Content Marketing - 3 Conversation Starters

Content marketing plays a strange role in your overall promotional plan. When the concept first came into focus earlier in the decade, it met with very mixed responses.

“Why on earth would we create content that doesn’t focus on promoting our brand?”
“Isn’t that the territory of home improvement magazines?”
“We don’t have the writing talent to create these materials.”
“That sounds like it takes too much time to keep up!”
“Why should we be the ones to strike up these conversations? Consumers already do that.”

Taking time to write outside of your immediate service portfolio might feel uncomfortable (or even unnatural), but so many businesses profit from the enterprise. Today, we’ll talk about how your roofing company can profit from a sophisticated content marketing strategy. Be sure to look for our 3 conversation starters that offer natural ways to lead back into your services! Let’s get started.

What is Content Marketing?

Content Marketing Material Earns a Featured Snippet on Google Search

Content Marketing May Also Land You Featured Snippets Like These!

Before we go any further, we need to define content marketing. This is the process of engaging potential clients through insightful, well-crafted, and valuable content. The focus is not necessarily to promote your services and/or products, but to show context(s) that your services might shine in. You’ll see some fitting examples of context-building in our suggestions later on.

There are many types of media that roofing contractors use to engage with their target market. Popular examples include:

Company blogging
YouTube videos
Facebook posts
Instagram stories
Infographics

For new roofing contractors, our team at Roofer’s Guild typically recommends beginning with a simple medium like blogging. You can easily write about questions your customers like to ask, such as how to choose a new roof or similar topics. It doesn’t require a lot of technical expertise, and the consistent production of new content on your website looks good for roofing SEO.

Content Marketing is Not Aimless

Contrary to popular belief, writing about just anything that comes to mind doesn’t provide value for your business or your clients. Content should be at least loosely related to your services and topics you know clients really care about. While it may be fun to write about your latest hunting or fishing trip, you need to focus primarily on the industry and related client concerns. Brief mentions are okay since they showcase your team’s personality, but leave the full stories for your personal Facebook, Instagram, etc.

The best content marketing campaigns address prevalent situations that your clients will look online to research. If you don’t know how to find these hot topics, try utilizing some helpful consumer research tools. Answer the Public is a favorite among our writers at Roofer’s Guild! You can also try typing in some common questions in Google and looking for “People Also Ask” features in the results.

The Lifecycle of Content

Content Lives On Long After Publication. Source: Content Strategy Inc.

Taking the time to create fresh content may feel like a time-consuming challenge, especially if the material only lasts for a short while. Thankfully, roofing contractors can easily reuse and refine content over the years to create even more value for their business and clients. Since the industry doesn’t change very quickly, this means that content has a longer lifetime before it needs changes.

Roofing systems naturally require maintenance and repairs to keep their functionality. Likewise, content needs to be updated to reflect current industry standards and practices. For instance, if Conklin products change over the course of a few years, you’ll need to update your blog posts or videos to show it.

3 Topics for Roofing Content Marketing

Odds are you’ve already discussed these topics with your clients. They naturally segway into common roofing services, but they also provide real client value. We’ll talk about how to take each topic and develop a working content marketing campaign.

Energy Saving Home Improvement

Energy-efficiency offers a very lucrative conversation for bringing up premium roofing solutions like metal panels, foam, PVC, and others. That’s because homeowners and businesses crave savings, especially when coupled with enhanced property values. Many roofing contractors like to utilize this topic. However, too many fall into the trap of turning their “Consumer Guide” into a glorified service pitch. That sends readers running for the hills. While all content marketing materials should end with a short section for your company, keep in mind that 90% of your conversation must focus on consumer topic.

A Roofing Company Writes a Blog for Content Marketing

You’re a Roofing Company. It’s Okay to Talk About Roofing Issues! Source: Apex Roofing

How to Tackle Energy-Savings

Do your research!
Find respected authorities on the subject and quote them (ex: Energy.gov; Energystar.gov).
Create a list of applicable solutions.
Incorporate related, high-quality photos.
Write a blog.
Review and make your edits.
Have someone else do an error check, then publish.
Post a link and short description of your blog in Facebook and/or Instagram.

