92 roofing marketing ideas to boost your business
Whether you’ve been in business for years or are just getting started, marketing is an important component for any roofing company.
In this guide, we’ll cover 92 roofing marketing ideas you can apply to your business. Use these tips to spread awareness of your company and generate more leads. With 92 roofing marketing tips, you can easily select the ones that will help you meet your goals.
The complete list of 92 roofing marketing ideas for contractors
Referral marketing
- Start a referral program.
- Ask past customers to refer you to their networks.
- Create incentives for customer referrals.
- Offer a free gutter cleaning or other service.
- Offer a discount on your services.
- Offer a gift card.
- Send an automated email to a customer asking them for a referral.
- Prompt a customer to recommend you to a friend with an automated text message.
- Identify vendors you could exchange referrals with.
- Ask your local chamber of commerce for referrals.
- Ask your insurance agency for referrals.
- List your company on a general referral website.
- List your company on a home repair referral website.
- List your company on a roofing project referral website.
- Include details about your referral programs in your email signature.
- Advertise your incentives on your website.
- Promote your incentives in your marketing materials.
- Track your program results to understand which tactics are most effective.
Word of mouth marketing
- Start door-knocking to take advantage of word of mouth marketing.
- Develop a standard sales pitch to deliver when meeting with potential customers.
- Canvass homes that were recently impacted by a storm.
- Visit a neighborhood where you’ve recently worked and knock on the doors of older homes.
- Supplement your marketing with advertising materials.
- Hand out business cards when you talk to homeowners.
- Leave behind a professionally designed pamphlet with your company information.
- Put a sign with your company name and number in the yard of current customers.
- Hang banners around your community with a unique design and include your company name and number.
- Create a graphic wrap with company information for your trucks.
- Use a magnetic decal on your car to advertise your company.
- Send direct mail to prospects located near current or past projects.
- Target homeowners living in older properties with a flyer or postcard.
- Track every encounter to improve your follow-up.
- Use the web to advertise your business.
- Use a canvassing app to manage your door-to-door sales efforts.
- Use a canvassing app to help generate qualified leads.
Event marketing
- Attend major roofing industry events.
- Find local roofing events to participate in.
- Set goals for what you want to get out of any events.
- Bring marketing collateral, such as brochures, to distribute.
- Give your business cards to people you network with.
- Connect with new contacts over email or on LinkedIn.
- Offer an incentive to new contacts to encourage them to use or share your services.
- Follow industry publications and region-specific roofing organizations to find out what’s going on.
- Join roofing contractor Facebook groups to get event news.
- Focus on networking and educational opportunities at industry events.
- Join local organizations like a chamber of commerce to learn of events in your community
- Talk to peers in related industries or look at online platforms like Meetup
- Focus on introducing yourself and connecting with homeowners at non-industry events
Digital marketing
- Build a website for your roofing company.
- Prominently place your company name, contact information, and service offerings on your website.
- Use clean, clear graphics and language to attract customer attention.
- Update your website regularly with the latest information about your roofing business.
- Add photos of the services you offer.
- Share customer testimonials.
- Blog about roofing topics of interest to homeowners.
- Create a downloadable guide featuring roofing advice or other essential information.
- Include a “contact us” form so you can follow up with incoming customer inquiries.
- Track your web traffic so you can understand what content attracts the most visitors.
Social media marketing
- Establish a presence on the social media sites most used by your customers.
- Create an X (formerly Twitter) profile for your business.
- Create a Facebook page for your business.
- Create a Pinterest account for your business.
- Create a YouTube account for your business.
- Create a TikTok account for your business.
- Create an Instagram account for your business.
- Create a LinkedIn page for your business.
- Set up a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business).
- Include your contact information, website link, and a brief description of your services in each of your profiles.
- Develop a content calendar to help you determine what to share on social media and when.
- Share photos of past projects.
- Post a customer testimonial.
- Highlight your service offerings.
Email marketing
- Choose an email marketing platform that will help you reach multiple homeowners at a time.
- Email homeowners about your latest promotions and offerings.
- Use email to share helpful roofing maintenance tips with homeowners.
- Send homeowners an email that features a compelling customer story.
- Keep homeowners up to date on your blog by emailing them the latest posts.
- Measure open rates to make sure your emails are reaching the right people.
Online reviews
- Set up a profile on Yelp.
- Set up a profile on Angi.
- Offer a free roof inspection in your profile.
Paid advertising
- Create pay-per-click ads for Google.
- Create pay-per-click ads for Bing.
- Create pay-per-click ads for Facebook.
- Create pay-per-click ads for YouTube.
Customer service
- Make it a priority to always deliver outstanding customer service.
- Cultivate a friendly, reliable company presence.
- Answer phone calls promptly.
- Share key project updates in a timely manner and in an easily accessible location.
