Getting roofing leads is more complex than it once was, and if you aren’t meeting your clients where they’re at, you are missing out. Canvassing and door-knocking are still solid ways to generate roofing leads, but the game has changed with the introduction of online marketing.
Today’s buyers do most of their research online and look for the quickest and most effective solution. Understanding these buying trends will help you form the best lead-generation strategy possible. One that relies on traditional methods while incorporating innovative and effective online strategies.
10 Effective Ways to Generate Leads for Your Roofing Business
When generating leads for your roofing business, there are two types to target.
Marketing Qualified Leads
These people are interested in your service but need more time to be ready to buy. It’s important that you aren’t pushy with these leads. The best approach is to give the potential customer more information about your services and provide them with value. That way, when they are ready to buy, you will be a trusted top-of-mind option.
Sales Qualified Leads
These leads are engaged and ready to buy. Sales-qualified leads are customers that have contacted you directly, so have a killer sales pitch because these customers are prepared to commit.
Here are 10 of the most effective ways to generate roofing leads today. They will generate marketing-qualified and sales-qualified leads, which makes them valuable resources. We’re also throwing in an option that can be effective but one we don’t recommend for long-term growth.
#1 SEO / Local SEO
SEO is one of the top marketing strategies you can implement in your roofing business. SEO helps you gain organic traffic to your website and lead options. It is a long game, but building a trustworthy and effective online presence is crucial for any modern business.
Local SEO is particularly valuable for service-based businesses within a specific area. It helps your business be more visible in local Google searches, which you want. Ranking on SERPS is one of the most critical factors for local lead generation. SEO involves some strategy, and ranking locally requires local signals.
Here are some of the ways you can improve your local SEO ranking.
- Optimize your business profile
- Have Google reviews as social proof
- Have a business listing in Google My Business
- Have a mobile-friendly website
- Active social media profiles
- Citations
- Engaging and informative content with relevant keywords
- Local landing pages that contain your business name, address, phone number, and metadata
According to Hubspot, 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information. Therefore, optimizing your online presence for better traffic is a free way to generate viable leads.
#2 Google Ads / PPC
Optimizing your website for SEO is invaluable. But you can take it further and use Pay Per Click (PPC) on Google Ads.
This strategy helps your site rank faster, and targets leads actively searching for your specific service. PPC is a marketing channel that helps drive traffic and conversions from search engines. If you’ve opened Google and seen ads at the top of the search result page, those are PPC ads. The process is straightforward. You run an ad on Google and pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad.
The success of this lead-generation strategy depends on engagement and targeted marketing. Google ads also allow you to track your conversions, including lead values. This way, you can work out the ROI of specific ad groups and keywords to optimize your lead generation strategy.
You must use keywords in your ads, including negative ones. This saves money because you only target those people looking for roofing services.
The quality of your ad and the landing page is crucial for success. Customers clicking on your ad are bottom of the sales funnel and want to take action. Your landing page is key for them to turn from a lead into a sale.
#3 Direct Mail
Direct mail is an old-school lead generation strategy for roofing companies, but it works as well today as it did back then. Direct mail works best when you know your list of possible leads need help and they are familiar with you. No one likes a stranger turning up at their door with a pamphlet, so some strategy is involved when looking for leads using direct mail.
- Spend time in the neighborhood identifying which homes could use your services.
- Take the time to personalize the envelope and create a message that speaks directly to their needs.
- Capitalize on a sale with the neighbors. Send mailers to the neighbors apologizing for any disturbance and briefly explain your process and how you work to keep everyone happy.
Direct mail allows different format options like brochures, postcards, catalogs, and newsletters. This will enable you to educate your clients about seasonal weather impact and provide them value. When you have been seen in the neighborhood, have trusted references, and provide free value, your direct mail lead generation return will be higher.
#4 YouTube Video Marketing
Video is having a real moment in the online marketing world, and if you are a service-based business, it is a trend you should jump on.
Not only does video improve your Google ranking, but it helps build trust with your potential customers. You can share insights, industry tips, and your work process through YouTube video marketing. It gives potential clients a glimpse into your business and helps you provide them with free, valuable information that you can capitalize on later.
Videos are engaging, and in a recent study, 89% of people said that a video convinced them to buy a product or service. Not only will a video build trust with your audience, but it will also increase conversions. Having videos on your website increases the time people spend on your site, increasing your chance of a sale.
Video content can also be repurposed across your social media channels, allowing you to have consistent branding and generate more leads.