Protecting Your Home From Storm Damage

This one ties in directly to roof damage repair and emergency services, which makes it a compelling topic for roofing companies across the nation. Perform your own localized spin on the subject and throw in some handy tips that only an experienced professional can offer. Without overselling, you might even relay a personal experience or how your team might handle a situation. Focus on targeting the emotions a homeowner or business owner would feel in this stressful situation, and how they can prevent that in the future.

How to Tackle a Storm Damage Post

Draw from personal and professional experience.
Try using a client’s story.
Create a step by step guide for handling damage.
If you feel comfortable, create a helpful video tutorial.
Share with your Facebook Business and other social media profiles.

A Content Marketing Blog About Storm Damage

Find Your Client Hot Topic and Start Answering Questions! Source: Beartooth Exteriors

How to Handle Insurance After Storm Damage

Again, we have another easy tie-in for companies that offer insurance claim assistance. Post-storm damage repairs represent a very stressful challenge for homeowners, especially when insurance gets involved. For first time homeowners that aren’t familiar with the process, a simple how-to guide may provide all the insight they need. It will also familiarize them with your brand for future projects, or maybe even win you the repair project!

How to Tackle Insurance Discussions

Include a real life example.
Focus on the step by step process with a numbered checklist.
Provide insights into key consumer decisions (repair or replace, for example)
Include an FAQ section on related hot questions (consult Google’s “People Also Ask”)
Share on social media.

Metal roofing represents a fantastic, often lucrative opportunity for high-value projects. Yet many roofing contractors simply don’t know how to promote these efficient roofing materials. Some waste money in traditional advertising activities, while others experience zero results from their online marketing efforts. Instead of throwing your hands up in the air and doubling down on shingles, why not develop your own low-cost, high-reward strategy?

Today, we’ll discuss the various stages of consumer interest and how your roofing company can best take advantage of these opportunities. Our strategy digs deep into SEO for roofers (plus other online marketing channels), so don’t be surprised if we sound more technical than usual. We’ll do our best to clearly explain every marketing term as we go along, so expect lots of definitions. Your additional metal roofing leads will be worth the effort, so hang in there!

Now let’s get started!

A Quick Disclaimer

Where do the vast majority of consumers and businesses look these days when deciding where to find their roofing solutions? Online. Google Search acts as a starting point for billions of consumer inquiries, including those regarding roof installations. All of our recommendations below depend upon a well-crafted website optimized for search. If your website is performing poorly, or you aren’t how well your site is generating leads, consult a digital marketing professional before taking on these new activities.

The 4 Types of Micro-Moments Help Explain the Stages of Metal Roofing Interest. Source: Google

Understanding the Buyer Interest Cycle

Google defines four key categories that most consumer searches fall into. These “micro-moments” describe the user intent behind the Google searches:

“I Want to Know”
“I Want to Go”
“I Want to Do”
“I Want to Buy”

The first and the last types of micro-moments are the ones we are most interested in for metal roofing promotions. The others provide useful insights for your roofer SEO (search engine optimization), but that’s for another day’s discussion. “I want to know” moments mostly relate to topical research, when homeowners or businesses first begin their search for roof replacement options. “I want to buy” moments, on the other hand, involve searches with heavy purchase intent.

The most successful roofing contractors know how to pursue leads in each stage, and in-between.

Early Stage Promotion – Developing Interest

Indirect Topic Promotion Through Content Marketing

In the early stages of interest, future customers may not even be looking for a roof replacement in the near future. In fact, they might even have their mind on the subject at all. At this stage, we’re simply sowing seeds that may or may not mature into new leads down the road. In a way, roofers are actually promoting the topic of metal roofing, rather than their own brands.

In other words, early stage promotion falls into the realm of content marketing.

Metal Roofing Mentioned in a LEED Building Article

Energy Efficiency Provides the Perfect Introductory Topic for Metal Roofing!

If your business hasn’t tried content marketing yet, it’s worth experimenting with. Not only does it have value for your roofing SEO performance, content marketing also requires little monetary investment on your company’s part.

Where to Invest Your Time (Plus Benefits)

Company Blogs – SEO ranking perks; builds industry authority
Facebook Posts – promote popular stories with Facebook Ads later
Instagram Stories – share pictures of your latest metal roofing projects
YouTube Videos – explain differences between types of roofing

Remember, content marketing doesn’t mean you never take the chance to promote your brand! In fact, every blog, Facebook post, and/or YouTube video should link back to your website, where potential leads can continue to grow. Of course, there are some more direct ways to promote metal roofing installation!

