consult their partners and friends, or even ChatGPT before making a purchase. Some wait for their next paycheck or until their weekend or holiday ends.
What’s the point that I’m trying to make here? In most cases, you won’t see results overnight. And if you evaluate your roofing marketing campaign success based on immediate impact and short-term goals. You’re more likely to see failure than success.
The conversion window is when a potential customer is tracked for conversions. It’s more or less an estimate of how long it takes a client to convert after interacting with an ad (E.g., Filling out a form or completing a purchase). In Meta Ads, the attribution window can be between 1 and 28 days, while with Google Ads, the conversion window can be up to 90 days.
Therefore, understand that people at the top of the funnel take longer to convert than those at the bottom. The conversion window should also vary based on the product you’re marketing.
For example, the conversion window should be shorter if you’re running a Google Search Ads campaign right after a storm and advertising roof repairs. On the other hand, if you’re advertising tile roofs or metal roofs, the conversion window should be longer.
5. Attribute everything to the right channel, even phone calls!
Before spending money on online ads, blogs, print advertising, and other traditional marketing channels, you must ensure that you can correctly attribute conversions to these. In most instances, this is way easier than you think.
For example, suppose your roofing company uses only one phone number and includes it on all sorts of online ads, print advertising, and door hangers. In that case, you’ll have difficulty understanding how the callers know about you.
What you can do here is use a different phone number for each asset, so you know, for example, that if someone calls phone number (A), they got your number from a leaflet; if it was phone number (B), then they saw it on your website and so on. And there are tools for this that also include different local numbers that you can use.
I’ve personally used CallRail with the team I’ve worked with, and we loved it. Their plan included 5 different phone numbers that we could use, and it recorded and transcribed all the sales calls. So, as a marketing team, we were able to understand which channels are generating qualified leads.
The same can be done on your website. You can use tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Search Console (GSC), Google Ads Manager, and the Meta (Formerly Facebook) Ads Manager to identify what web pages, ads, or blogs are generating leads.
You can also use A/B testing to compare the performances of landing pages and ads and see where you should invest more, what needs to be optimized, and what causes you to lose money.
This will help you understand what type of marketing is working, where to invest more money, what to optimize, and what to drop.
You might be wondering what metrics you should look at within these platforms. Make sure to read the next section.
6. ROI and ROAS aren’t always your best friends
Let’s face it: As a roofing contractor or a marketer, all you care about at the end of the day is making a positive return on any investment. Whether you do your marketing or outsource it to an agency, you should never fall for vanity metrics. That’s what you’ve probably heard.
What are these vanity metrics? Some people name specific metrics that don’t generate any return on their own, such as Impressions, Click-through rate (CTR), Traffic, Engagement, etc.
However, this is a massive mistake and a huge misconception. The metrics you should look at depend on each level of the marketing funnel I mentioned earlier.
For example, if you evaluate the performance of a blog post discussing whether metal roofs attract lightning based on the number of conversions, you’ll always be disappointed. A potential customer who intends to learn whether Metal roofs attract lightning is less likely to convert than someone searching for a roofing company in Arlington, Texas.
So does that mean you should never invest in top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) content like that lightning blog post? No, because you’ll be abandoning many potential clients who are still researching and need reassurances and answers you can provide.
You should understand that visitors reading these blogs are less likely to convert than someone searching for a transactional keyword. But again, these TOFU blog posts are a great way to address these visitors’ questions, frustrations, and fears and generate a lot of traffic.
On the other hand, this type of content reassures new customers during the purchase decision process.
So, before evaluating the performance of any ad or piece of content, make sure to map its intent and understand to which level of the funnel it belongs.
If the content belongs to the top of the funnel (TOFU), then these metrics are more relevant: Impressions, Cost per a thousand impressions (CPM), Click-through rate (CTR), and traffic.
If the content belongs to the lower parts of the funnel (MOFU or BOFU) and you’re spending big on it, you should focus more on the number of conversions, cost per conversion, Return on ad spend (ROAS), and Return on Investment (ROI).
Now, I’m not saying that these are unimportant. They’re more than useful if you are running a brand awareness campaign or trying to identify an issue with your funnel. But your campaign’s ultimate goal, especially if you’re investing money, is to make a good return on investment.
7. Invest in programmatic SEO
If you have any experience with marketing, you most likely know what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is. The most common way to do it is to optimize your website’s performance, UX, and content.
However, programmatic SEO can be a game changer for roofing companies. It involves using data and templates to create similar pages that tackle different topics, such as services, locations, or roofing materials.
