6 Best Practices for Roofing SEO

With nine out of 10 Americans using email, it's a great way for contractors to reach and engage with potential customers.Email can help your business generate qualified leads that could turn into customers—but shooting off random marketing emails could repel potential customers rather than attract them. That's why your business needs a lead nurturing strategy. A thoughtful strategy will allow you to engage prospects with relevant messages that encourage them to seek out your services or schedule a consultation for a roofing estimate.Here's how you can develop an effective email marketing strategy to keep your pipeline full of potential leads.Why Email Leads Are ImportantEmail marketing offers a variety of data points about how potential customers engage with the messages you send them. For example, do they actually open your emails? If so, what do they click on? What follow-up actions do they complete, such as booking an appointment? Setting up a booth at a local expo or hanging fliers in your neighborhood can't deliver these kinds of metrics.But to get customers' email addresses in the first place, you have to offer them something of value that will compel them to share their information.One strategy is to launch a blog that features content that helps property owners understand their roofs. Topics like avoiding roof water damage or winter maintenance tips can get eyes on your website. Once you create your blog, you can promote it on social media, encourage people to subscribe, and then send them email updates when you post new content.If a blog is too big a time commitment, you could start a monthly email newsletter filled with quick construction or home repair tips and special offers, such as a discount for new customers who book their project by a certain date. You can also share content from the GAF Roof Views blog with your audience.While you can collect customer emails in several ways, just remember that it has to be a fair trade. Your recipients should feel that the content you send them gives them the knowledge they need to solve a problem or better take care of their property. You should also give them the option to unsubscribe from receiving future email.How to Develop a Lead Nurturing StrategyTo develop a solid lead nurturing strategy, you need to understand the buyer journey, or how your customers typically come to make a purchase. At a fundamental level, the buyer journey includes three key stages:Awareness: In the awareness stage, a customer identifies a challenge they need to address and begins researching potential solutions.Consideration: During consideration, they research to gain a better understanding of their challenge and start comparing various specific approaches to solve it.Decision: Finally, they decide on the best approach and narrow down a list of companies or service providers who can best meet their needs.It's important to understand each of these stages as you develop your lead nurturing strategy, and align the content in your emails with the corresponding stage. You'll be able to better understand where your customer is in their buying journey by looking at the available metrics from your lead nurturing emails and campaigns.When you first get a customer's email, it might be best to send them a welcome message or some introductory content that showcases how you can be of service to them. For example, if you're marketing to a commercial client, this email might include information on the latest building and fire code updates in your municipality, or the latest trends in green building.If a prospect opens and clicks through the first couple of emails you send them, this may be a good sign to keep sending them messages on a weekly or monthly basis. Doing so should nurture the relationship and move them closer to a conversation with your sales team.Once they move into the later stages and get closer to making a decision, consider sending them emails that cover topics like how to set a budget for your project, how to compare contractors, and the pros and cons of different financing options for your project.It's also crucial to be mindful about how often you communicate with potential customers as you develop your email strategy. If you notice a large number of subscribers opting out or your email open rates begin to dip, it may mean you're sending emails too frequently or that the content just doesn't resonate with your audience. If so, make sure you've segmented your email list appropriately. For example, create separate lists for residential and commercial customers. And make sure your emails aren't too long, have an engaging subject line, and reflect tailored messages for different audience segments. The segments might include how well they know you, such as new customers and returning customers, or might reflect how you came to know them such as cold canvassing or referrals.Tips for Creating CTAs That ConvertSometimes your customers need a helping hand in moving from one stage of the buyer journey to the next. Calls-to-actions—or CTAs—are key parts of an effective email marketing strategy.CTAs tell your readers what step you'd like them to take next, such as "Learn more," "Schedule a consultation," or "Download our guide." An effective CTA strikes a balance between creating a sense of urgency without being too "salesy." For instance, an email CTA that urges prospects to "Book your project today" might be too presumptuous—especially if they've never done business with you before. They need more information to make their buying decision, so "Learn more" or "Schedule a call" might be more effective. However, sometimes potential customers just need a little nudge, so lead nurturing emails that contain CTAs with special offers or discounts, like "Get 10% off today" might help you close a sale.Whatever CTA you choose for a given email, it should be actionable and highly visible. Consider putting the text in bold or adding a special button that prospects can click. If you're using email marketing software, almost all of them offer this feature, so you don't have to worry about designing a CTA button yourself.Fine-Tune Your Email StrategyMarketing emails are an effective way to acquire and nurture leads. You just need to develop the right strategy, which starts with creating quality content that engages and informs potential customers. The next step is promoting this content so prospects see it and feel interested enough to subscribe with their email address.Fortunately, you don't need to be a marketing expert to master lead nurturing best practices. You can use your years of experience working with customers to develop relevant messaging that helps you attract more prospects and fill your pipeline for months to come.