Direct Promotion via Website Content

As always, your greatest online marketing tool isn’t your Facebook Business account or paid ads. It’s your website! Almost every digital marketing activity begins and ends with your company website. Ensuring that your site ranks well and continues to earn leads is the entire point behind SEO for roofers.

Insightful Blog Content Provides Guidance for Purchase Decisions. You Get to Promote Your Company Too!

It’s okay to dig deep into the roofing category you’re trying to promote! Talk about what you love most about metal roofing, and which brands provide the best value. Just focus on providing valuable, insightful content that proves why homeowners (and businesses) should be interested.

Of course, there are many ways to promote metal roofing within your website.

Top Promotional Activities

Embedded YouTube Videos
Infographics
Links to Related Consumer Publications
Blog Posts

Videos and other rich visual media typically provide the best results. They make the benefits of metal roofing feel more real than plain text. These resources also make for great social media content later on! Make such a strong impression that your company name automatically gets on a potential client’s list when they are ready to start the purchase process.

Late Stage Promotion – Buying Intent

Earlier, we talked about the four key micro-moments that consumers experience when searching online. We’ve talked about the first, research-oriented moment. Now we’re moving onto “I want to buy”. Consumers and businesses in this category have the highest levels of purchase intent, which is why roofing contractors struggle so fiercely to earn their attention. If your business wants to thrive in the online marketplace, you’ll need to know how to capitalize on this user intent!

If you want to dominate in the “I want to buy” category, you’ll need to master three critical areas:

Organic Search Optimization
Paid Search Campaigns
Citations & Reputation Management

A Local Service Pack for Roofing Installation

Few Listings Earn Such Incredible Traffic as Local Packs!

Local SEO

Search Engine Optimization: Local Results

We’ve already discussed how important website optimization is for your long-term success. But what does an optimized website even look like? There’s the website design elements, such as the company logo, calls to action, and navigation menu. Then there’s the content within the pages themselves that drive results. To capture the best results for metal roofing prospects, you’ll need to make sure your pages are keyword-optimized.

How to Optimize Content Keywords

Include local city, state additions to your focus keyword.
Sprinkle variations of your focus keywords throughout the pages.
Mention related roofing topics.
Don’t stuff your page with too many keywords!
Include related phrases in your image attributes.

Be sure all your service pages are neatly tucked under a handful of primary service categories. After all, you don’t want people to skip your website because they can’t find your standing seam metal roofing page beneath the green roofing services!

Paid Search Ads

Search Adverts for Metal Roofing: Paid Results

As you can imagine, the competition for metal roofing installation is extremely fierce when it comes to local Google results. Organic (unpaid) keyword results can be very difficult to come by, especially from brand new roofing contractors. That’s why many companies choose to skip the competition through paid Google Ads. These campaigns allow roofers to advertise their metal roofing services within a specified geographical radius, your service area.

These ads have several alluring advantages over traditional advertising.

They typically get top placement on Google results pages.
Roofers only pay when people click on their ads.
They come with contact information for the company.
The ads run on a strict budget they won’t ignore.

If your business only recently launched a website for the first time, Google’s paid ads offer a simple way to generate leads quickly. Many roofing contractors experience a double return on their investment, something not every marketing service can offer! While roofers should ultimately look to earn the majority of their business through organic search, paid ads are still a fantastic option for capturing buy-ready consumers.

Citations and Reviews

Business Listings & Quality Reviews: Natural Results

At Roofers Guild, we’ve talked about how consumer perception can be improved by showcasing your company’s experience, authority, and trustworthiness. That’s why large roofing companies advertise their OSHA safety standard compliance and other credentials. The most essential indicator of trustworthiness however, is client reviews. People trust online reviews almost as much as they trust recommendations from a friend or family member.

Where to Collect Reviews

Google Reviews
Facebook
Better Business Bureau
Yelp
Angie’s List
Home Advisor

These days, Google rewards broad collections from a variety of review sources. In other words, if all your reviews are coming in through Angie’s List (or even Google Reviews), they probably won’t have the impact you’d hope for. For best results, try using a dependable widget (like Righteous Reviews) to collect them all into your website. Be sure to get your roofing company listed in Google My Business and as many other free citation sources as possible!

