If you’re not using email marketing in your roofing company’s marketing strategy, you’re missing out. Whether you want to keep in touch with current roofing prospects or increase the number of contacts in your database, roofing email marketing can help.
Here at Equipter, we’ve put a few tips together to help master your email marketing game.
1. Collect email addresses with lead-generating content.
If you’re running low on roofing leads, consider creating gated content, or content that can only be accessed by your website visitors when they enter their contact information.
When creating lead-generating content, be sure it benefits your audience. Some examples of downloadable content your roofing company can provide include:
- White papers (e.g., How the Roof Replacement Process has Changed Over the Years and include your own process)
- Checklists (e.g., things to look for in a reputable roofing contractor)
- Infographics (containing, for example, the cost of an average roof replacement and materials in addition to what usually gets replaced)
When you make it mandatory for visitors to download your content, you have the power to control what information you receive. Just keep in mind that the more information you require people to enter, the fewer submissions you’ll receive.
Once you receive their contact info, you can automatically add contacts into a segmented list to send them marketing emails after they receive their download.
2. Segment your email lists.
What does that mean? To segment your email list, go through your current list and separate contacts into new lists. According to MarketingProfs, “Marketers who segment their email recipient lists achieve 39% higher open rates, 28% lower unsubscribe rates, 24% better deliverability.”
Some categories to consider include:
- New Homeowners
- Recent Free Quote Recipients
- Residential Roof Leads
- Commercial Roof Leads
- Lead-Gen Content Recipients
This helps you deliver the right content to the right people. For example, someone who fills out a form to download an infographic called “Homeowner’s Ideal Roofing Contractor Checklist” would get segmented into your Residential Roofing Leads and Lead-Gen Content Recipients lists. You could then set up an email automation series that sends that person a set number of emails related to that infographic.
If you plan to offer an end-of-year discount for a new roof at the start of next year’s roofing season, you could create an email campaign for the contacts in your Recent Free Quote Recipients list, or contacts who’ve received a quote within the last three months but haven’t committed.
3. Develop a regular email followup system for your roofing contacts.
Building and maintaining relationships with customers is one of the most important keys to success. According to an article on IMPACT, one study discovered, “Lead nurturing emails get 4-10 times the response rate compared to standalone email blasts.” No matter whether they’re new leads or roofing customers from 10 years back, it’s important to stay in touch with each contact.
Those in your Recent Free Quote Recipients list should filter into an automation or followup email series that contains reminders and benefits associated with replacing their roofs. This shows that you care about the well-being of your customers and their homes and keeps your company top of mind.
An added value for your customers–and something that has the power to turn leads into customers–is an email newsletter. Whether you send it monthly, quarterly, or annually, it’s a great way to keep your contacts up to date with your business and provide tips and tricks for extending the longevity of their roofs.
4. Use a professional email marketing platform.
The easiest way to send well-designed emails is to utilize a professional email marketing platform. Most platforms have pre-developed templates that allow you to simply change colors and add your own photos and messaging without having to design the layout yourself.
Mailchimp and Constant Contact are two popular email marketing platforms. If you run a HubSpot website, you can also use their email templates or build your own if you’re feeling particularly creative.
Be sure to do your research when you’re deciding which platform is best for your roofing email marketing strategy. Things to consider when choosing the right email marketing platform include:
- Email Templates
- Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)
- Capacity (how many contacts you can maintain and email at once)
If you need help choosing a solid CRM for your roofing company, take a look at Equipter’s article “CRM: Which Platform is Right for Your Roofing Company?”
5. Utilize customer reviews.
One of the most powerful [free] tools in any roofing company’s marketing arsenal is the collection of customer reviews. Unbiased reviews help increase a prospect’s confidence in your company. According to a study done by BrightLocal, consumers tend to read about 10 reviews before they’re comfortable trusting a company.
You can pull reviews from your Google Business Listing, Angie’s List, Houzz, or other platforms where customers can leave feedback on your company. You can even add a customer survey into your customer followup email series.
Incorporating reviews into your roofing email marketing helps boost credibility, especially when you link them to a customer story, case study, or project photo gallery on your website.
Emails are a crucial part of lead nurturing and customer care, increasing engagement with future and past customers. Want more tips on how to enhance your roofing company's sales and marketing strategies? Sign up for Equipter's monthly newsletter below.