Regardless of the industry, all businesses exist to make money. To make money requires customers. Attracting those customers is the main purpose of marketing.

There are tons of marketing choices, approaches and teams. Determining what works best is usually left to the professionals since that is most likely to get optimum results.

The focus of this conversation is addressing the concerns your roofing company may have about marketing.

Concern 1 – How to Stand Out from the Competition

Run a quick Google search and you will see there is a lot of competition in roofing. Standing out from your competitors is key to grabbing the limited number of customers available at any given time.

Solution. Branding has been time-tested as the best way to stand out consistently. Proper branding means using the same logo, colors, marketing design and “theme” in every piece of marketing you do and getting it out to the market constantly. This repetitive approach causes a “top of mind” reaction in a customer when they need your service.

To better understand branding, think of the Nike® swoop. You simply need to see that design, and you instantly think of shoes or athletic apparel. Though this is clearly a case of very deep pockets, the concept remains the same with your company.

Concern 2 – Social Media

Social media marketing is an absolute requirement in your outreach strategy. Statistics indicate over 75% of consumers include a social media search when considering whether to work with a company. Poor social media presence, or none at all, does nothing but hand those potential customers over to another company.

Solution. Determine which platform(s) are most appropriate to your company. Facebook is a given, but if you are looking for business-to-business marketing of commercial roofing services, then LinkedIn may be an excellent addition. If your demographic is more young and trendy individuals, you should be looking at TikTok and Instagram. Knowing your target demographic is key.

Once you have targeted your best audience, ensure your presence looks great. Clear, clean pictures, proper grammar, and engaging content are what you are going for.

Finally – engage!!!  One post per month is not going to get the job done. For great results, you need a minimum of a post per week. Use different media including video, polls, graphics and pictures to grab and keep the attention of your followers.

Concern 3 – Changing Expectations in the Marketplace

Since 2020, we have seen tremendous changes in what consumers expect from the businesses they choose to work with. To be successful, your roofing business must meet those expectations. An entire generation is growing up expecting businesses to be socially involved.

Solution. This is not a political discussion. We are talking about what your customers expect if they are going to do business with you.

Make clear statements in your online presence including your website, social media campaigns and even your print marketing pieces regarding your company’s support of energy efficient products, reducing waste or other appropriate concerns.

Don’t hesitate to share any non-profit organizations your company supports. Do you make regular donations to Habitat for Humanity? Say so! Today’s consumer wants to know that you care about the community. Tell them how you do.

Concern 4 – Where to Spend Your Marketing Dollars

Unless you are like the aforementioned Nike®, you probably have a limited marketing budget. But where to allocate those dollars for maximum return on investment is a huge concern.

Solution. Before you can decide where to spend those dollars, you must know what your goal is. Are you looking for long-term sustainable growth or are you looking for a quick punch of activity for your business? The best mechanism for one will generally not work for the other. Knowing your goal is the first key.

Key two is an understanding of your target demographic or customer. Direct mail works great for some target audiences, while being a complete turn-off for others. Without a clear understanding of who you are targeting, you will never be able to decide the best form of marketing to invest in.

This is where a professional marketing company shows their true value. A company that understands your industry is invaluable in helping you determine what style of marketing is best to meet your professional goals.

Concern 5 – Time

You are a busy person. You are running your business, supervising employees, handling customer relations, and may have a family that deserves your time and attention. Who has time for overseeing the marketing as well?

Solution. Call Top Roof Marketing. We are industry experts focused specifically on roofing and know the best ways to position your company. Working within your budget, we will tailor a marketing campaign to meet your goals. We can manage your website, manage your social media and design customer print pieces like flyers and brochures; ensuring all integrate with one another seamlessly.

Our staff would be honored to sit down (via Zoom or face-to-face) and discuss your goals and preferred demographic, then offer our best solutions with data to back each one up.

It is our goal to be your marketing partner for years. We have found working in this manner allows our clients to grow in a way few companies can compete with.

Call us today at 800-795-2187 and see for yourself what we’re about and how we can help you step up to the next level.

Since the coronavirus pandemic became a regular part of the daily headlines, we have seen lower-than-average numbers for the commercial roofing industry.  Repairs, coatings, and full replacement orders are all taking a direct hit.

An industry downturn is always out of your control.  What is within your direct control are the measures you can, or should, take to grab what business there is and, equally importantly, what steps you take to positively position your business within your local marketplace.

Though the coronavirus situation is certainly unparalleled in our country’s history, supply and demand ebb and flow annually.  The practices we utilize during the leaner times will serve you well during this time too.

Streamline

Streamlining your business basically means taking a repetitive process, then eliminating the unnecessary steps to make it more time-efficient, and therefore, more cost-efficient.  For example, consider your process for producing a written estimate.  If you don’t already use some form of templates for standard types of jobs, this may be way to streamline the time and energy it takes to generate that estimate.

Using software, with predetermined values reduces the amount of time necessary for the generation of the report, keeps terms consistent, reduces risk of error, and can be updated routinely as materials costs change.

A different example could be by reducing the amount of paper utilized within the company by moving to a more technology-based solution like group emails and online training to eliminate handouts and memos.  Annual paper costs can get expensive, so by streamlining your communication process, you eliminate additional expense.

Though streamlining your business won’t immediately increase business revenue, it will reduce costs, which directly impacts your bottom line.

Clear, Concise Marketing

In spite of what you might think, the off season is definitely NOT the time to stop marketing your business.  Too many commercial roofing contractors pull back on marketing during the off season to “save money”.  However, it has been shown that customers call the business that is top of their mind first.  If that’s your competition instead of you, your company will lose a bunch of business.

To maintain a top-of-mind presence, your company name, brand or logo needs to be kept in front of potential customers. To do so requires ongoing marketing.

To be effective, that marketing should be very clear, very concise and reflect the values of your business.  Statistics show that almost 70% of consumers prefer to work with a company that reflects their own values.  By sharing those corporate values within your marketing program, you speak directly to that segment of the public that shares those values with you.

If you aren’t currently working on building your company’s brand within social media, this is a good time to start.  Social media branding takes significant time to get established and build a good following.  The off season gives you more time to focus on this area.

Off seasons are also an excellent time to attend Chamber of Commerce mixers, and to establish membership with industry groups, both online and in person.  This type of interaction positions you directly in front of potential customers and begins to establish the type of relationship most likely to result in both short-term and long-term future business.

Inspection/Maintenance Programs

Work with your existing customer base and offer “off season specials” on scheduled inspection and maintenance programs.

A good inspection/maintenance program benefits both your business and your customer.  It reduces the risk of unexpected issues occurring in your customer’s roofing system, establishes proof of inspection needed by many roofing warranties and keeps their roof in tip-top condition.

For your business, it keeps a revenue stream open and reinforces the relationship between you and your customer.  Your business is also the most likely to be used should a problem be identified during the inspection process.  This, again, increases revenue.

Don’t consider only scheduled inspections; also offer special inspection programs after adverse weather events.  Commercial roofs should be inspected after significant weather events like heavy wind, hailstorms, hurricane, tornado and so forth.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to your customer base should one of these occur in your area.

Remember, lean times happen.  Whether it’s an unexpected virus, seasonal fluctuation or country-wide recession, being prepared for decreased business demand is the responsibility of every business owner.