- Remember important customer details.
- Set up automated reminders for customer appointments and meetings.
- Implement a tool like a Customer Relationship Management system to track leads and marketing efforts.
Why do roofing contractors need marketing?
You could be the most innovative roofing contractor with the best price, but without marketing, no one will know you exist. Marketing introduces your business to the world. It connects you with potential customers and shows homeowners how your services can help them. Roofing marketing builds your brand and boosts sales. In fact, it’s proven that marketing impacts revenue growth.1
Types of roofing marketing
When looking at the overall marketing umbrella, there are two basic types of roofing marketing strategies that your company can implement: traditional and digital marketing. Traditional marketing includes referral programs, door knocking, direct mail and other advertisements, as well as events. Digital marketing is everything online: your website, social media, business listings, reviews, and more.
One form of marketing is not better than the other. Contractors should aim for a combination of both strategies to improve their overall reach.
Traditional roofing marketing ideas
Customer service as a roofing marketing technique
When you think of the most basic marketing techniques, does customer service come to mind? How you treat your customers sets the stage for how your brand will be perceived and how likely customers are to recommend your services.
Customers want to work with friendly, reliable roofing contractors. Most of us understand this, and can even list what we should be doing—promptly answering phone calls, sharing key project documents and updates in an easily accessible location, and being able to access important customer details quickly. It’s important to give your office staff the tools they need to stay organized. Implementing a marketing tool like a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) gives your team a central place to store and access your business files that make customer service simple.
Referral-based roofing marketing
Referral marketing is one of the best strategies that you can implement. It generates 3-5x higher conversion rates compared to other channels and it requires relatively little effort on your part.2 Referral programs don’t need to be overly complicated or expensive. Instead, focus on targeting customers and/or vendors that align best with your market.
Customer referral programs
Customer referrals are the best way to get qualified leads. These leads are familiar with your work and have spoken to someone who has actually used your services.
Even if you don’t have a referral program in place, you may have received a referral lead in the past. You likely noticed that these customers already trusted you and were easier to sell. Referrals typically have a 25% higher profit margin on average.3 Having a proper program in place can help you increase the number of referral leads and grow your business.
One way to drive customer referrals is to offer an incentive. This could be something like a free gutter cleaning, $250 off their next service with you, or something simple like a gift card. The value of the reward should be determined by the value of these leads.
Once you’ve established your referral terms, it’s time to promote your program. Aside from verbally mentioning it to customers, you can include your program in your email signature, on your website, and in other roofing marketing materials.
When you have a referral program in place, you can send automated texts or emails at specific project milestones that prompt customers to recommend your service.
Vendor referral programs
Vendor referrals vary from customer referrals in the sense that the relationship is more quid-pro-quo. You’ll both be passing referrals back and forth. To create a vendor referral program, start by identifying a few potential businesses that could be a good source of leads. This can include organizations like your local chamber of commerce or insurance agency.
After you’ve identified a list of potential partners, raise the idea of a referral program with a meeting, phone call, or email. You’ll want to illustrate the benefits that each partner could receive from a program.
For example, when contacting an insurance agency, you can mention that you’ll pass along homeowners who are using a competitor or are looking for a better price on their policy. In return, they would send you referrals of potential customers in need of your services.
Third-party referral sites
If you don’t have the time to create a referral program, or are intimidated by the task, you can try listing your company on referral websites. A quick Google search will turn up a number of sites related to home repairs, roofing projects, or more general queries.
The leads coming from these sites will likely be less qualified, as they aren’t being referred from an actual person, but this is a good option for roofers who need a quick and easy roofing marketing program to implement right now.
Some popular referral sites include:
- Angi: Angi, formerly Angie’s List, is geared towards roofing businesses and home project professionals. Using their platform, you can manage leads, communicate with customers, and get notified when you have a new prospect.
- Thumbtack: Homeowners can search for, rate, and hire local home service providers. Thumbtack also allows contractors to browse leads and sends messages to those that seem like a good fit.
Additional third-party referral sites can include manufacturers. Both GAF and Owens Corning have accessible directories for roofers. However, they require contractors to be certified by them. If you are already a certified contractor, make sure your listing on these sites is up to date.
Measuring referral program success
After launching your referral program, you’ll need to monitor its success. You should keep track of leads from your referral listings, so that you can report on the success of each program to see which are most effective.
Door knocking & word of mouth roofing marketing
If you’ve been in the roofing industry for any amount of time, chances are that you’ve knocked on a door or two. Decrease the number of “no’s” you receive by attacking your canvassing efforts with a plan.
Create a unique pitch
You have just a few seconds to grab someone’s attention, so you need to make sure you stand out.
Steps to pitching to a customer:
- Introduce yourself.
- Identify a problem.