I’ve done it before and had great success doing it. To put things in perspective, remember the segments we created earlier based on locations? Well, you can create a landing page for each, just like Superior One Roofing did here:
You’ll be taken to a different landing page if you click on each of these links in the sidebar with the city name. You’ll also notice that these landing pages look pretty much the same but have different city names in the header, URL, and content. Here’s another screenshot from the landing page dedicated to Arlington.
The same can be applied to landing pages for services. The trick is to have a great landing page builder that enables you to create templates and easily duplicate them for other uses. You’d also need to do keyword research and identify co-occurrences.
I highly recommend using a good Keyword research tool and a fast and effective landing page or website builder. You can use any SEO tool like Semrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, or Moz for keyword research.
For the landing pages, most marketers would go for WordPress or Webflow. Having experience with these, I’d avoid them because they’re just web builders or content management systems (CMS) at best, and as a roofing business, you’ll need a fully integrated marketing platform.
I recommend GetResponse because it has everything you need, including a landing page, forms, pop-ups, reports, and email marketing tools. Check out how easy it is to use GetResponse’s website builder.
Also, GetResponse is an email marketing platform, so you can create your roofing website in no time, create landing pages and forms, register all these leads, track performance, and do some lead nurturing within the same platform.
Speaking of well-integrated platforms, make sure to check the next secret.
8. Use a comprehensive marketing platform
You must understand that roofing marketing strategies involve using multiple channels to advertise your services or business. Along the way, you’ll need the following tools:
- A platform to build a website and landing pages fast
- A lead generation and lead magnets software
- Contact list or Email list management software
- An email marketing solution
- A marketing automation solution
- Analytics and reporting platform
Avoid platforms with more plugins and integrations than actual built-in features.
To avoid the negative impact of downtimes on your paid campaigns and lead generation, it’s essential to use a well-integrated marketing platform.
Jesse Lopinski, Marketing and Alliances Lead @ Keyrus
I’ve used WordPress in the past for building sites and landing pages. On top of that, I needed an easy-to-use page builder, a plugin for forms and CRM integration, a separate marketing automation solution, and so on.
I ended up with a Frankenstein-like marketing platform that kept breaking down, had issues, and was hard to maintain.
You want to invest time in improving and scaling, not eliminating technical debt or fixing and rebuilding things. I recommend using GetResponse here or another comprehensive marketing platform like HubSpot.
Many roofers use AccuLynx as their CRM and sales platform. However, it does not serve as a marketing platform, and that’s where software like GetResponse can benefit you.
9. Use email marketing
Never underestimate the power of email marketing. Although some regard it as outdated and ineffective, email marketing is a great way to retarget leads that didn’t convert.
Think of it this way: how many customers call your roofing company, fill out a form, and even get a free inspection and ghost you?
I’ve worked with some roofing companies that would delete all of these customers’ contact info from their databases and miss out on the retargeting opportunities.
You can always keep their list of emails and create an automated email campaign to passively reach out to these leads and see if they’re still interested in your services. The worst thing that can happen is they unsubscribe from this list.
However, some customers will check the updates you’re sending and might convert at some point if you advertise something that might be interesting for them, like an extended warranty or a discount on a specific type of material or service.
Keep your emails short, highly relevant to the target audience, engaging, and actionable. Focus on addressing one of their fears, frustrations, and issues and how you can help them.
For example, the email below is short and personalized, addresses a specific issue: roof damage, and provides a clear call to action where a free roofing inspection is offered alongside a discount for new customers.
So ensure you’re reaching out to these leads and nurturing them even if they don’t convert immediately.
10. Chase the storm!
Who needs roofing repairs or new roofs more than a city that has been through a storm?
The paid digital marketing campaigns we ran and reaped the best ROI were launched before and after storms. I know it sounds a bit dark, but natural disasters happen, and people need a roof above their heads. So, the need for your roofing services is at its peak during or after a storm.
Therefore, you can schedule your ads on Google and Facebook to run in a specific location around the same time a storm hits. People usually want to reinforce their roofs before a storm; others need repairs afterward.
So check storm trackers or install a storm tracking app to know when to run those ads.
Some of the most popular storm-tracking apps and websites that roofers use are:
- My Hurricane Tracker, which is available for iOS and Android devices
- Hailtrace, Which has both free and paid plans.
- Weather.com
11. Invest in reviews and reputation management
Going back to the marketing funnel. Most customers in the middle and bottom part of the funnels will check your reviews before contacting you.