#5 Top 10 Lists
Not only do you want your roofing business to be on a top 10 list, but you should be creating top 10 lists for your website. They are easy to digest and offer potential clients a quick answer.
Top 10 lists provide value, and articles with numbers in the headline drive higher responses because they imply expertise. That makes them linkable, which improves your SEO and will help you generate organic leads. They are an effective way to provide added value to potential clients and a valuable source of leads.
You must have a trustworthy online presence and great reviews to make it onto someone else’s Top 10 list of roofing companies. As you can see, lead generation is a multi-pronged approach that often feeds into each other.
#6 Social Media / Facebook Advertising
Generating leads requires finding where your ideal client hangs out. Social media is a perfect place to build a trustworthy brand that provides free value like tips, tricks, and advice.
Facebook is an underrated lead generation opportunity for roofing companies. The platform has a daily active user base of over 1.8 million people, making lead ads extremely effective for your area. You can sponsor posts on Facebook that target users most likely to be interested in your business based on their behavior on and off Facebook.
You can even post landing pages for offers directly to Facebook. These landing pages can be for a free roof maintenance checklist or seasonal roofing tips that will give your possible clients value and get them on your email list.
The Facebook algorithm favors videos, so repurposing your YouTube video marketing content on Facebook is a valuable lead-generation strategy. Businesses can have a CTA button on their Facebook page and share testimonials and social proof.
Social media is a free and effective way to market your business and generate leads.
#7 Roofer Canvassing / Door Knocking
An oldie but a goodie, roofer canvassing and door knocking are still effective lead-generation strategies for roofing companies. It is one of the oldest lead generation techniques, but when done right, it can reap many benefits.
Here are some of the best ways to optimize your canvassing strategy.
- Drive through the neighborhood and identify which houses could use your services. That way, your branded business is seen in the area and will be familiar when you turn up at someone’s door.
- Be prepared for anything and have the knowledge and skills to answer questions and do a roof assessment if required. Choosing the right people is important because they will make or break a possible sale.
- Provide value before you ask for a sale. Use door-knocking in combination with direct mail and offer homeowners insights and help before you try and sell them anything. This will build trust in your brand and increase your business visibility in the neighborhood.
#8 Home Shows / Trade Shows
Home shows and trade shows are valuable networking opportunities for roofing companies. They help you identify potential partnerships and build your brand credibility. A home show gives you access to hundreds of leads, but turning them into sales takes skill and a personal touch.
During a home show, take the time to chat with potential clients and answer their questions. Have a strategy for collecting contact information for follow-ups after the show. Make notes after speaking with a likely lead about the conversation. It could be anything from problems they are having with their roof to something personal they mentioned. This allows you to personalize an outreach email or phone call. People like to know they are more than just a potential sale; personalizing your follow-up is key.
Your home show setup is an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and your craft. An attractive and professional booth will help build trust in your brand.
#9 Email Marketing
Your email list is one of your most valuable lead-generation tools. It is a way to keep you top of mind for potential and past customers.
You can use email marketing to highlight current projects, provide value through seasonal advice, and offer customer testimonials.
You can also customize and personalize your email marketing strategy based on your clients’ needs. This allows you to send targeted emails that will increase your lead conversion.
Email marketing is an effective option for a referral program and links to your social media pages. You can even include video marketing by having a YouTube video embedded in the email offering monthly roofing maintenance tips.
Consistent and valuable brand emails will create trust in your business and help you generate quality leads.
#10 Hail Chasing
Many roofing companies use storm apps to target neighborhoods that have experienced hail damage. It is an effective lead generation strategy but should be approached with empathy and kept local.
After a storm, people need help, but they are in a vulnerable position, struggling with roofing contractors, insurance, and the aftermath of the storm. You could go door-to-door, but using email marketing and Google ads for targeted local search results is a more ethical approach to hail chasing.
Avoid: Home Advisor / Angie’s List
Home Advisor and Angie’s list can be valuable citations that improve your SEO ranking. But there are more effective ways to make money long-term.
Rather than using a platform that offers shared leads that you compete for, spend time building your online presence. Not only do you have to pay for leads on Home Advisor and Angie’s list, but competing for leads leaves drives prices down.
For long-term lead generation success, it’s best to move away from buying leads to generating your own.
Generate Quality Roofing Leads with These 10 Strategies
Businesses are realizing the power of an effective lead-generation strategy that turns leads into sales. Your marketing strategy should involve multiple approaches that offer brand consistency and build trust in your offering.
An online presence optimized for conversion is the best way to increase inbound leads and generate more business.