Roofing Lead Generation: Are Pay Per Lead Services Worth It?

Lead generation sites like Angie's List and HomeAdvisor reach millions of homeowners. They're trustworthy and rank well on Google. For small to medium-sized roofing companies, using those sites seems like a great way to generate customers.

Other pay-per-lead (PPL) services, including individual agencies, do things a little differently. They work behind the scenes to generate and deliver leads. Many promise you'll “only pay for results” — but that doesn't tell you much about the quality of those results.

Are you considering using pay per lead services to generate roofing leads? Wondering if PPL is worth it? In this post, we'll cover:

• The pros and cons of using PPL to generate leads
• Other ways to generate roofing leads
• A few things to consider if you're planning to use PPL services

Let's dive in!

Pros of PPL services for roofing lead generation

Using pay-per-lead services is a good option for roofing companies that have the budget. But that's the problem: you need the budget. If you're running a small to medium-sized roofing businesses, you might not have a ton of cash to spend on PPL. Especially if you're already struggling to generate leads. That's why it's important to choose an agency or platform with transparent pricing models.

PPL services often deliver leads faster than SEO. Local SEO is a necessary and highly rewarding digital marketing strategy. But it's also a slow burn. Rankings won't improve overnight. Chances are you'll still have to put some cash into local ads to maximize your brand visibility on search engines.

Another benefit of PPL is you'll usually only pay per lead. (Note: some lead generation platforms charge a flat monthly subscription fee, even if you don't generate a single lead.) But not all leads are created equal, which leads us (see what we did there?) to our next point.

Cons of PPL services for roofing lead generation

The leads you'll buy from PPL agencies and platforms aren't always qualified or relevant. You might end up paying for a lead that doesn't even live in your service area.

Agencies are often accused of delivering irrelevant leads to inflate revenue. If you're only paying for results, it makes sense that the more results you receive, the more money the agency makes. Which means it's in the agency's best interest to deliver as many leads as possible.

PPL services often share the same leads with multiple companies to drive even more revenue. Which means you could be chasing leads that have already agreed to work with a competitor. That's a waste of your precious time and marketing budget.

PPL services might seem like a shortcut to generating more leads faster. But a quantity-over-quality approach to roofing lead generation might cost you more than just money in the long run.

Other ways to generate leads for your roofing business

If the phones aren't ringing and your trucks are sitting parked at your shop, using a PPL service can be tempting to get customers in the door. But there are other ways you can generate leads for your roofing business. 

Make your business as easy as possible to work with. That's the core idea behind these lead generation strategies for roofers. Your customers don't just want instant gratification — they expect it. Focus on providing a frictionless customer experience at all touchpoints, and your calendar will be booked up before you know it.

Here are a few ways you can improve your customer experience and increase brand awareness.

Work on your social media branding.

If you want to be top-of-mind, show up on social media consistently. Sharing relevant and relatable content is key to building an engaged audience on social media. In other words, overtly selling your services on social media probably won't cut it.

Here are a few more tips for using social media to generate more roofing leads:

• Look at how your competitors are using social media. Are they posting videos, infographics, polls? Analyze how those strategies affect their reach and engagement. See what you can adapt — not outright copy — for your audience.
• Find your voice. You don't have to be a copywriting expert to write posts that fetch a decent amount of engagement. Authenticity is always key. And if you're not exactly a whiz at spelling and grammar, consider running your post through a free grammar checker.
• Experiment. Some of your posts are bound to flop. That's okay — it happens. Notice what's working and what's not. Tweak often. Ask your customers what they' like to see more of.
• Engage with your audience. Try not to post and ghost. Replying to comments shows you're committed to providing outstanding customer service.

Make it easy for customers to connect with your business.

Scheduling social media posts and running ad campaigns is easy enough. But at the end of the day, you want these efforts to provide a return. Specifically, you want more customers to contact your business and book appointments. 

So make it easy for them to contact you on whatever platform they prefer. Opening up every possible avenue of communication with your business will put you a step ahead of your competitors. SMS, web chat for home service businesses, and other tools will keep your roofing company open 24/7.

Set up a referral program.

Reward happy customers, generate more of them, and increase brand visibility through word-of-mouth. These are just a few ways a referral program can generate more leads for your roofing business. 

Sure, roofing companies have countless digital marketing platforms at their disposal. But that doesn't mean word-of-mouth isn't an effective lead generation strategy. It's worked for home services for decades. As the old saying goes, if it isn't broke, don't fix it!

Consider hiring an in-house marketer if you don't already have one. 

Feeling overwhelmed already? You don't have to do everything by yourself. After all, you're likely not a digital marketing expert. You're an experienced contractor who wants to spend more time serving customers than finding them.

If it's within your budget, invest in an in-house marketing specialist. Having someone in-house gives you more control and visibility over their work and efficiency.  Unlike a lot of PPL services out there, your in-house marketing team will have a deeper understanding of your industry and customers. They'll do everything they can to acquire new customers for the lowest possible cost.

What to do if you're considering pay per lead services to generate leads for your roofing company

Still considering using a PPL service to boost business? Here are a few things you should do to ensure maximum ROI and find a service that works with you rather than for you.

First, search for a PPL service that specializes in generating roofing leads. Working with an agency that knows your industry is essential since you won't be able to oversee their work. You'll also want to choose an agency that lets you set your own parameters and budget.

Planning to work with an agency? Make sure you're crystal-clear on costs and expectations. Depending on your area, the cost per lead can be pretty high. Before you know it, you're sinking hundreds of dollars into just a handful of leads.

Generating leads for your roofing business: is PPL worth it?

Buying leads can be an effective strategy for generating more leads in the short-term. Unfortunately, outsourcing lead generation through PPL isn't sustainable for most small to medium-sized roofing companies.

The good news is, roofers have several budget-friendly ways to generate leads at their disposal. Showcase your brand on social media. Set up a referral program. Make it easy for customers to contact you. These strategies are just the start.

Generate 3x more leads for your roofing business and keep your shop open 24/7 with web chat. Ask us how today. Mention this blog post and we'll even throw in a free 30-day trial with all the bells and whistles.