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on many businesses, including roofing companies. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 62% of small businesses have seen drops in revenues since the pandemic began. Using roofing marketing to increase your customer base has never been more important.The downturn in the economy has reshaped the business landscape for contractors in America, but here's how to increase market share so you can thrive during these challenging times.Get Clear About Your GoalsEven during a pandemic, it's important to set targets, advises business consultant Jon Paramore, who spoke to roofers during a webinar as part of GAF's Expert Value Speaker Series."Nobody gets on an airplane with a pilot who doesn't know where he's going," he says. "Tell people exactly where you're going, or they won't stay on your plane."Rather than diminishing sales goals due to COVID-19, consider mapping out a different direction by aiming high, he adds. You can then capitalize on the opportunity to seize a bigger proportion of market share."Ask yourself: How are you dealing with adversity? All the guys that are quitting or closing down have given you the opportunity to take more market share," he says. "2020 could end up being the greatest gift you were ever handed as a business person."Tap Into a Larger Pool of Job SeekersNow may be a great time to find and recruit incredible new team members, suggests Paramore."In 20-plus years, I've never seen this level of sales talent come into the market," he says. "Part of the reason is companies that were not able to withstand what we're going through right now furloughed some of their sales, marketing, and operations teams. These people are right there, ready to roll and hungry. You can benefit from just one of them joining your team."Show Up for Your CustomersWhether you send out email updates, a newsletter, or post short blogs on your website with photos of successful projects, customers appreciate positive messaging and your efforts to stay in touch. Set up a customer engagement strategy that includes offering promotions or tip sheets, and make yourself available by telephone or video conferencing to answer any questions potential clients might have.Relationships formed with people in your community help roofing company leaders stand apart from their competition, says Paramore."Empathy is what people are looking for right now," he explains. "Anyone can put on a good roof; what are you doing to be different?"Find small ways to help, such as easing the stress of not being able to go out to eat by dropping off gift cards and saying, "Have some pizza on me," suggests Paramore. Follow up by asking if they know anyone in their neighborhood who needs a replacement roof.Build Buzz About Your Company on Social MediaIn 2019, more than 240 million Americans engaged on social platforms. That's a big pool of potential customers, so why not market to them?Be active, authentic, and engaging on social by joining conversations, posting useful information for homeowners, celebrating your team, and sharing your core values. Doing this builds trust and shows you take your roofing business seriously. Bonus: It doesn't cost anything except your time.Using social media to build up virtual networks is another great roofing marketing tool. Paramore suggests connecting with real estate and insurance agents, commercial property brokers, and other tradespeople on LinkedIn."Tell them what you do and set up a networking event via Zoom for coffee and to talk business," he says. "Exchange referrals and see if you can help each other during these tough times. Ask your team to connect with 10-12 new people. It's really powerful."Build Strong Relationships.Rather than collecting new sales leads in your customer acquisition strategy, seek to build authentic relationships, advises Paramore.While it can be challenging to not make as many house calls due to COVID-19 restrictions, you can boost your potential client list virtually. Your roofing marketing strategy depends on strong relationships. The more you connect with and learn about past, current, and potential customers, the more word-of-mouth referrals or repeat business you'll get."You're not just 'a roofer'—you're a people developer that happens to put roofs on houses. So stop making your company a transaction business. Make it a people business," says Paramore.Strengthen your community goodwill by reporting on any volunteer work your team has done, and share kudos for other local businesses that are supporting people in your neighborhood, too.While you may have faced unprecedented challenges this past year, you can still find business success by becoming creative with your roofing marketing.

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 MethodsMany 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 AdvertisingIt 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.BillboardsBillboard 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 CommercialsShort 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 MediaSocial 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 AdvertisingDesigned 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 AdvertisingThere 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 ContentMarketing 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.