Mastering Social Media for Roofing Companies
Where to Start With Social Media Marketing
Simply posting content for your roofing company is not enough; you'll need a specific plan in place, which all starts with being specific about the audience you want to target, the type of content you create, and more.
While the ultimate goal of social media marketing for roofers may be to generate leads, it's essential to step back and be more precise in your objectives.
Leads come after you have an audience, but to develop an audience, you have to know exactly who you're talking to and what value to bring them so that the audience can grow.
1. Choose a Target Audience
Do you aim for commercial or residential leads? This decision influences the choice of platforms and the type of content you create. A property manager has different questions than a first-time homeowner. So, choosing exactly who you want to create content for will guide you in the following steps of creating the right content.
2. Picking The Social Media Platform
Once you know the type of customer you want to attract, you'll need to determine the best platform for reaching them. For example, B2B prospects are commonly found on LinkedIn, while Facebook can be leveraged for more community and locally-based objectives. You can never go wrong with YouTube since the content you create will show up in both YouTube and Google search results. Plus, YouTube is the largest social media platform.
3. Establish Your Value Offer
Social media requires a laser focus on the value you aim to bring your clients. You could build a legitimate community or just make them laugh. You could be the educational roofer or the repair expert. The more specific you can be, the stronger your brand will be.
Educational content is always my highest recommendation because it attracts prospects who are in the buyer's journey and asking questions. It also sets you apart as the expert in the roofing industry.
Ultimately, you want to find a way to bring value to your ideal client. But you'll also want to choose a plan that fits with your personality, brand, and is sustainable.
Example of a Starting Plan
Once you evaluate the topics above, you should come away with a plan that will look something like this:
Example 1
Audience: Facility managers of commercial buildings.
Platform: Local Facebook group, to build a sense of community and support around the shared trade of managing facilities.
Value Offered: Bring in third-party experts who speak to the needs of facility managers. Eventually, when they have roofing questions, you'll be there as an already trusted source.
Message: We want you (facility managers) to succeed in your role.
Example 2
Audience: Homeowners seeking solutions for roof leaks (notice we didn't say replacements, gutters, or commercial customers, those will all come, but first, keep the ad focused).
Platform: YouTube, since homeowners with questions about leaks will go to Google and YouTube for answers.
Value Offered: Explanations and solutions for every type of roof leak.
Message: There is a right and wrong way to roof; we only do it the right way. (Notice the message could be different; it could be, here is the DIY way of fixing the leak, but that isn't your goal.)
How to Win With Social Media
Everything listed above will help you start crafting a plan for promoting your roofing services. Next, we'll discuss the implementation part of social media marketing for roofers. There are strategic ways to create content and post it in order to increase brand awareness.
Use Both Ads And Organic Posting
The beauty of social media platforms is that you can post content for free, known as organic posting, and these posts can go viral. Advertising, on the other hand, requires ad spend to push the post out to specific people.
If you have an incredible offer, discount, or promise that sets you apart from the competition, then running ads can be successful. A common mistake is when a roofing business spends money on social media campaigns where the content doesn't draw people in. As a result, they keep on scrolling, and the money goes to waste.
Organic posting, on the other hand, will help you build your brand and generate leads long after the initial investment. For example, I have clients who created YouTube videos over 5 years ago that are still bringing in leads, and they aren't spending any money to promote the video.
I recommend you start with organic posting, be consistent, and observe how users interact. When you find a video that performs well, put some ad spend behind it to watch it grow. And continue developing that compelling offer that will grab peoples attention and set you apart from the competition.
Develop A Compelling Ad
Using a tool such as facebook ads, gives you the ability to choose specific demographics and or interests to display your ads to. While this can be helpful, its important to note that not every ad will perform well. Because an ad requires content and a message that grabs peoples attention, stops them from scrolling, is memorable and sets you apart from the competition. That sounds like a lot, but lets unpack it.
The first step is to stand out; you have less than two seconds to get someone to stop scrolling through their social media pages. You can achieve this with a shock factor, humor, or a visually striking image or video. Once you capture their attention and pique curiosity, you'll be able to deliver your message and encourage them to take action.
Regarding your message, it's imperative that you have a brand promise that sets you apart from the competition. For example, when a roofing company offers a money-back guarantee, that is a substantial offer because the value outweighs the risk.
Consistency Is Key
As with most digital marketing strategies, it's important to stay consistent with posting content organically. Whether it's once a day or once a week, work hard to stay disciplined and be consistent. Two of the biggest hurdles we see in social media marketing for roofers, is that they get too busy or set too high a standard for content.
It's okay to have content that is lower quality; people love authentic content. Every day, organically poor quality content goes viral and outperforms advertisements that have thousands of dollars invested. So don't be hard on yourself; just do what you can, and the quality will improve over time.
To protect against getting too busy and letting posting fall to the side, store up content for those times. Make an extra five videos and assign someone to post them for you when you get too busy. You'll be using your team to help and buffering for the inevitable.
Think Like a Homeowner, Not a Roofer
Quite often, I see companies in the roofing industry create content they would enjoy, focusing on topics that are amusing or interesting to roofers. However, in doing so, they often lose the attention of the homeowner. The questions, needs, and concerns of a homeowner are quite different from those of a roofer. Therefore, the content needs to be tailored to the needs of potential clients.
