Roofing leads—they are one of the staples of the roofing industry. Aside from getting new work from referrals, quality leads are a big part of how roofing contractors draw in new business.
But in crowded markets such as big metropolitan areas, there are many roofing companies that are vying for attention. That can make it a little difficult for a roofing company to stand out from its competitors. The competitiveness of the roofing industry is well-reflected on a national scale as well. According to a recent market research report from IBIS World, there are almost 100,000 businesses in the United States roofing industry, in which over 286,000 people are involved. In the face of these statistics, what should a local roofing company do to draw more leads to its services?
A time-proven strategy for bringing in and cultivating leads is developing and maintaining a marketing funnel. In a nutshell, a marketing funnel is a carefully-constructed system for drawing in prospects to your company, engaging and educating them about your value, making a connection with them, and then converting them into paying customers.
The Marketing Funnel: A Great Approach for Attracting Solid Roofing Leads
Another way to think of a marketing funnel is in steps. In a simplified model, it is a process that details the customer lifecycle and what a customer is at different stages, which is simply illustrated in the following:
A lead is when a potential customer has a need for roofing services and first learns of your company and its value. This first step is of market education, in which a prospect becomes informed about your brand and is looking for someone to take care of their needs. It involves using strategies and marketing methods to attract prospects who are looking for a roofing service provider, but have not decided upon someone for their needs.
The second stage, when a lead moves from being just a cold potential buyer to someone who is aware of your company brand and what it has to offer, is when someone becomes a prospect. Selling the lead on the merits of your company, and showcasing your expertise and ways you have helped other customers, becomes the focal point here. In the roofing industry, an effective marketing campaign would incorporate marketing materials and digital communications that clearly demonstrate your expertise and background, show clear images of work done, and illustrate how you are an effective answer for a consumer’s project demands.
The third stage is when a lead chooses a service provider and becomes a buyer. This third component of the sales funnel involves keeping the customer as a repeat buyer, or someone who keeps coming back to you for servicing. For roofing contractors, this stage is a different dynamic from other markets, as once a roof is taken care of, it will likely not need major work done again for decades. However, to ensure that the customer does not have any major problems with their roof, the customer needs an ongoing roof maintenance program to keep issues at bay. That is where a roofing contractor can keep a customer as an ongoing, loyal brand consumer.
However, a customer may also have other roofs to service, and they may also give additional work to a contractor in the form of helpful referrals given to friends. So, in other words, this stage will not require marketing materials or campaigns, but actually involve keeping the customer happy with the quality of the service and workmanship provided. As the old chestnut goes: “A happy customer is a customer for life.”
Every customer proceeds through this lifecycle, and it is invaluable for understanding how the roof market works and how to grow your customer base to new heights.
Every Stage Tailored toward Sales Conversion
In the end, a marketing funnel is a blend of effective planning, strategizing, and information delivery. At every stage of the marketing funnel, there are key methods for strategically connecting the prospective buyer to compelling information and selling points that drive them more towards sales conversion. In each step, the customer is given just enough information to further capture their interest and move them toward hiring a roofing company for their needs.
The information is presented in a way that is crisp, compelling, and exactly tailored to the customer at the stage they are at. In short, effective marketing strategies deliver exactly the right amount of information in a compelling manner to the customer to where it satisfies their needs at that point, whether it is becoming educated, being helped to make a decision about a service provider, or being compelled to use a service provider over and over again.
Expert Commercial Roofing Marketing Firm for Your Needs
Because roofing contractors are constantly busy working on new projects or chasing down leads, sometimes an effective lead generation campaign can be enhanced with the help of a professional marketing firm. A professional marketing team will have a solid track record for results, be truly committed to its clients’ unique needs and desires, and be prepared to offer marketing services that are carefully tailored to each client’s unique demands.
At Top Roof Marketing, we take every one of our clients’ needs very seriously. We are also the only nationwide marketing firm dedicated solely to meeting the marketing needs of commercial roofing contractors. Each client marketing campaign is carefully backed by hundreds of hours of research and marketing campaign creation and operation. We can afford to do this at unrealistically low prices because our due diligence always applies to the same market.
Should you want a free consultation, don’t hesitate to reach us at (800) 795-2187. An online portfolio is available for showcasing what we’ve worked carefully on for our clientele, along with testimonials of how we’ve helped our clients achieve success.