You may be the best, most honest roofing contractor that ever picked up a hammer, but if you aren’t effectively getting your message out to potential customers your business will not thrive.
Like most roofing company owners, you may be puzzling over how to get more calls and appointments for commercial roofs. Marketing and advertising are, of course, key tools—but how you market and advertise your business is the make-or-break factor in whether or not you will be successful.
Making Your Marketing Count
When it comes to marketing and advertising, perspective is reality.
When starting a lead generation campaign, initial objections must be overcome before someone will pick up the phone and call you. No matter where a lead comes from—be it social media, a Web search, direct mail marketing, etc.—the person you’re targeting must believe certain things about your company before they will act on the advertisement:
- They must believe your business is creditable.
- They must believe your message is true.
- They must believe you are capable of solving their problem.
Three things must be included in your advertisements in order to thwart these objections:
- Make a Clear Claim: Claim that you are able to solve their problem.
- Offer Proof: Supply proof to support your claim through testimonials, case studies, etc.
- Show Clear Benefits: Explain the benefits of what you do and how it can solve the challenges your prospect is facing.
Keys to Effective Roofing Advertisements
The average Joe or Jane doesn’t understand the technicalities of roofing—all they want is someone who can solve their problems. Effective advertising can help convince prospective customers that you are that person.
Support Your Claim: Deceptive individuals like here-today-gone-tomorrow contractors have given roofers a bad name. Making a clear claim in your advertising and then supporting that claim will help establish that you are not such an individual and that your business is, indeed, reputable. The following are some ways to support the claim that you are the right choice:
- Testimonials: Testimonials are an important part of supporting your message—positive affirmation from customers you have successfully served in the past. While written testimonials have value and should be included, video testimonials are more effective, as written testimonials are more easily faked. For a video testimonial, the formula of “StaràStoryàSolution” should be followed. The star is your satisfied customer; the story is the problem they faced before you came into the picture; the solution is what you did to resolve their problem.
- Case Studies: A case study is kind of like a testimonial on steroids, demonstrating the services you have rendered as a roofing company. An effective case study will include a brief history of a company or client you worked with, the challenge that entity faced before meeting you, details about the solutions you provided and how they were carried out, and the successful results of your efforts documented with video and/or images.
- Internet Reviews: When a potential customer initially hears about your business or interacts with you, the first thing they will likely do is jump on the Internet to research your company. Studies show that more than 90 percent of consumers are influenced by online reviews—a statistic not to be lightly dismissed. Encourage your satisfied customers to review your business on reputable websites by offering a gift card, and make it as easy as possible for them to do that by emailing them a link to the online review form, for example. Something else you can do is post social media-based reviews on the landing pages of your website, as they are more difficult to fake and, therefore, a credible review source.
- Videotaped Commercials: Studies show that video tends to influence and convert more effectively than the written word. The strategic use of videoed commercials for your company can be hugely effective in demonstrating your company’s credibility and in boosting a marketing campaign’s conversion rates.
- Real Images: Including real photographs of your company and employees—showing them working with a local charity, smiling inside your office, working on a roof with recognizable local landmarks visible, etc.—firmly establishes that you are a real business working in the target customer’s area. It also gives prospective clients a good impression about your company and a feeling of connectedness with your business.
- Associations and Certifications: In roofing, as with most things, clients want to know the company they’re working with is legitimate and has expertise. A good way of showing this is through displaying proof of certifications and memberships in creditable industry organizations. HAAG certification or a high rating with the Better Business Bureau, for instance, prominently displayed on your website and advertising materials, can go a long way in reassuring your customers that you have the knowhow to take care of their roofing needs. Evidence of membership in trusted industry associations like NRCA and the Choice Roof Contractor Group are also solid testaments to your reliability as a roofing company.
Built-in Credibility, Tools and Resources
Belonging to a nationwide organization like the Choice Roof Contractor Group gives roofing contractors access to many of the elements they need to wage an effective lead-generation campaign.
Choice Roof Contractor Group is a reputable roofing organization composed of members located throughout the United States. Our endorsed members meet strict criteria in order to be named among our ranks, ensuring that everyone associated with the group will represent some of the very best and most reliable roofing professionals our nation has to offer.
For members of the group, the benefits are many, including:
- Existing testimonials
- Powerful case studies
- Lead sharing
- Proven marketing ideas
- Franchise connections
- Inside knowledge
- Complete training
- Ongoing group support
For details about Choice Roof Contractor Group and how this highly trusted association can help you grow your business, call (800) 670-5583 to speak to one of our members or visit the contact page.