A Closing Note

Roofers rely on a wide variety of lead generating activities for their ongoing growth. With so many consumers and businesses using Google Search and other engines to find their essential services, it only makes sense to pursue these leads online. It’s especially important to learn the basics behind search engine optimization and paid ads! You can use these principles for metal roofing or any other one of your services.

If you have any questions about how to promote metal roofing, or your business in general, talk with one of our experts at Roofer’s Guild! We’re always happy to answer your questions. Call (877) 282-9868 to learn more.

Imagine sitting down in your office. While budgeting your time for the day, a project manager calls to tell you that OSHA wants to penalize your company over $130,000 for fall prevention violations and other safety shortcomings. How does that make you feel? Not good!

That’s a situation that Five Star Commercial Roofing found itself in this month, after the Indiana state commissioner of labor filed a complaint against the company for OSHA safety violations. According to Star Press, the Hartford City commercial roofing business agreed to pay the fines, in addition to undergoing additional training for fall protection. While the fines and training hours may represent a minor setback for this prolific business, the damage to the respected company’s reputation may take longer to repair.

Worker Follows OSHA Safety Guidelines With Fall Prevention Rails

Safety Guidelines Keep Your Business From Expensive Fines and Bad Press!

OSHA safety standards guide countless roofing construction projects across the US. Even if your state of operation has adopted a different regulatory standard, your business still feels the effects of OSHA mandates. It’s a cross we all have to bear in the industry, but not one without potential benefits. What if you could take all the staff meetings, boring training seminars, and certifications and turn them into fuel for your company’s marketing efforts?

Today, we’re going to talk how to do just that. Here are three steps to turn your OSHA safety guidelines into a lead-generating tool!

Step #1: Go Through the Training Process

To leverage the marketing benefits of OSHA training, you’ll need to complete each of the crucial sessions and certifications required by your state. That means everything from competent person training to fall prevention planning. If you’re wondering about what type of training is required for your company or how to become OSHA safety certified, check out their guide “Training Requirements in OSHA Standards.”

Don’t Forget to Take Photos While Completing Training Courses! Photo Source: osha.gov

As you and your employees undergo training, be sure to take plenty of photos of the team! Not only do these provide visible evidence of your company’s dedication to safety protocols, they also showcase the personal side of your business. You may also want to use these training sessions as topical fuel for your company blog (more on this later)!

Want to enhance the marketing value of your training even more? Start taking quality video of your achievements. Praise an employee for completing special certifications. Make a walkthrough video of completing an OSHA safety checklist for construction projects!

Step #2: Adapt to Your Client’s Point of View

Let’s be honest here. Your commercial clients aren’t wildly concerned with OSHA safety requirements for working on roofs. What does concern them are additional costs and delays to their single ply roofing restoration or specialized foam system installation. Clients look for qualified roofing companies that produce reliable, timely results.

So the real question is: how can your marketing team translate an admittedly mundane activity into something that builds confidence in your client prospects?

A Crane Lifts a Heavy Object Onto a Roof

How Does Employee Safety Standards Help Your Clients Save Time and Money?

For every training seminar and online course your team completes, ask yourself a few questions.

What elements of these OSHA safety standards matter most to my team?
How does following these guidelines ultimately save time and money for my client?
What media can we use to capture and communicate what we’ve learned with potential clients?

If you want your clients to value safety, show them how it matters to you personally, your employees, and your company as a whole. Never underestimate the value of enthusiasm! After all, if you don’t value safety training, your clients aren’t going to either. Try to convey how OSHA safety standards for fall prevention (for example) have enabled your employees to work with confidence, producing faster results and even better quality work!

Step #3: Generating Ideas for Your Website and Social Media

So which media provide the best value for your new marketing material and what platforms should you share the content from? When it comes to digital marketing, we generally recommend launching new content from your website first. That’s because your company website usually offers the greatest exposure and the best potential to convert interested businesses into clients. You can easily spread out the content to social media and other platforms afterwards.

Worker Fulfills OSHA Safety Guidelines During Roofing Project

Video is Considered Rich Content, Providing Better Engagement With Clients.

