Short-Term vs. Long-Term Roofer Marketing Strategies: Pros, Cons, and the Winning Blend

Read About The Winning Marketing Strategy That Separates 1-3M Dollar Roofing Companies to 10M Dollar + Behemoths 

 

When it comes to marketing your roofing business, choosing the right strategy can make or break your success. Some strategies promise quick results, like a surge in leads or immediate visibility, while others focus on long-term growth and building a strong brand foundation. But which approach is better? In this blog, we’ll dive into the different types of strategies along with the pros and cons of short-term and long-term marketing strategies for roofers. More importantly, we’ll reveal why the ultimate winning strategy isn’t about picking one or the other—it’s about blending the two to create a balanced, sustainable approach that drives both immediate results and lasting growth. 

Short Term Marketing Strategies: Lead Gen Alone

 

Buying Leads (Angie, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, Thumbtack):

• Pros: Immediate Results, Keeps the Lights on, Less Infrastructure Needed, Easy To Get Started

• Cons: Low Quality Leads, Expensive Leads, No Branding, Volatile Results, Expensive

Google PPC & FB Ads (Lead Gen):

• Pros: Immediate results, Keeps the Lights On, Builds the brand some, Referral Pipeline Potential, Measurable ROI, Controlled Cost

• Cons: Very Competitive, Volatile Lead Quality, Volatile Results, Expensive CPA, Marketing Professional Needed, Website Needed

Long Term Branding Distribution Channels (Pros & Cons):

• Social Branding:

  • Pros: Brand Recognition, Cheap Traffic, Some Lead Potential, Cheaper than Lead Gen, Less Competition

  • Cons: No Short Term Lead Results, Low Initial ROI, Time Consuming, Hard To Measure Results

• Mailers:

  • Pros: Can Generate Leads, Branding, Easy To Setup/Manage

  • Cons: Hard to Measure Results, Low Initial ROI

• Billboards:

  • Pros: Branding, Easy To Setup, Get in Front Of 1,000s

  • Cons: Expensive, Hard To Measure ROI

• Magazines:

  • Pros: Cheap Advertising, Get In Front Of A Specific Audience, Easy to Setup/Manage

  • Cons: Not Many Leads Generated, Hard To Measure ROI

• Yard Signs/Door Hangers:

  • Pros: Relatively Cheap, Effective Branding

  • Cons: Time Consuming, Hard To Measure Results

• Community Branding (Charities, Sponsorships, Events):

  • Pros: Branding, Give Back To Community, Can Generate Leads

  • Cons: Time Consuming, Hard To Measure Results, Not An Instant Lead Provider

• OTT/Streaming Ads:

  • Pros: Get In Front Of Specific Audience, Easy To Setup/Manage, Branding

  • Cons: Hard To Measure Results, Low Lead Gen, Expensive

While this strategy could be effective. The business would need some other way of generating leads while they built up the needed branding value to sustain them alone. 

Long-Term Marketing Strategy: Branding & Lead Generation Combined

When it comes to marketing, businesses often face two main paths: Short-Term vs. Long-Term strategies. New businesses tend to lean toward short-term tactics because they offer quick wins and require minimal setup. The problem? Diving headfirst into lead generation without building a strong brand foundation often leads to some serious drawbacks:

• Low Lead Quality: Purchased leads are a gamble. These leads get sold to multiple contractors, and the prospects often have no clue who’s calling them.
• Volatile Lead Flow: One week, you’re swimming in leads; the next, you’re in a desert. No consistency means no stability.
• Expensive CPA: Even "cheap" leads don’t stay cheap when your closing rate tanks.
• High CPL: Pay-per-click (PPC) and other lead gen strategies tend to struggle without brand equity. Sure, a nice website helps, but an established brand will always outshine just a pretty site.

On the flip side, relying solely on branding at the start can be a dangerous game. Without any immediate lead flow, a new business could run out of cash before the branding efforts pay off. Branding can be costly depending on your distribution channels, and done wrong can lead to: 

• Wasted Money: Investing in ineffective branding strategies can drain resources without delivering results.
• Time Wasted: Poorly executed branding can take a long time to show results, if any, wasting valuable months or even years.
• Stagnant or Negative Growth: A weak or unclear brand can make it harder to stand out and compete in your market. Keeping you where you are or even losing market share. 

Even done right, It's unlikely that branding alone will skyrocket your roofing business. At some point, you’ll hit a ceiling where growth stalls without adding lead generation to the mix. But here’s the kicker: once your brand is solid, lead generation becomes significantly more effective. Your audience already knows and trusts you—now it’s just a matter of showing up more often and closing the deal.

The Winning Formula: Why Not Both?

Sounds like an obvious solution, right? Combine branding and lead generation for the best results. But let’s be real—it’s not cheap, and not every business has the capital or resources to do both at once. Many roofing companies focus solely on lead generation, caught in the Will it get me a lead tomorrow?  mindset, and overlook the long-term power of branding.

At RBP Consulting, we’ve seen firsthand how the most successful companies leverage both strategies. Often, they start heavy on lead generation, then invest in branding once they’ve got cash flow. And that’s totally fine! The sooner you build your brand, the sooner you can break free from the hamster wheel of PPC and Facebook leads. Not only will you see more and better-qualified leads, but you’ll also create a system that consistently outperforms even the best ad accounts. Plus, if you ever decide to sell your business, a strong brand significantly boosts your company’s valuation.

The Bottom Line

By combining branding and lead generation, your roofing business can create a marketing machine that:

• Generates More Leads

• Generates Better Qualified Leads

• Generates Cheaper Leads

• Lower Cost Per Acquisition

• Higher Close Rates

• Higher Average Customer Value

• Higher Return On Ad Spend

• Higher Profit Margins

• Higher ROI

• Higher Company Valuation

 

In the fast-paced world of roofing, your brand is either building trust or driving customers away. A strong, well-executed branding strategy paired with effective lead generation is the ultimate recipe for long-term success. But getting it wrong can cost you time, money, and potential customers. Don’t leave your growth to chance—partner with experts who know how to balance short-term wins with long-term growth. At RBP Consulting, we’ve helped countless roofing companies craft and exectue strategies that deliver real results. Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact us today and let’s build a winning game plan together.