4 SMS Marketing Tips for Roofing Contractors
The recent increase in the number of residential new builds combined with a rise in commercial new builds and renovations has led to a healthy situation for the UK roofing sector. Growth in 2016 was reported to be 7%, with total revenue in the region of £5bn. Although the sector appears to have seen a slowdown in growth more recently, partly due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its impact on the wider construction industry, all the evidence indicates that the sector has a healthy outlook over the next five to ten years.
With such high competition and tight margins, it is essential for companies operating in this sector to seek effective, low cost solutions to marketing that are known to generate conversions – and SMS Marketing is an ideal solution. So how can roofing contractors make the most of SMS Marketing? Here are 4 suggestions.
1. SMS Marketing for quotes and estimates
Some roofing companies will prepare all quotes and estimates on the basis of a physical inspection, whilst others will use a calculator on their website which customers can use to generate an estimate on the basis of specifications they input themselves. Of course, some customers may prefer to use the traditional approach of telephone or other options. Regardless of how a quote or estimate is requested, SMS Marketing is a great way to provide the customer with a copy of the key information in a way that will keep it handy. Once a quote or estimate has been issued, send an SMS message with the details and period of validity. An example message might read:
“Dear Mr Richards, your estimate for a new roof based on the information submitted at www.roofing247.co.uk is £3,500. This quote is valid until 21/06/2018. To proceed with your job or for any further enquiries, call us today on 0800 123 7464…”
Before using SMS Marketing, be sure that you have obtained explicit consent from the customer in accordance with the requirements of GDPR.
2. Multi-channel marketing campaigns
If you are planning a large scale, multi-media marketing campaign for your company, using television, radio, newspapers or billboards for example, then setting up an SMS keyword/shortcode combination is a great way to increase leads and conversions by offering customers an incredibly simple way to respond and engage.
For example, a television advertisement might conclude with a call to action (CTA) such as:
“To get an estimate for your new roof today, text ROOF to 87007 now and one of our experts will get straight in touch with you…”
This strategy works equally well for all channels, including print digital and broadcast media.
3. SMS for appointments / project updates
If a physical inspection is required in order to prepare the pricing for a customer, then be sure to use SMS Marketing to send a confirmation message for the planned date and time of the visit, even if you have confirmed it by other means such as telephone or email. SMS is handy as customers almost always have their mobile phone within arms length, and their SMS inboxes tend to be much less cluttered, making it easy for them to refer back to the information if they need to double check. A simple example might read:
“Dear Mr Richards, Andy from Roofing 24/7 will visit you on Weds 23rd May at 10:00 a.m. in order to survey and measure up your property for a replacement roof. Need to change the day/time? Call us at any time on 0800 123 7464…”
Using a named contact as above is a simple strategy that helps to give your SMS communications a human touch.
Once you have agreed on the costing and dates have been booked, be sure to send your customers an SMS update so that they know exactly when the work is scheduled to begin, along with an estimated completion date if relevant. An example message might read:
“Dear Mr Richards, the team from Roofing 24/7 is scheduled to begin work on your replacement roof on Mon 4th June at 10:00 a.m. We estimate that work will take 5 days to complete. Any questions? Call us now on 0800 123 7464…”
To go the extra mile, a further SMS could be sent upon completion of the work, and may include specific contact details in the event of any questions or concerns.
4. SMS Marketing for ratings and recommendations
As with many industries within the broader building and construction sector, roofing contractors rely heavily on their reputation to secure new business, so encouraging feedback and making it easy for customers to share their positive experiences is vital to staying ahead of the competition. SMS Marketing is an ideal way to handle this, and tends to get extremely high participation rates due to its simplicity and convenience.
One of the most popular approaches is to conduct an SMS-based survey, in which the customer is invited to participate in a short survey, where they are asked to evaluate various aspects of the service received on a numerical scale. For example,
“ On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the best, how well do you feel our workmen completed the job?”
Or
“On the same scale, how satisfied were you with the way our workmen protected your property while work was carried out?”
One question which is easy to overlook but can be immensely valuable is this one:
“And on a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to recommend roofing 24/7 to a friend?”
Positive answers to this question indicate that the overall experience is meeting customer expectations, whilst any answers of a lower than desirable rating merit follow up from your customer services team in order to understand any underlying issues or concerns, which can then be resolved swiftly.
To learn more about using SMS Marketing and get your account set up and ready to use today, call the experts at Fastsms now on 0800 954 5305.