Now, what sort of media should you consider as you prepare your material? You have many options to choose from, including:

Images
Video
Infographics
Text

Most companies stick with a simple OSHA logo and a short text insert of their policies. The end result feels more like a disclaimer than a point of pride for the business. Others dedicate an entire page to their OSHA standard compliance, but rarely take full advantage of their hard training. If you really want the greatest impact, start with a page that combines multiple forms of rich media!

Compelling Marketing Strategies With OSHA Safety

We’ve already mentioned some very lucrative ways to showcase your company’s dedication to safety.

Celebratory videos of your employees completing competent person training. These go well with blog and community posts!
Your team can also create a “What is an OSHA Safety Plan?” video, personally walking through how safety features enhance project timeliness and reduce costs.
You may even schedule a recorded walkthrough with a client, pointing out important safety elements involved in the construction project.

Take this content, embed the video in your website, and share the footage on your social media outlets! If your marketing team doesn’t have the capacity for creating a lot of video footage, you can instead explain your OSHA safety standards and benefits in a detailed infographic. Just remember, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Thick blocks of text aren’t going to convey the values you want to advertise to prospective clients. Video, images, and infographics (mixed with text) offer the best bang for your buck! Optimize your content well, and you may even find your guides showing up in featured snippets on Google search results.

Join the Roofers Guild!

For more tips on optimizing your website, creating an online marketing strategy, or developing promotional opportunities, talk with one of the experts at Roofers Guild! We’d be happy to answer those hot questions you have about growing your business. Simply call our team at (877) 282-8968.

As a collective of self-improving roofing companies, our opinion is often sought after by those looking to diversify their revenue channels. One topic that comes up consistently is hail damage roofing. Roofing contractors looking to expand their business by working hail storm damage repair should understand what they’re getting into, and the pros and cons of working these kinds of jobs. Companies that market services tailored to hail damage often say that they will work with insurance companies on behalf of the client. For those new to this particular niche, grasping its intricacies can prove overwhelming, at least initially. Roofer’s Guild’ community blog will break down the nuance of hail damage leads, and how to generate them.

Marketing For Hail Damage Roof Repair

When promoting your roofing company online, you’ll want to steer clear of the label “storm chaser.” This term’s connotation is very negative within the roofing industry and among homeowners. Storm chasers goal is to visit areas recently impacted by severe weather, and to collect insurance money in exchange for their repairs. Since this is often of no cost to the homeowner, they can be tricked into agreeing to terms with these fly-by-night contractors. Here’s how to avoid this label:

Establish Trust: Make a name for your company doing more traditional roofing jobs first
Maintain Contact: Leave the lines of communication open with your clients
Generate Reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google and Yelp
Stay Local: You can venture into surrounding areas, but you won’t want to travel too far

Applying these methods will help you evade the cynical label that is “storm chaser.” Failure to exercise these techniques can spell trouble for your business. The reason why storm chasers are considered untrustworthy is because the work performed is often subpar, and the roof ends up failing years later, when the damage is no longer covered by insurance. By this time the roofers have moved onto other regions and are orchestrating similar schemes on unsuspecting communities.

So You’re Saying I Shouldn’t Work Hail Storms?

Not at all. In fact, we encourage roofing contractors to pursue hail damage leads within their service areas. The caveat however is that discretion is advised. Be careful about how you market your services, and ensure that professionalism remains synonymous with your company’s brand and logo.

How Does a Roofer Work With Insurance Companies?

When a homeowner files a claim, their property is inspected by an adjuster. Because customers often have previous relationships with roofers that they trust, they’ll ask that the roofer assesses the damage either prior to the adjuster’s inspection, or during it. As a roofing contractor you should market that you will work with insurance companies so that they don’t miss any signs of damage on your client’s roof. By ensuring your customer gets the fairest insurance claim, you further establish your company as reliable and trustworthy. In addition to the most obvious areas of damage, professional contractors should pay especially close attention to more subtle areas:

Decking
Paint
Gutters
Siding

It’s not that the insurance adjuster is presumed incompetent, it’s just that they lack certain qualities that your consumers value most. First, is the established relationship you have with your client. They simply trust your opinion more than the adjuster, especially because you are an impartial mediator in this process. Secondly, adjusters are often evaluating 8-10 roofs per day in areas recently hit by hail storms. The fact is, this redundancy gets exhausting, no matter how good the person is at their job. With this in mind, you shouldn’t take on the same workload as these adjusters, because you want a clear mind to notice subtle damages that they might miss.

