The marketing dynamics for roofing companies are constantly evolving. Today, the challenges roofers face make it ever tricky to determine how to allocate marketing budgets to ensure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. Fortunately, increasing revenues through effective advertising is possible.
How Much Should Roofers Spend on Advertising?
In 2021, most small businesses had an average advertising spend of around 11% of their revenue (Small Business Trends). Because of the ever-increasing competitiveness among small businesses catering to certain categories, this allocation increased to 13.6% by 2023 (Deloitte). The range, however, depends greatly on industry and geographical presence. According to a survey by Hubspot, local B2C businesses allocate lower advertising budgets of around 9%, though recommendations by Salesforce are closer than Deloitte’s figures.
For highly localized businesses, such as roofing companies, making the most of their advertising expenses is crucial in maintaining and exceeding revenue targets. Though 9%, as cited, may look small, consider that this amount is at $90,000 for every $1,000,000 in gross earnings, making it crucial for roofers to learn which advertising mediums they should consider investing in for efficient marketing campaigns while maintaining a healthy income.
What Factors Should Roofers Consider in 2024 To Decide on Advertising Mediums?
Advertising expenses vary greatly, even among roofing companies. Since roofers cater to a local clientele, how they market their services depends on many factors. For instance, a roofer in Orange County caters to more upscale homes with many ceramic tile roofing projects. On the other hand, a roofer catering to Los Angeles clients caters to homes with shingles, metal, or businesses with concrete roofs. Aside from demographics, there are many factors roofers need to consider when deciding advertising mediums:
Target Audience:
- Needs: Do homeowners and businesses mainly prefer roof repairs, replacements, or both? What is the prevalent roofing material?
- Decision-Making Process: How do homeowners decide which roofers to prefer?
- How does your target market look for roofers? Do they seek them online on their mobile devices? Do many people still listen to the radio?
Marketing Goals:
- Lead Generation: You should prioritize advertising or direct mail campaigns to generate more leads.
- Branding: If you are a new company, you must allocate more effort to brand awareness campaigns.
Marketing Channels:
- Cost: Roofers should also consider how much they spend from every yield they take from various advertising channels.
- Tracking: Roofers need to gauge each advertising medium’s effectiveness to see which works best in generating leads and achieving conversions. Roofers can use surveys to ask their customers where they heard about their business and what convinced them to choose their company.
Competition:
- Saturation: Roofing companies should consider how many roofers compete in their area.
- Competitor’s Strategies: Roofers should also study how their competitors advertise and learn which advertising methods work well with their target audience.
Budget:
- As mentioned, budget allocation is a crucial aspect that will define advertising decisions.
Effective Advertising Ideas in 2024
Considering the factors above, roofers can begin to hone in on the most effective advertising mediums for their market and audience. An effective marketing campaign combines several of these advertising mediums to ensure marketing budgets translate into revenue:
Local SEO and Optimizing Your Site on Mobile
Optimizing a roofing company’s website mobile devices and for Local SEO are a must-do today. Based on the following numbers cited by SemRush:
- 46% of all searches on the internet look for local businesses
- Map searches drive 30% to 40% of local business discoveries
- 60% of smartphone users contact businesses directly from search results
Roofers can master their Local SEO by doing the following:
- Creating an engaging website that is easy to navigate with clear CTA and brand message that resonates with their local audience
- Ensuring that your website works well, is easy to use, and looks good on a mobile device
- Using location-specific keywords
- Building an online presence through positive reviews and building citations
- Optimizing your Google Business Profile and regularly updating it
In the case of leveraging the power of local SEO, roofers can rely on digital marketing professionals to help them with efficient campaigns.
Traditional Roofing Marketing
Though today’s businesses leverage technology for advertising, roofers shouldn’t discount traditional marketing because their potential clients are literally next door. Especially for newer businesses, traditional marketing is effective for local branding and visibility. These traditional marketing methods include the following:
- Yard Signs and Tarpaulins: The impact on the public by highly visible signs placed at their business location and during work can’t be discounted.
- Catchy radio commercials: Listening to local radio channels is still prevalent in many locales. Though radio spots are usually thirty seconds or less, this medium is still effective nowadays.
- Eye-catching print advertising: Sponsoring free local maps or paid advertising in local newspapers also provides some visibility for roofers.
- Vehicle decals and roof signs: Why not flex your business on the way to work? Your potential clients may drive along the same routes as you.
- Word-of-mouth: Start by delivering high-quality work. Appreciative clients will recommend your outstanding service to friends and family.
Social Media Marketing
Social media presents an excellent billboard for your potential market to see. Aside from providing a platform for posting relevant content, social media allows you to engage directly with your potential clients. Roofers can adopt the following strategies to advertise on social media effectively:
- Use relevant hashtags connected with your industry and local area (for instance, #roofingcalifornia, #roofrepairexperts, #roofersofinstagram, among others) to help make them appear so that more people can discover your posts.
- Industry-relevant and local keywords are also important when creating captions.
- Post work results on social media, especially before-and-after photos.
- Reply to queries sent over by interested page visitors.
- Post community activities and images of people at work to generate trust and goodwill with your local market.
- Ask your clients to tag your business on their posts to increase your company’s visibility among potential clients including their family, friends, and followers.
These advertising strategies also allow your social media page to have a local flavor that fits your target audience effectively.
Co-Marketing Opportunities with Industry Partners
Partnerships present a pot of gold for roofers. The excellent relationships roofers develop with other local businesses can extend their visibility and reach into shared audiences. Some potential partners roofers can share marketing campaigns with are:
- Home Improvement Contractors
- Builders
- Insurance Companies
- Real Estate Agents
- Suppliers
- Local Businesses
Different examples of shared advertising can come in the form of the following:
- Tagging in social media posts
- Having your business’s logo appear along with theirs
- Mentions in advertisements that may relate to roofing
- Backlinks to their website
- Referrals
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is an excellent way to nurture relationships with past clients and provide special offers. Here are helpful pointers when conducting email marketing campaigns:
- Don’t make your emails “salesy.”
- Share engaging, relevant, and informative content.
- Share industry news and educational content.
- Only send emails occasionally. As suggested by Insynth, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days for roofing companies to send emails.
High-Quality Content Marketing
Sharing high-quality content is an excellent way to keep your target audience engaged and interested. Authoritative content can also build trust with your target audience and help your website gain more relevant keywords for ranking. Highly relatable content can also differentiate roofers from their target local customers. Content marketing benefits roofing companies in several ways beyond just SEO. The most popular content marketing methods include:
Video Marketing: Videos enjoy far more sales (1200% more, according to Forbes) and higher viewer retention than images or text. Roofers may use their social media pages, like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, to share engaging content. Take “Best Damn Roofer” as an example, which has already garnered over 500,000 views since first posted.
Blogging: Writing about everything from roof-related issues to sharing industry insights can help roofers establish brand authority, drive website traffic, and build trust with their target customers.
Takeaways: A Refined Mix of Digital and Traditional Advertising is Crucial for Roofers in 2024
Roofers are constantly confronted with an increasingly competitive and evolving marketplace. Gaining revenue hinges on well-balanced strategic advertising. With a specific budget allocation and a careful data-driven approach to understanding the local market, success is possible for roofers with a blend of traditional and digital marketing approaches. Though online content marketing, optimizing websites for mobile, and local SEO are critical for roofers in 2024, establishing relationships through strategic partnerships and building warm rapport with the community are also essential for roofers catering to a local audience. To learn more about how roofers can refine their approach to advertisement in 2024, call WebPower at (213) 317-7184. Visit our contact page for a free SEO audit of your roofing website.