Roofing Direct Mail: The Definitive Guide for Contractors

What is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing is a tried-and-true strategy where businesses send physical marketing material directly to the mailboxes of potential customers.

It places your roofing business service right into the hands of homeowners who might need you immediately or in the future.

Direct mail stands out as a physical advertising medium in the roofing industry. It is far more memorable and tangible than just another email that can be deleted or an ad that can be scrolled past.

The key types of direct mail marketing are:

• Letters – Detailed and give you space to tell your story to your demographic.

• Postcards – Quick but impactful messages.

• Flyers – Eye-catching visuals and concise messages that stick.

The key benefits of direct mail marketing are:

• Physical marketing materials: Homeowners are more likely to respond to something they can hold or pin to the fridge.

• Strong ROI: 74 percent of marketers found that direct mail has a higher ROI due to its ability to drive targeted actions and generate more leads effectively. 

Companies like Guardian Roofing have used tools like Marketing Pro to create targeted direct mail campaigns that keep their phones ringing and customers engaged.

• Targeted approach: Reaching out to customers where they live (and where their roof is).

Griffin Brothers have effectively used this approach to target specific neighborhoods for expansion using ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro Direct Mail, allowing them to filter property data and deliver personalized messages.

The disadvantages of direct mail roofing marketing are:

• Time-consuming: Printing out physical material takes time, both in terms of design and distribution.

• Difficult to track effectiveness: Without data analytics, it might be difficult to know if you’ve had a positive impact (other than the phone ringing off the hook).

• Cost: Physical marketing material typically costs more than digital marketing due to the materials used.

Roofing professionals use direct mail marketing because:

• It generates more roofing leads as you’re reaching people where they live.

• It cements your brand in the minds of customers who interact with it.

• It helps retain more customers as they keep the mailing and your information for later retrieval.

Now that you know what direct mail marketing is, let’s explore why roofers find it so effective.

Why Do Roofers Use Direct Mail?

Roofers use direct mail because it works. Here’s how:

Lead generation

Direct mail is a powerhouse for generating fresh leads. Imagine homeowners already considering having roofing work done, opening their mailbox, and being presented with the service. It turns “I’ve been meaning to get that done” into “I’m calling first thing Monday.”

Brand recognition

When you consistently and widely send out mail plastered with your brand, your roofing company quickly becomes a household name in your local area. Homeowners will automatically think of you first when any roofing issues arise.

Customer retention

Showing you care—like sending out seasonal reminders or roofing tips right before storm season—aids in customer retention. Customers want to know that you’re interested in and invested in the roof over their heads.

Multiple formats

Direct mail's versatility as a marketing strategy is impressive. You can mix it with roofing postcards, mail letters, flyers, and coupons. Whatever the strategy, direct mail has a format that’s perfect for it.

Customer education

Direct mail is an ideal avenue for spreading awareness of roofing issues customers are unlikely to Google for themselves.

Give tips on how to spot leaks, protect the roof during a storm, or target customers with advice about seasonal damage. When the homeowners spot an issue, guess who they will call first? You.

Direct mail campaigns offer unique advantages for roofing businesses, but how do you create an effective campaign?

How Do I Create an Effective Direct Mail Campaign for My Roofing Business?

The latest Exterior Trades Industry Report indicates that customer acquisition is one of the top challenges this year, especially for roofing businesses. 

Almost three-quarters of businesses also indicated that their marketing focus was now going to shift to reputation, with over half re-focusing attention on the homeowner experience. 

A direct mail campaign is an ideal way to capture the attention of homeowners, make them aware of your services, and build a reputation. However, a campaign is only as good as the strategy, planning, and implementation behind it. 

So, let's look at what makes an effective campaign for direct mailers. The steps to create a roofing direct mail campaign are shown in the image below:

Below, we will break down each step:

1. Set your campaign goals

Having well-defined and measurable goals will make or break your direct mailing campaign. Before setting out, ask yourself the following question:

“What do I want to achieve?”

It could be generating leads, boosting awareness of your brand, or getting better response rates than old campaigns. Regardless of the reasons, goals are the foundation of your campaign, so ensure they are crystal clear.

Some examples of direct mail campaign goals are the following:

• Increasing leads organically

• Boosting knowledge of your brand and pricing

• Driving traffic to your website, Apple Business Connect, Google Business, or social media

• Promoting seasonal offers

• Encouraging customer referrals

• Educating your existing and potential customers to drum up sales

2. Create your mailing list

You don’t want a spray-and-pray approach with your target customers, so it's best to create a targeted mailing list based on key demographics and where you think the most work will come from.

ServiceTitan makes this process seamless by allowing you to hyper-target your mailing lists. You can build audience lists based on existing information like customer data, unsold estimates, and premises where you know the roof is fast approaching its end of life.