PPC Targeting Hail Storms

Targeting a hail storm with PPC ads is not unethical as long as you do great work, and have established your company prior to promoting these services. This is yet another reason to follow the guidelines outlined in this post. As a roofer, image is 75% of the marketing game. And as a community of roofers, we can tell you that the image of a successful roofer contains defined qualities that are almost universally accepted as favorable by the target consumer, which in this case is local homeowners or building owners with roof problems. The qualities include:

Brand Recognition: A defined image that is recognizable by the consumer
Trustworthiness: A level of trust clients have with you as their roofer
Local Visibility: An extension of brand recognition, that is refined through a local lens

So how does all of this tie into pay per click? It’s fairly simple. In today’s market, customers will almost always double check business credentials before investing in them. What this means is that even if you pay to be #1 on Google, and a homeowner in need of hail damage repair clicks your website. They will STILL check your reviews before hiring you. This validates the concepts listed above, and is a primary reason why you’ll want to brand your roofing company in that vein. By joining the Roofer’s Guild, you can have access to exclusive content and resources, as well as discussion amongst contemporaries who face the same challenges that you and your employees do on a dialy basis.

Final Verdict

Hail Leads Require Pre-established Trust

Hail damage leads are legit, and branding your company as trustworthy can help you sustain these jobs whenever weather strikes your general area. Avoid adopting the label of a storm chaser as you can quickly become blacklisted in the digital age, where bad news travels at the speed of light. PPC advertising can help you generate leads during time periods directly after severe hail storms. Because your company will already be established as competent and authoritative, people won’t think twice about using your service. Focus on the following areas:

Branding: Develop an exclusive logo and website that displays testimonials among other things
Client Base: Form relationships with clients so you work with them on all of their roofing needs
Online Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp

No homeowner looks forward to a hail storm, but the fact of the matter is that they are part of a natural weather cycle. Having a roofer they can trust can be a stress alleviation for families. That’s exactly how you’ll want to brand your own company. While insurance companies are often helpful, the opinion of a professional roofer can ensure that process goes as smoothly as possible for the homeowner. If you are their #1 resource for roofing, it will also be representation on behalf of them. Building these kinds of trust levels with your clients is critical to netting hail damage repair jobs. Call (877) 282-8968 to learn more about membership with the Roofer’s Guild.

A Green Roof Can Refer to Vegetation-Based Roofs Or Simple Coatings

Roofer’s Guild is always on top of the latest trends in the commercial roofing industry. Once limited primarily to European countries, green roofs have emerged as a viable roofing system in the United States. As a community of contractors, it is our mutual responsibility to sort through the pros and cons of green roofs, and discern their most ideal application in the context of the commercial industry. Here’s what we know about green roofing:

“Green Roof” References Multiple Roofing Systems

The phrase “green roof” is used interchangeably in varying contexts. When someone describes a green roof, they are describing:

1.) A new roof with enhanced drainage, to go along with plants and vegetation

2.) An existing roof coated with an environmentally-friendly (“green”) topcoat

The first example represents a roof that is both literally and figuratively green. Not only does it help the environment, both locally, and at large, but it’s literally green in color. Onlookers will notice the roof, as it stands out from more traditional commercial roofing systems. The second example denotes a roof that is “green” in the sense that it is environmentally-friendly. The roof itself is not green in color, but only in philosophy.

Pros of Green Roofing

Having established what a green roof is allows us to delve deeper into its advantages and disadvantages. It’s not surprising that a green roof would have several environmental advantages. We detailed how “green” is often used as a term to describe environmentally beneficial items, whether they are roofing systems, or something else. Let’s take a look at some of green roofing’s pros:

1) Green Roofs Improve Drainage

Flat roofs often run into drainage problems which can gradually degrade their surface. Because of their lack of defined slope, stormwater really has nowhere to go. With plant-based green roofs, that problem is not only eliminated as a threat, but it is also converted into a benefit. Here’s how:

1.) Rainfall is stored in plants and released naturally
2.) Flooding in urban areas is reduced as a result

But what about “green” roofs that don’t host vegetation but are coated with environmentally-friendly substances? It depends. Some commercial roof coatings absorb standing water, while others to not. As a member of Roofer’s Guild, you’ll have access to a wide range of coatings, some which counteract the dreaded ponding water effect.

