Brand is everything these days. More than your logo, slogan, or website, your roofing business is an extension of you – so it’s important that your brand represents not only what you do, but who you are, and what you stand for. Just like you wouldn’t conduct business with an individual or business with a poor reputation, potential clients are doing their research, asking friends and neighbors, and truly vetting their contractors before they make significant investments in their homes.
In a specialty trade field such as roofing, companies need ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. You need to be able to explain to your potential customer why you are better than the roofer down the road.
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.” [source]
Establishing recognition and positive associations around your brand can go a long way in helping you ensure a solid reputation in your market. Using the tools at your disposal to increase awareness and promote your company are easier than might you realize.
Strategy 1: Create Awareness
Use Brand Elements to Your Advantage:
One of the first, and most easily recognizable associations for any business is your logo. A logo is a symbol for your company that helps market your business and increase recognition.
According to Business Insider, a good logo, “should be fundamentally sound, but also adaptable to the ways it will be presented.”
When customers see one of your fieldworkers driving around town with your roofing business logo on their truck, they immediately store that picture in the back of their minds. Eye-catching, aesthetically pleasing logos are more likely to stick in the minds of potential customers; even more so when they are prominently displayed on the sides of vehicles and on the shirts of your crew members and sales teams. Logos are one of the first steps to securing a strong brand identity and can be beneficial to your business as a whole.
Establish an Online Presence:
With nearly all consumers going online to do their primary research, it’s important that the content on your website, social media accounts and review sites accurately depicts your business.
- Ensure that your website is clean, easy to read, mobile-friendly, and that your contact information is prominently displayed.
- Social media associated with your business should be professional (no swearing or bad-talking) and relevant to to the work you do.
- Online reviews should be addressed, whether they are positive or negative. Thank people that give you good reviews, and politely acknowledge those who have complaints.
Strategy 2: Promote Yourself Through Your Reputation
Trust is Everything:
You wouldn’t do business with someone unless you trusted them. You hire employees and crews from this ideological foundation, so think about how establishing your company and brand values as trustworthy and professional can impact the way you pursue and acquire new business. It’s important to remember that most homeowners probably don’t have a solid grasp on the in’s and outs of roofing. They look to you to provide expertise, guidance and professional reliability when they entrust you with the care of their home.
Trust can often be more valuable than a large remodeling project or even a big paycheck. Fortune states:
“Trust in business enjoys two main benefits. The first is with your clients. If they know you are honest and direct with them, they usually are willing to work through challenges with you, and they won’t hesitate to be a referral source when things go well.” [source]
If you show your customers you are trustworthy, they will not only be willing to work with you, but they will become a source of referral.
Just remember this quick tip: always be ethical. Money is short-lived, but your name lasts forever. Roofing business online reviews never get deleted. In an age where your brand is the most important thing you can build, remember to keep it simple: be honest, abide by your ethics, and have a good appearance.
It’s All About Follow Through:
Everyone wants to promote their roofing business as trustworthy, so the real work comes from the follow-through. Teams that establish a basis of communication with the homeowner from the start with easy to understand contracts, progress reports, and final reviews mean everyone is on the same page. Homeowners will appreciate the extra steps you take to ensure that their home feels like a priority to you and your crews.
Going the Extra Mile:
Dealing with frustrated homeowners often means the contractor has to bend over backwards to reassure that you’re delivering on what you promised. Although small gestures might seem insignificant to you, homeowners will notice if your crews are on time, polite and clean up additional materials and debris. They will notice if your foreman knows their name, and treats them like a person, and not just another job. These small, seemingly innocuous hallmarks of good customer service can truly set you apart from your competition.
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It All Comes Full Circle:
A roofing company can build a solid brand, based on good business practices, attention to detail and dedicate follow-through, ensuring a positive reputation and more business than the contractor whose only in it to make a buck. Trust your instincts, and build a brand that you’re proud of.
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