Ask your sales team about the types of questions they answer during in-home sales appointments, or consider what potential customers ask when calling the roofing business for the first time. This will give you ideas for content creation, because if they are asking, it means someone else, if not them, is also searching for the same answers on Google.
Utilize Both Business and Personal Brands
A personal brand would encompass the owner's personal social media pages. There are great advantages to this because a personal page can do things a roofing business page can't. Additionally, your personal page has the ability to reach your friends and family, showcasing your work and ensuring you remain top of mind.
Unless your friends and family see you regularly talking about your roofing services online, they will most likely forget. It's nothing personal; it's just how we all operate—out of sight, out of mind.
Business pages have limitations, but personal pages don't have the same restrictions. So, for a roofing contractor, I can't stress enough the value of also staying active on your own personal platforms.
DIY or Get Help
If you decide to tackle this digital marketing project alone, you might face a learning curve as you figure out the different dynamics of the platforms. But it's absolutely doable. I would recommend that you find the form of content that works best for your personality and time. You might feel comfortable writing—great, write articles on LinkedIn or your website. Those articles can later be turned into other forms of content. Or perhaps you feel comfortable on camera; then, make videos teaching homeowners about roofing.
Getting help with your social media could start from within your team, with others creating video content, helping you post, or even having several team members post content on their personal pages.
Alternatively, you could choose to hire an agency to create content for you. This can save you time and potentially keep you from having to be on camera. But remember, it's not just about posting; it's about what you post. Your highest priority should be to bring value to your existing and potential customers.
Ideas For Social Media Content
Your online reputation is more than just reviews, it includes what you do on social media. Below are ideas you can implement on your social media channels.
Videos > Pictures
Videos of your roofing projects have a greater potential to engage your audience with your content. Create videos that showcase your job sites, your team, trucks, etc. Also, make educational videos that discuss the products, benefits, and your industry knowledge.
Before & After
Showcase "Before and After" transformations, as this content never gets old, and people love transformational stories. Consider adding captions to describe the challenges of the job and invite users to engage with you in the comments section.
"How-To's"
Publish "How-To's" and educational content. This can be done with videos, infographics, or even downloadable documents that explain roofing dynamics in detail. A "how-to" video can be highly effective for showcasing your knowledge and setting you apart from the competition.
Interview Custoemers
Interview customers, asking them to explain their experience of choosing a roofing contractor and then their experience with you. It can be a short clip or a longer video. Even a voice recording could be used while a photo slideshow is playing.
Selfie Interviews
Selfie interview videos are a great idea. Go around your office or a job site and ask your team questions about roofing or their experience as a roofer and working at your company. Even sharing personal details about hobbies and interests can be beneficial because it brings a more human element to your digital marketing.
Repurpose Content
Update, repurpose, and recycle top-performing content. After you've been posting for a while, look for the content that has performed the best. Try creating newer, improved versions, or combine what you already have to create a new form. For example, all your best-performing photos can be turned into a video slideshow.
Local Events
Promote local events and community news. This gives you the opportunity to tag other pages in your post, which can increase attention to your page. You can also find ways to volunteer time to events and post about it, showcasing your involvement in the community.
Document Everything
This might not sound too exciting, but it can be powerful. Make short videos of yourself explaining everything you're doing, whether it's meeting with the team, visiting a job site, or solving a problem. This adds a personal touch to your roofing marketing, allowing people to get to know you and your team better.
Why Social Media Marketing for Roofers
There are many benefits to social media marketing for roofers, from lead generation to nurturing past customers and more. In fact, social media campaigns have surpassed email marketing by a long shot. The power you have to get roofing leads from Facebook ads, engage with your audience, and showcase your work is unparalleled.
Your competition isn't doing it. Every roofer has a roofing website, but not all of them have a YouTube channel. Yet YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Take an audit of where your competition doesn't have a social media presence and start there; you'll instantly have an advantage in getting new leads.
You'll be able to nurture past customers. It's kind of ironic, but we sometimes forget the word "social" in social media posts. We have an opportunity to stay connected to our customers in real ways. As you produce valuable content on your platforms, invite customers to follow you on those other social media channels.
Su Vista is a Trusted Marketer for Roofing Companies
If you're seeking assistance in managing social media campaigns, improving brand awareness, or reaching your target audience, we are here to help. We specialize in social media marketing for roofers. With years of experience running a successful roofing company and effectively managing marketing for roofers across the United States, we understand the struggles of lead generation.
Top-Rated Solutions for Roofing Marketing
No matter your marketing needs, we offer top-rated solutions for all your social media profiles. From best practices to industry-specific advantages we've cultivated from years of generating roofing leads, our services are tailored specifically to the needs of a roofing company.
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Reach Out Today for a Free Marketing Audit
Your journey to a thriving, lead-generating roofing company begins with reaching out to Su Vista. Take the first step towards increasing your leads and outpacing your competition by contacting us today! While social media marketing for roofers is a specialty, we also offer free marketing audits tailored to your company's needs. Contact us today to schedule your marketing audit.