With ServiceTitan Marketing Pro, you can automate the creation of these lists and refine your targeting to reach customers who are most likely to engage. 

The platform allows you to set up automated direct mail campaigns in minutes, sending one postcard or thousands at a flat rate per piece. 

By leveraging customer data, such as aging equipment or expiring memberships, ServiceTitan ensures that your direct mail campaigns are efficient and highly targeted, delivering the right message to the right customers at precisely the right time.

3. Design your materials

Just like their digital counterpart, design is everything where mail pieces are concerned. You’ll want eye-catching graphics that convey your brand's sentiment and professionalism.

Pay close attention to layouts and compare your designs with peers and fellow roofing contractors before settling on a final design.

With ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro, you can streamline the campaign-building process by eliminating the common hassles such as designing, printing, mailing, and tracking your campaigns. 

Create automated direct mail in minutes with ServiceTitan by creating your marketing battle pack, selecting your audience, and hitting the go button.

4. Write your message

Your message should reflect your goals from step one of the process. It should be clear and tailored to your audience. Personalization in this step is key. 

Use templates and software designed specifically for roofers to address your target audience by name and address, ensuring the receiver knows you have put thought and care into your message.

5. Measure your campaign’s success

Measuring the success of your campaign is important because otherwise you’re left in the dark as to whether or not your efforts were successful. With digital campaigns, success is a little easier to ascertain, but with physical direct mail you’re probably asking yourself, "How can I measure the success of my roofing direct mail campaign?"

Use metrics like response rates, conversion rates, average order value, and website hits to assess campaign success and adjust campaigns based on these results.

ServiceTitan makes establishing the ROI on your direct mail campaigns simple and easy by automatically tracking campaigns so you know if you’re reaching those goals.

With ServiceTitan Marketing Pro, you can track the deliverability of every postcard sent and see exactly which ones are driving revenue. 

Marketing Pro also provides insights into maximizing your business revenue per contact, ensuring that every piece of mail contributes to overall business success.

Direct mail campaigns can be automated, and targeted postcards are built in minutes, not days.  

Following these steps can help ensure your direct mail campaign is effective, but what are some best practices?

What Are The Best Practices For Roofing Direct Mail?

Well-thought-out goals, messages, and strategy are key factors to consider when running your direct mail campaign; introducing a few best practices to your process can make it even more successful:

• Include a CTA

• Target specific zip codes

• Personalize your mails

• Follow up

Let’s have a closer look at each one:

1. Include a clear CTA (call to action)

A CTA is a directive that tells the potential customer exactly what you need them to do next. A clear CTA is specific, concise, and action-oriented, leaving no doubt about the next step for the customer.

For example, instead of saying, “Find out more,” a stronger and more effective CTA would be, “Call now for a free quote, or “Book your service today.”

A good CTA is easy to understand, creates a sense of urgency, and directly benefits the customer upon action.

Without a strong and clear CTA, your message may fall flat.

2. Target specific zip codes

Targeting specific zip codes is important in roofing direct mail marketing because it ensures your message reaches demographics where your services are most likely required. 

For example, targeting an area with houses built over two decades ago is much more likely to get you new customers, whereas targeting a brand-new housing development with shiny new roofs probably won’t have much success.

3. Personalize your mails

Personalization is how you make your mail pieces much more impactful. Addressing recipients by name and address and tailoring it to their specific needs makes any communication more personal and engaging. 

For example, you could personally address a region where recent severe weather has caused damage or where summer storms are expected to damage properties.

4. Follow up

After you have sent out your roofing direct mail, keep the momentum going by following up with your recipients. A follow-up will jog memories and nudge your customers toward making a decision. 

Roofing sales reps should contact those who received mail to answer questions and provide additional information to increase the chances of converting leads into customers.

Following up is a powerful tool. Chesterfield, an HVAC and residential plumbing business in St Louis, Missouri, had a 664 percent ROI in the space of a year thanks to direct mail postcard follow-ups. How did they do it?

Jessica Kralemann, Chesterfield’s marketing director, explains that she set up a direct mail campaign. If a potential customer calls and creates a new account—but does not book—they are sent a postcard thanking them for calling. 

It serves as a polite reminder and the postcard seems to hit at just the right time with customers calling to make a booking.

Over to You

Now that you know how to create impactful direct mail campaigns tailored to your roofing enterprise, it's time to implement your plans. 

Set your next campaign in motion and observe as your lead generation and brand visibility flourish.

ServiceTitan is a leading software solution for home service businesses like yours. With features like automated direct mail marketing and field services, we can help you grow your roofing business. With ServiceTitan, you can be sure that your message always hits the right spot and gets to potential customers who need to hear it.

Visit our website today for a free personalized demo and see how ServiceTitan can help your roofing business reach new heights.