2) Green Roofs are Energy Efficient

If there’s one aspect to green roofs that is universal, it is energy efficiency. In fact, “green” is often used to describe materials that are energy efficient and sustainable, not just roofs. Insulation problems often sap a commercial building of its energy through the escape of cold air in the summer and hot air in the winter. Unsurprisingly, this loss of air has a butterfly effect that impacts energy bills, HVAC units, and interior comfort. A roof’s process of conserving energy is as follows:

1.) Absorb / Deflect Sunlight
2.) Decrease Roof Temperature
3.) Contain Air
4.) Curtail HVAC usage

As you might imagine, the process during the winter months is a little bit different, as its function depends more on curtailing air escape than deflecting sunlight. The impact is similar however, because less usage of HVAC units, whether they happen to be AC’s or furnaces, will lower energy bills considerably.

3) Green Roofs Improve Air Quality

Sustainable Roof Coating to Protect Environment

Coatings Discourage Collective Air Heating

Air pollution is a long-standing problem in urban areas. With so many industrial buildings close to one another, the community that breathes in byproducts, fumes, etc. tends to be exposed to greater health risks. One of the most appealing selling-points of green roofing is its ability to improve local air quality. Let’s take a look at the ways a green roof improves the air:

Dust Particles: Can reduce the amount of dust particles released into the air, which is a threat to community members
Sulfur Dioxide: Can reduce sulfur dioxide, a known air pollutant
Urban Island Heat Effect: Green roofs discourage this phenomenon in which groups of bunched up industrial roofs make the surrounding air hotter

Both kinds of green roofs will improve air quality, but full-scale vegetation-based roofs will have the greatest impact. Their plant-life surface discourages more dust than a commercial roof coating would alone, while redistributing stormwater into the atmosphere after processing. Coatings are still beneficial, especially regarding the Urban Island Heat Effect, which most every coating discourages.

Cons of Green Roofing

The Roofer’s Guild is a community of roofers whom values transparency above all else. We can’t help our fellow contractors if we don’t illustrate the ins and outs of the industry. While green roofs have their share of positive attributes, they are also not without their downside. Running a commercial building with a green roof is no picnic, even if it might look like one from the outside. Let’s take a look at some of green roofing’s primary cons:

1) Requires Vigilant Upkeep

Just like a garden takes work, so does a full-scale green roof with plants and vegetation. The maintenance required to keep the system functioning up to its potential is considerable, and something many consumers are not prepared for. To avoid getting a bad review or reputation, you’ll want to detail this attribute to prospective customers. Not only will you as a roofer be responsible for regular maintenance, but so will the building owners themselves. It includes:

Landscaping: Keeping weeds from growing around the vegetation, and preserving general appeal
Watering: Keeping the plants hydrated like with a garden

For coating-based green roofs, the types of maintenance will differ. Oftentimes coatings require far less upkeep than full-scale green roofs. You’ll want to review each of the commercial roof coatings options and be prepared to communicate which coatings will be the most or least demanding from a maintenance perspective. Remember, educated consumers make better decisions both for you and for themselves.

2) Costs More Money

That’s right, you guessed it, green roofs are quite expensive. As a roofing contractor you might consider that a bonus, but you’ll soon learn that very few businesses are looking to break the bank. To sell a green roof, you’ll want to highlight the financial reimbursement probabilities. For example, ask customers to consider expenses saved on:

Energy Bills
HVAC Equipment
Leaks / Moisture Repairs

Making sure your consumers understand the financial incentive to a green roof makes them less likely to cringe at the throughout of its upfront cost. They will also of course be cognizant of the maintenance frequency, which in some cases might include outsourcing the upkeep to a 3rd party. The overall expense of green roofing is notable, but it’s important to view it within the context of its overall function.