- Share what you can do to help. Focus on the benefit to the homeowner, whether that’s mitigating safety issues, increasing the home’s value, or just fixing some cosmetic damage.
Bring eye-catching marketing materials
Your initial encounter may be short, so what you leave behind matters. You should bring materials that show you’re a professional while also illustrating your past work. Things like flyers or pamphlets are great examples of printed materials. Everything you leave behind should have your contact information and any relevant information about your services clearly listed.
Target specific homes
Identify who you’re targeting and why. For example, you may want to canvass homes recently impacted by a storm or older homes in a neighborhood where you’ve previously worked.
PRO TIP
PRO TIPThere are AI tools available that can help you narrow your focus and target specific leads by giving you information about homeowners and their likelihood to convert to a customer. Roofing software systems like AccuLynx, have these features built in.
Track everything
When canvassing, you may knock on dozens of doors and talk to many different people. You can try to keep paper notes or remember everything in your head, but chances are high that you’ll forget at least one key detail.
Using canvassing apps can help you stay organized while you search for new customers. Canvassing apps can help you find new leads, track existing ones, and assign and monitor your salespeople. Some examples include:
PRO TIP
Make sure that your apps are integrated with your roofing business management software so you can collect all of your leads in one centralized location.
Advertising to supplement roofing marketing
We’ve already touched on some of the materials that you can leave behind, but business cards and flyers are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of advertising!
Yard signs
Putting a simple sign with your company name and phone number can help promote your services to neighbors while turning your current project into an advertisement for future business. Make sure you always ask the homeowner if you can put a sign in their yard. Other places to put signs may include busy intersections or street corners.
Banners
Hanging banners around your community with a unique design and business information can reinforce your brand to large audiences. By placing them in high-traffic spots like local rec centers, athletic complexes, and community centers, you can increase homeowner visibility. It’s also a way for your business to garner good will by demonstrating your community support.
Car decals & truck wraps
Your company vehicle will likely be parked on the job site throughout the duration of the project. Turn it into an advertisement with truck wraps or magnetic decals. Include your company name, phone number, and website in visible places.
Direct mail
Target specific geographic areas using direct mail. You can reach homeowners located near current or past projects, or target homeowners living in older properties that may need repairs. USPS and a number of online businesses offer direct mail services. Some will even design the mailers for you!
Event-based roofing marketing
Types of roofing marketing events
As a roofing contractor, you can benefit from industry events as well as local ones within your service area. Events can help you better understand the roofing industry and offer you opportunities to talk through challenges and ideas with like-minded roofing professionals. Local events can also help get your name out to homeowners who may need your services now or in the future.
How to get the most out of an event
- Create a plan. Focus on what you want to get out of the event. Is it knowledge? Leads? Connections? Identify your goal and devise a way to execute.
- Bring materials. For both industry and local events, you’ll want to bring marketing materials. Business cards and pamphlets can be great resources to have on hand. Make sure your materials list your contact information.
- Follow up. After the event, follow up with contacts! For industry events, connect with new contacts over email or on LinkedIn. For local events, follow up with a phone call, email, or text. Be sure to add prospect information to your CRM with relevant notes like details about their home. Consider sharing an incentive with prospects.
Tips for industry events:
- Follow industry publications and region-specific roofing organizations to find out what’s going on in your area.
- Join roofing contractor Facebook groups and see what events other contractors may be attending.
- Take advantage of networking and educational opportunities at these events rather than lead generation.
Tips for non-industry events:
- Join local organizations like your area’s chamber of commerce to learn about events happening near you.
- Talk to peers in related industries, or look at sites like Meetup or other online platforms.
- Focus on introducing yourself and connecting with homeowners at these events.
Digital roofing marketing ideas
As you read this page, you’re engaging with digital marketing. Over 85% of Americans use the internet.4 Take advantage of the size of this audience!
Many marketers and business owners turn to digital marketing for its ability to reach large audiences, but many also enjoy its tracking capabilities. With digital roofing marketing you can:
- Measure email open rates
- See how many people filled out your “contact us” form
- Track web traffic over time
- And more!
It’s easy to see how your campaigns are performing and the effect that small tweaks can have on your overall revenue.
Website
How to set up your roofing company website
Your website is your home base. It should house everything from basic information about your business (contact information, a contact form, services offered, an “about your business” or “about us” section) to project photos, blog posts, and customer testimonials. You can even give advice for homeowners or share roofing basics in a downloadable guide.
To start a website, you can contract out to a web developer or agency, or you can take a DIY approach and use popular platforms like Squarespace or WordPress.
What to include
With a basic website, focus on graphics and clear language to help you catch a customer’s attention. Ideally, you’d use actual project photos (don’t be afraid to ask homeowners for those), but if you don’t have any on hand, check out sites like Shutterstock or iStock for stock photos. When selecting stock photos, make sure they depict the type of work that you do. You wouldn’t want to show someone doing tile roofing work when you only work with asphalt shingle systems.
