Roofing is competitive. It’s also lucrative, with the average cost for a roof replacement in the U.S. being $6,700 to $80,000. With these numbers in mind, your roofing business can’t afford to miss out on high-quality leads.
However, if you’re anything like most roofing businesses, you’re likely missing out on an underutilized strategy. While most roofing companies focus on traditional marketing, email marketing is waiting to help you convert more leads into repeat business.
But there’s a problem: it’s easy to forget about the power of email marketing until you notice how much revenue you’ve potentially left on the table.
A Missed Opportunity That’s Costing You Thousands
Picture this: a prospect reaches out for a roofing estimate but decides to wait on the project. You file their info away and forget about them. Months later, they’re still thinking about getting their roof fixed, but instead of contacting you, they hire your competitor who’s been emailing them helpful maintenance tips, exclusive offers, and reminders. You just missed out on thousands (or tens of thousands) in revenue because you fell off their radar.
That’s the power of email marketing. It lets your business stay front and center whether your prospect wants to buy today or three years from now. In fact, for every $1 spent on email marketing, $36 is made in return, according to research. That equals an astounding 3600% ROI.
Let’s dive into 11 tips to help you turn email marketing into a revenue-driving machine for your roofing business.
1. Become a List-Building Machine
Your email list is gold. Start building it today if you haven’t already. Collect emails from every job, every quote request, and even casual website visitors. Use your site, social media, and face-to-face interactions to gather as many emails as possible. Think of your list as a direct line to potential revenue—you’re losing every time you don’t ask for that email.
Pro Tip: Train your staff to capture contact information, including email, at every (and any interaction.)
2. Segment Your Audience Like a Pro
Treating every contact the same way is like using a hammer for every job. Segment your audience into groups: prospects, recent customers, and long-time clients. Personalized emails (like offering a discount for repeat customers or sending reminders to prospects) get opened and drive action. This means more opens, more clicks, more ROI.
Pro Tip: Use popular email marketing tools to simplify the segmentation and automation process.
3. Nail Your First Impression with a Welcome Series
When someone joins your email list, don’t just send a generic “thanks.” Wow them! Send a welcome email series with your best resources, a quick intro to your services, and a special offer just for them. The first few emails are where you set the tone, show your expertise, and hook them in.
Pro Tip: List 5 common questions or concerns clients have with hiring a roofing business. Use those in your series.
4. Provide “Did-You-Know” Roofing Tips and Insider Knowledge
Your emails shouldn’t be all sales, all the time. Share useful, actionable advice. Things like “How to Spot Roof Damage Before Winter” or “The 5-Minute Gutter Check for Homeowners.” When people see value in your emails, they look forward to them—and when they’re ready to hire, you’ll be top of mind.
Pro Tip: Create an actionable eBook, video series or other informative asset to educate (and pre-sell) prospects.
5. Showcase Real Stories and Transformations
Homeowners want to see real results, not just sales pitches. Share a quick before-and-after from a recent job or spotlight a glowing review. Real stories build trust and make your roofing company the obvious choice. This is how you turn subscribers into paying clients who feel like they know you.
Pro Tip: Invest in high-quality design to showcase compelling ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of clients’ roofs.
6. Run Limited-Time Offers that Create Urgency
People respond to urgency. Send out a seasonal offer or time-limited discount—like 15% off for spring maintenance or winter check-ups. Adding a countdown timer to your email (yes, you can do that!) makes them act now, not “sometime later.” Urgency boosts bookings like nothing else.
Pro Tip: Determine a customer’s average lifetime value and then reverse engineer an amazing deal they can’t refuse.
7. Remind Them When It’s Time for Maintenance
Don’t wait for your customers to remember—they have busy lives! Set up automated reminders for routine roof inspections, especially before or after big weather events. Remind them of the risks of neglecting maintenance and help them see the value in keeping their roof in top shape. You’ll build trust and ensure they keep coming back to you.
Pro Tip: Automate your email marketing to automatically send personalized reminders.
8. Set Up a Nurture Sequence for Cold Leads
Just because someone’s not ready to buy now doesn’t mean they won’t be later. Send a nurturing sequence every few months with helpful info, seasonal reminders, and soft offers. You’ll stay on their radar, and when they’re ready to pull the trigger, you’ll be the first name they think of.
Pro Tip: Stick to a consistent schedule for nuture emails (i.e., once a week or bi-weekly) to build long-term trust.
9. Write Irresistible Subject Lines
Want people to read your emails? Start with a killer subject line. Instead of “Roofing Services Update,” try “Is Your Roof Ready for Winter’s Worst?” or “Get a Free Roof Check Before Storm Season.” Good subject lines tap into curiosity and urgency, making your open rates soar.
Pro Tip: Review the subject lines you’re most likely to open. Add your own spin on them for your roofing business.
10. Drive Home Your Unique Selling Point (Every Time)
What makes you stand out? Maybe it’s your satisfaction guarantee, your years in the business, or your quick turnaround time. Whatever it is, make sure every email reinforces why your roofing company is the only logical choice. When customers see what makes you different, they’re less likely to choose anyone else.
Pro Tip: Always keep your unique selling point top-of-mind and find creative ways to communicate it.
11. Always Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Your emails should have a purpose, whether it’s scheduling a free inspection, downloading a guide, or just clicking through to your blog. Every email needs a clear, bold CTA—don’t leave them guessing about the next step. Tell them exactly what to do, and watch your conversions increase.
Pro Tip: Never have prospects ‘guess’ at what step they need to take. Be direct, clear and tell them exactly what to do.
Email Isn’t Going Anywhere. Take Advantage (Or Miss Out.)
Email marketing isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have. With a solid strategy, your roofing business can capture more leads, turn cold prospects into loyal customers and generate more revenue without relying solely on word-of-mouth. But you don’t have to go it alone.
Slamdot’s digital marketing experts specialize in home service businesses, just like yours, helping you drive more ROI with no-nonsense, results-focused strategies. We handle it all—from building and segmenting your list to creating email sequences that convert—so you can focus on what you do best.
Ready to see how email can transform your business? Request a Fast Quote and we’ll discuss how we can help!
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