Those in the middle of the funnel probably compare your ratings with those of other companies. Those at the bottom need to see the good reviews for reassurance. So, it’s crucial to have a good reputation online.
Therefore, ensure you get notified about reviews posted on all platforms and deal with these bad reviews as soon as possible. Have your salespeople call a dissatisfied customer immediately and resolve any issues by compromising as much as possible because hundreds or thousands can see the bad reviews of others when making their decision.
On the other hand, always be on the offensive and ask your clients for good online reviews and testimonials. Make sure to simplify the process, especially for older people, and always offer help and good incentives.
12. Get creative with your closing packet
An effective way to maintain a good relationship with new customers, retain them, and possibly get testimonials is through closing packets.
Surely, a closing packet should include all the necessary documents like Warranty information, invoice and payment receipt, inspection reports, maintenance guidelines, and contact information. But you can get creative there!
But you can also include a discount voucher for a service you’re promoting, a leaflet with a QR code for them to leave a review, or even get more creative and add a small gift as a nice gesture. This encourages customers to choose your company again and possibly give you a nice testimony or review.
13. Boast about your roofing certificates
Besides reviews and customer testimonials, badges and certificates are significant trust indicators you can display on your roofing business website and landing pages.
Some of these are:
- GAF Certified Contractor: Reflects a roofer’s expertise with GAF roofing products and standards.
- CertainTeed Master Shingle Applicator™: A certification demonstrating expertise in shingle installation and roofing systems.
- Owens Corning Preferred Contractor: This badge indicates a roofer’s ability to meet high standards for professionalism and reliability.
- BBB Accreditation: Shows a commitment to exemplary customer service and business practices.
- NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) Membership: Indicates professional commitment and access to industry best practices.
- EPA’s Lead-Safe Certification: Important for homes built before 1978, showing compliance with lead safety practices.
These badges or certificates displayed on your website and landing pages would push more potential customers to call your roofing company or fill out a lead generation form.
14. Get listed on roofing and homeowner directories
In addition to Google Ads, Social media, and traditional marketing, customers can find you or learn about your roofing business through directories like Yelp, Angi (Formerly Angie’s List), and other roofing and homeowner’s directories.
For example, roofing industries that meet GAF’s standards and requirements can be featured on their website.
You can also do an outreach campaign or contact link-building and SEO specialists to be featured on websites that promote roofing businesses in your location. Make sure to use SEO tools to check the domain authority of these websites, and always ask for your roofing company’s name to be mentioned in the Anchor text of the backlink.
Here’s a good example of roofing companies listed on Forbes Home, where the names of the companies are used as the anchor text.
So make sure to check which listings are ranking in the top results and do outreach to check how your roofing company can be featured in these local listings.
15. Give your Google Business Profile more attention
Everyone wants to make sure their roofing business looks good on the Google search engine results page when potential customers search for the name. However, few maintain their profiles, post updates, and respond to reviews, Q&As, and messages.
Creating one is pretty straightforward if you don’t have a Google Business Profile. First, you must sign up for one or request ownership or access if the profile has already been created. Then, make sure to add links to your roofing business website, images of the finished roofing project, and your company’s phone number. You can read our guide on how to set up your Google Business Profile.
Optimizing your profile, however, isn’t as easy. Do not leave your profile behind and forget about it. Make sure to answer the Q&As, enable messaging, and post regularly about new roofing services or finished projects with high-quality images. Make sure to check our checklist for optimizing your Google Business Profile.
Quick Recap
So here’s a quick recap to ensure your roofing marketing strategy will succeed.
First and foremost, remember the fundamentals: Segmentation, target personas, the marketing funnel, and attribution windows. Figuring these out will make it easier for you to develop an effective marketing strategy. So invest a reasonable amount of time in these before proceeding.
Second, ensure everything is tracked accurately and conversions are attributed to the right channel. Ensure you understand all the relevant marketing metrics and which ones to look at at each funnel stage. ROI and ROAS are essential but not the only indicators of a successful campaign.
Third, invest in a comprehensive marketing solution rich in features instead of using more than five different solutions and trying to integrate them.
Last but not least, think outside of the box. Try using channels that businesses often ignore, like email marketing, Google Business Profile, and listings on other websites. Run ad campaigns before and after storms and use closing packets, reviews, and testimonials to promote your roofing company.
All of this is easier said than done, so as a final note, you should understand that these roofing marketing ideas take time to implement and reap good results. Don’t forget to check out GetResponse’s email marketing solution and website builder, which can help you launch your campaigns quickly!