When it comes to roofing postcards, the questions are simple. Does direct mail still work for roofing companies? Are roofing flyers worth printing and distributing to local homeowners? Roofing contractors want to know these answers before investing capital into producing these marketing materials.
As for the numbers, consumers generally like receiving direct mail, and it’s reflected in the statistics. For example, approximately 73% of American consumers prefer direct mail contact because they can read it at their convenience.
Like most other marketing strategies, these tactics work when done correctly. As a result, Roofer’s Guild will outline seven helpful tips for maximizing your roofing postcards, flyers, and mailers in 2024.
1) Keep your Options Open
Roofing is a very seasonal business. When the rain, snow, or hail is falling, you probably have no shortage of leads. However, when the skies clear up, you may find that your phone goes silent. This is why it’s a good idea to have a couple of roofing postcard templates ready to go as the weather dictates.
For example, you can have one template that speaks explicitly to the needs of people dealing with snow, rain, or hail damage.
For example, an image of a snow-covered or leaky roof may be just what you need to get people thinking about the condition of their roofs in the winter.
So, this template would be great to send out to the local market during winter. But what about springtime?
This is where a second postcard template comes in handy. To keep the jobs coming in fair weather, have a postcard template that you can deploy in the off-season. For example, spring and summer have been identified as the best time for people to buy homes.
And what do people need when they list or buy a home? Roof inspections/repairs, of course! For the off-season, think of knocking up a postcard that promotes your roof inspection and repair service.
Maybe include an image of an old, shabby-looking roof to get people to consider the current state of their own roofs.
2) Use Analytics
Neighborhood or regional analytics can be beneficial in your direct mailing campaign. Using these analytics tools will make your campaign more effective and efficient.
Suppose you are blindly sending out roofing postcards to the local neighborhoods. In that case, you are probably wasting a good amount of money. On the other hand, printing and sending mailers aren’t cheap, so neighborhood analytics is essential.
Don’t send your roofing postcards to new housing developments because they will already have brand-new roofs installed.
Instead, use neighborhood analytics to help you find areas with older homes that are more likely to need some kind of repair.
You can also check out which areas of your city or neighborhood are most affected by adverse weather. Targeting these areas may yield the best ROI for your direct mailing campaign.
3) Personalize the Message
As much as possible, make the copy of the postcard personal. Of course, the easiest way to do that is simply using the recipient’s name. But you can also personalize the message. For instance, you can customize the messaging based on the customer’s previous services, i.e., shingle repair.
Think about the everyday roofing needs that follow after their paid service. Or think about the common concerns after they paid for that specific service and tailor your message to those concerns.
On the other hand, avoid using trickery like printed text that emulates handwriting. People aren’t as susceptible as marketers make it seem. If anything, most people will resent your attempt to trick them and tear your mailer to shreds with a look of disdain and disgust on their faces.
Keep your personalization transparent and straightforward. Of course, you should have records of everyone on your mailing list, including which services they’ve used and inquired about.
4) Utilize Relevant Imagery
People in a neighborhood with smaller homes probably won’t respond well to roofing postcards with images of decadent estates. However, you will know where the postcards are going in most cases, so make sure your imagery is relatable to the recipients.
As much as you can, make the homes used in your postcards look like the homes of the people receiving them. For example, many royalty-free image websites feature pictures of residential homes.
The idea is to connect with the recipient by communicating your understanding of their specific needs. For example, suppose the images on your mailer match the style of home they currently reside in. In that case, you create a non-verbal trust indicator.
5) Focus on Text
The text of the postcard is just as important as the images. One tactic that we have seen work for many roofing companies around the country is simply including the name of the city or neighborhood.
People respond more when they see a local company instead of some faceless, giant national roofing chain. Mentioning the name of the city or neighborhood, or even just mentioning that yours is a local roofing company, will make your company more natural.
The text should be concise and get to the point quickly. Homeowners don’t want to read a novel and are quick to toss your mailer in the recycling bin. To capture their attention, get to your punchline within the first sentence.
6) Include an Offer
It never hurts to include a special offer on your postcard. This immediately gives more value to the piece of paper that consumers get in the mail. Instead of just a piece of roofing mail, they will view it as having value to them, even if it’s not immediate value.
When an offer is included, people tend to keep postcards around instead of throwing them away. These offers are called calls to action on a digital ad or website promotion, but the same logic applies to mailers.
Homeowners get their fair share of junk mail, making an urgent CTA essential to avoiding a toss into the trash can or recycling bin. Your best chance will be with legitimate offers rather than ones that mislead the homeowner, who may fail to read the fine print.
7) Multi-Channel Roofing Marketing
Roofing postcards are an excellent strategy for marketing your company locally. But for the most effective approach, you have to target your customers everywhere they are.
Consider professional roofing SEO and digital marketing services so your postcards have a more significant impact.
The numbers don’t lie: roofing postcards and direct mailers should still be a part of your general marketing efforts. However, most homeowners will research your company further by searching its brand name on Google.
As a result, failure to implement SEO and reputation management may negate the impact of your mailers, even if you properly design them. In 2024, multi-channel marketing will foster trust and increase conversions.
But just because direct mailers and roofing postcards are older and conceptually easier to understand than SEO doesn’t mean you won’t hit a creative speed bump.