3) Prompts Structural Distress

The most common cause of early roof failure is structural damage. In fact, the best indicator of whether a roof can still be salvaged through restoration, or must be replaced, is structural damage. So what causes structural roof damage? One major threat is excess weight. Full-scale green roofs add considerable weight to a building while “green” coatings add almost none. Consider the differences below:

Green Roof W/ Plants & Vegetation: Adds considerable weight to the roof and requires accommodating structural support
Green Roof Coating: Generally applied in liquid form, which adds no discernible weight

A full assessment of the structure should be conducted before proceeding with green roof installation. As for coatings, the surface should be cleaned and cleared of debris prior to application. Most green coatings can actually reduce weight by discouraging standing water which can tip the scale if left unresolved. The last thing a customer wants is a collapsed roofing system.

Final Verdict on Green Roofs

Contractors Guide to Green Roofing At the end of the day, green roofs are a system most commercial contractors should offer. While you may not get a large percentage of your consumer base jumping on a full-scale green roof project, many more will be intrigued by green roof coatings. Still, businesses with major capitol might invest in a green roof in efforts to be progressive and to help the environment. Educating them about the pros and cons outlined in this article helps keep you in the clear of any misunderstandings, and can lead to more jobs down the road.

If you would like to learn even more about green roofing, or to gain access to green roof supplies, consider becoming a full time member of the Roofer’s Guild. We are national community of roofers with mutual dedication to collective excellence. Our group has access to Conklin roofing supplies, which are renowned throughout the industry. Call (877) 282-8968 to join Roofer’s Guild today.

Final Verdict: Green roofs are an intriguing option, but coatings are simpler and less expensive

Members of Roofing Community Work on Project

Having a Network of Commercial Roofers for Support is Invaluable

Many small-scale roofers would like to grow their business, but lack the resources and accountability to realize that vision. A great solution to this common predicament is Conklin Independent Distribution. Becoming an Independent Distributor (ID) allows you to earn instant credibility in your market, and start profiting as a commercial roofer. You will gain access to an expansive library of training material, as well as a management structure that encourages excellence. In summary, benefits of becoming a Conklin Independent Distributor include:

Materials: Utilized premium quality roofing materials on your jobs
Resources: Gain access to countless training and management resources
Structure: Abide by a management structure that encourages success

Regardless of your current location, you can become an Independent Distributor. From New York to Texas, and Illinois to Louisiana, there’s opportunity available to anyone willing to take advantage. The most difficult part of launching a roofing company is earning credibility. A large percentage of consumers will not trust unknown commodities, but affiliation with Conklin allows contractors to establish credibility on day one. This makes marketing much simpler, and encourages growth at a much faster rate. Call (877) 282-8968 to speak with Roofer’s Guild about becoming a Conklin Independent Distributor.

Expanding Your Roofing Business

Many contractors don’t have an official business, but perform jobs based on word of mouth, and friends of friends. Becoming a Conklin ID allows you to turn a side business, into a legitimate company. You might be surprised by how quickly an unknown contractor can increase their demand with a little help from Conklin. There’s so many untapped resources available to contractors throughout the United States, and the time is now to start capitalizing. Ways to expand your roofing business include:

Branding
Digital Marketing
Management Structure
Reputation Building

It would be a shame to waste a business opportunity with so much upside, and very little downside. Roofers should view their status as an Independent Distributor as “playing with house money.” If your business ends up failing, you risked very little in the process, and can resume your previous work. Conversely, if you end up succeeding, your business will grow at a considerable rate, and you’ll have access to resources that help you handle the increased demand and workload. Weighing risk vs. reward should help you arrive at the decision that best suits your vision.

A Roofing Community

Still not sold on the idea of becoming a Conklin Independent Distributor? If so, maybe a community of roofers will change your mind. By joining Roofer’s Guild, you will be part of a national group of roofing contractors that holds each other accountable, and assists its members in various tasks, including the process of becoming a Conklin ID. Learn from like-minded individuals, many of who were recently in your same position. There’s strength in numbers, and Roofer’s Guilds’ numbers keep increasing. Join our community today.

Aside from being a community, Roofer’s Guild is also a network. We have members from all across the United States who have come together for a common goal. With an understanding that the industry can be highly competitive, it’s encouraging to have a network of allies who can help you realize your vision. Since each member is working towards individual goals, the support created through membership allows roofers to compare and contrast their current situations, and offer insights that help one another thrive in their respective markets. Call (877) 282-8968 to join Roofer’s Guild today.

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