If you’re looking to take your website up a notch, consider adding blogging to your roofing marketing strategy. Your blog can be used in a variety of ways. You can post about:
- Projects
- Answers to common questions
- Highlighted team members
- General information helpful for homeowners to know
Whatever you post, it’s important to post consistently. That can be a few times a month to a few times a week. These posts will help your customers see that you are a professional with expert knowledge, as well as help search engines find your website.
When to update
Check in on your website from time to time. Your website shouldn’t be static. You can’t just create it and forget about it. Instead, a few times a year, set aside time to make sure that everything is still up to date. You may have better testimonials or new services that you offer. Make sure to update your site with that information.
Email marketing
Email roofing marketing campaigns can help you stay in front of your target audience. With email, you can share promotions, blogs, helpful tips, and customer stories. In fact, most of the information you regularly post on your website can be repurposed into email content.
When investing in email marketing, you have plenty of options for platforms. Mailchimp and HubSpot are two that offer free email marketing options. Many platforms come prepackaged with templates that you can easily customize to fit your brand. Choose a platform, create a schedule, and build your list to get started!
Online reviews
You should set up company profiles on online review sites like Yelp and Angi.
A site like Angi can help you find prospects who are actively looking for roofing services. Sites like these also give you access to a new audience. When building out your profile, make sure you include all of your company’s basic information. You can also consider offering a free roof inspection in your profile.
You’ll also want to make sure that your profile has positive, 5-star reviews. To get reviews on your page, reach out to customers through an email campaign. For example, once a job is closed or you receive final payment, you can send an email asking the homeowner for feedback or to leave a review on a popular site.
Be sure to adhere to each review site’s content guidelines.
Taking it to the next level–paid opportunities
If you’re relatively advanced in your digital roofing marketing strategy, you may be looking for additional ways to generate leads. It could be a good time to evaluate paid opportunities like pay-per-click, or PPC, advertising. PPC is a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked on.
Many platforms offer this type of advertising like:
To get started in this field, you can either take a DIY approach or hire a digital marketing agency. If you opt to go it alone, most PPC platforms offer free certification and education tracks that will help you better understand the platform and how to create ads that work. These programs will help you set up your account, create ads, identify objectives, and launch your roofing marketing campaigns.
Roofing marketing frequently asked questions
One tool to boost your roofing marketing efforts
With 92 unique ideas, it can be overwhelming to start or add to your roofing company’s marketing efforts, especially if you don’t know what’s already working. Business management software like AccuLynx gives you the tools to track, automate, and execute your efforts.
Reporting
Track company performance and drill down into specific marketing data with built-in reporting capabilities in AccuLynx. This includes pre-built and custom reports so that you can see the data that matters to you, like the lead source report. This can help you clearly understand your most valuable lead sources, identify opportunities for growth, and narrow in on what’s not working. AccuLynx also has a marketing spend report which can help you assess your marketing budget so that you can put more money toward what’s working and stop funding anything that’s not.
With ReportsPlus in AccuLynx, you can also easily create custom reports and dashboards so you can monitor your KPIs at a glance.
Automations
With the Automation Manager in AccuLynx, you can set up automated tasks, text, and email messages that are triggered by events. This could be a notification to your team members when a material order is delivered, a text reminder to a homeowner the day before a scheduled meeting, or a welcome email when a contact is moved from a prospect to a customer
Texting
Send and receive text messages in AccuLynx with our powerful SMS tools. Our automated, direct, and two-way texting features let you connect with team members and customers while storing everything in the system you already use to manage your business. Use texting to increase your customer service or prompt a review.
Photo sharing
Easily capture and upload project photos directly on site with the AccuLynx mobile Field App. Aside from simplifying the job documentation process, this app can help you store, manage, and edit project photos that can be later used in marketing materials, like on your website or in a testimonial.
Lead intelligence
Focus on the right opportunities with built-in AI that ranks homeowners on their likelihood to buy. Lead intelligence uses “Lead Rank” to provide roofing sales reps with a visual cue so they can spend their time focusing on the most profitable leads.
Improve your roofing marketing efforts with software
A well-focused marketing strategy is crucial to take your roofing business to the next level. AccuLynx is the roofing industry’s most-trusted software, designed to help contractors manage every aspect of their business. See how AccuLynx can help your roofing marketing efforts–and beyond–by scheduling a custom demo today.
Social media
Your roofing business doesn’t need to be on every social media site in order to be successful. Instead, start small and focus on one or a few platforms where your target audience is likely to be. Some of the most popular social media platforms include:
How to set up your social media presence
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. It helps customers searching in your area to find you business. You can display:
To get started, set up a free business profile and add in your information.