Marketing for roofing companies has come a long way from door hangers and mailers. Nowadays, roofing businesses have to consider a laundry list of items, including reputation management, online reviews and social media.

It’s understandable to have questions about it all, but sometimes it can feel embarrassing to ask what sound like simple or weird questions. Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, has heard them all, and is sharing her knowledge with roofing contractors in our podcast series “Dear Anna on RC.”

A family-owned business, Art Unlimited is a digital marketing agency designed to help aid companies in making strategic actions that drive their customers forward. Art Unlimited helps keep its customers ahead of the changes technology has in store, which is vitally important in the roofing industry after the pandemic showed the value of using technology.

“It is such a pleasure … to talk about those crazy, wacky questions that everybody has, but they don’t want to be singled out,” said Anderson. “In reality, the next person has that same question, then the next person has that question.”

RC and Anderson have teamed up for three episodes so far, with more on the way to help answer any burning questions. More information on the current episodes can be found below.

Episode 1: How to Handle a PR Crisis

In this first episode, Anderson gives a rundown on managing a PR crisis. Anderson discusses how to handle the types of crises that companies faced long before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and will continue to face after the pandemic.

“These are topics that companies have had to navigate for years, and will have to continue to navigate for years ahead. And having a plan in place is critical,” Anderson said.

Anderson goes over a checklist of to-dos in case of a crisis. She also explains the different types of audiences that companies need to be aware of when addressing a crisis, as figuring out how to share your message is not as simple as you think.

Episode 2: How Do I Market New Products and Services?

Adding a new product or service is a great way to make your roofing company stand out, but if your customers don’t know about it, it’ll be a waste of time and effort.

In this episode of “Dear Anna,” we ask Anderson how roofing contractors can leverage adding new products or services in their marketing. Anderson says the marketing department of the manufacturer you signed with can be helpful, but knowing what to discuss will make meeting them even more impactful.

Anderson also looks at some common areas contractors should consider when incorporating their new offerings into marketing and sales.

“Do you have an intro message? Do you have an on-hold message? Are you talking about your new offerings … in those environments?” Anderson said. “The opportunities are endless.”

Episode 3: How Do I Run a Marketing Plan During an Election Year?

Election years have the tendency to drown out your own marketing campaigns with the ensuing flood of political ads. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In this episode, Anderson offers advice on what contractors can do now to avoid having their brands swept away during election cycles, such as planning in advance and buying media ahead of time on traditional marketing channels.

“If you’re looking that far out, there’s usually some opportunity to pre-buy media on a variety of different platforms,” Anderson said. 

Visit roofingcontractor.com and check out our podcast page for episodes. The RC Podcast Show can also be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.