If you have ever been on a roof installing asphalt shingles, you know that it’s hard work. If you are the owner of a roofing company and put on the tool belt, you know your roofing days are numbered as you get older. Roofing is not a job you want to do when you get older because it is so hard on the body. The only option is growing your company is to train employees to shingle while you sell, manage and grow the company. To do this, you need marketing ideas for your roofing business.
Once in a while, I’ll step on a roof to help a friend replace their shingles, and as I work throughout the day, I think about ways to start and grow a roofing company. I do marketing, so I have trained myself to always look for opportunities to grow small businesses. So, if I were to start and grow a roofing business, this is what I would do…
Roofing Company Branding
First impressions are essential and help bring credibility to your business. Ensure you have a professional logo design, uniform or t-shirts and decals on your company vehicles. If your vehicles are beaters, you may want to wait to brand them until you have more pleasing vehicles. Get professional business cards printed, marketing materials and a roofing web design to match. The roofing industry is full of “fly-by-night” operations and guys looking to earn a little extra income. Stepping out with a professional image will separate you from the roofers who aren’t in business for the long haul.
What is Your Schtick?
If you are growing a professional business, you want to have a marketing schtick. What do you do that sets your business apart? Are you always on time? Is your quote accurate? Do your guys make sure the nails and cleanup are done extremely well? Maybe you provide a guarantee? Whatever it is, your marketing should feature this “schtick” in everything you send out. You will become the roofing company that _________________. You will become trusted in the community for this, and others will be seen as companies that don’t.
Roofing Software
I haven’t spent much time researching software for contractors, but I imagine some pretty good management software out there (like this one and this one) will help you manage marketing, leads, sales and roofing projects. We use Zoho because it fits our business model and is very affordable ($50CAD/month/user). I recommend management software be installed to prepare for massive growth. This software should help lead and quote management with follow-up and convert-to-customer options. Most software companies offer demos, setup and training if you aren’t comfortable handling that. You would greatly benefit from software with a mobile app or web interface that would provide onsite quoting, ordering and invoicing.
Free Roofing Quotes
Okay, this is obviously something that most companies provide, but perhaps not how I will describe it in the next few sentences. I would get a financing company on board if I were starting a roofing company. Replacing shingles on a roof costs thousands of dollars for the homeowner, and many have to plan years in advance to make it a reality. So why not include financing as a sales tool?
Once financing is in place, I would spend hours searching for houses with old shingles that need replacing. I would do a quick estimate on my laptop or tablet, print it out on company letterhead with a portable printer and knock on the homeowner’s door. I guarantee they already know they need shingles, but approaching them with a price and financing options may seal the deal. Maybe it’s less than they think? Perhaps money was an issue, but you made it easier with financing?
With Google Earth you can see the complete building and any detached garages or sheds that may need to be included. There’s even software that will help you measure the roof from an aerial view! If you are concerned about under-quoting, quote a little higher as a cushion. If no one is home when you knock on the door, leave the quote and a business card in a branded envelope in the mailbox. Make sure there is an expiry date on the estimate.
I have never heard of anyone using this marketing idea for a roofing company. Finding an exact method that works for your business may take some tweaking. If you try it, I would love to know how it goes!
Before & After
One of the best tools in a roofing company’s marketing tool belt is having high-quality before and after pictures. Before starting the job, you use your smartphone or camera and take photos from multiple angles. Then, when the job is complete, retake photographs from the exact same locations with the same angles.
These images should be marketed everywhere. Use them on your company website, social media, brochures, etc. Use them on postcards to solicit more business with a postcard mailer. Using before and after images is almost as powerful as a testimonial.
Mark Your Territory
You must let people know where you’ve been when you’ve completed a job. If it’s okay with the homeowner, ask to place a yard sign in front of their house to let the world know that your company did the new roof installation. If the homeowner is reluctant, offer to give them a discount or gift card and assure them you will remove it in a month.
Have some professionally-designed door hangers printed and put them on the neighbours’ front doors in the vicinity. Let the neighbourhood know that you recently replaced the shingles on ________________ (house address) and that they can call for a free quote.
Worst Roof Contest
Giveaway a FREE roof! Yes, you read that right. Set up a contest to giveaway a FREE roof package, whether it’s just labour, materials, or both. Have your web designer set up the contest form on your website and include a field to attach a photo of their “worst roof.” Ensure to include contact information, street address and an email address field. All entry photos could be posted to the website and voted on by the public. The entrants do the marketing for you by sharing their pictures and trying to get the most votes.
Make sure people can only have one vote per day. The five worst roof photos with the most votes are then put in front of a judging committee to pick the winner. Choose professionals from the community who are credible and trustworthy for your committee. Once the winner is chosen, do a Facebook live video to announce the winner.
The best part about this is… all those who enter are potential customers who need their roof replaced. What a great marketing opportunity!
These are only a few marketing ideas for a roofing company. If you are interested in learning more ways to grow your roofing company, send us a message, and we’ll chat.
