Company Background

Reliable Roofers has been repairing the roofs of Miami, Florida homes since 1993. Founders Steve Grimshaw and Pedro Lopez knew that for a city that faces consistent stormy weather like Miami, the roofing market would be red-hot, but competition is intense as well. Reliable Roofers has had some trouble over the years maintaining a consistent position in the market, so they've had to come up with unique and effective ways to advertise the business to keep the Reliable name on customers' minds. "With roofing, it's important to have a constant presence," explains Lopez, "A customer may not need you when they see your ad, but when they do, you still have to be visible."

At Reliable Roofers' storefront, the building is covered in a display of attractive window signage. In addition, the company maintains a consistent radio campaign on two of the most-popular radio stations in Miami. Occasionally, when business is slow, however, Grimshaw and Lopez make a stronger marketing push.

A Successful Strategy

One of the most-effective campaigns that Reliable Roofing has had is the usage of "bandit signs." These are inexpensive corrugated plastic signs which are placed all around town with a message and a phone number. With Miami's unpredictable weather patterns, severe storms can arise at a moment's notice. Strong winds and rain can severely-damage roofs and then are gone as soon as they came. Thus, Reliable Roofers maintains a consistent inventory of signs that they can use after a storm, when the roofing market has expanded. The signs list a price quote for roofing repair and Reliable's phone number. Steve and Pedro quickly-place these around town, and then remove them after a few days.

Results

"Every time we do it," Steve says, "calls to the office sky-rocket. I think we spent a total of $500 on the signs, and we book at least 3-5 new jobs with every storm." Since the signs are so inexpensive, they're easy to replace if one gets damaged, lost, or stolen. The return that Reliable Roofers is receiving from these bandit signs, however, is paying off considerably.

Business Recommendations
Advertising can't be sporadic. Customers must build awareness of your business first, so don't be disappointed if you don't see instant results. Keep your campaign consistent, and over time it will pay off.
Identify key times or situations where a stronger marketing push may be necessary. This is just temporary, but a strong campaign can really boost business.
Less is more when it comes to a yard sign message. The viewer has a short time to read your sign, so only include what's absolutely-necessary.

Michael Allen works as a Director of Marketing in Boston, Massachusetts. He has worked with both large companies and small local businesses for over 20 years. His vast experience in the field of marketing positions him as an expert in helping businesses expand by using marketing tactics.

As a seasoned expert in Marketing and Branding, Michael has a wealth of knowledge in the use of retail signs and cheap yard signs. In his articles, he covers tips and techniques for the effective use of political yard signs, real estate yard signs and metal yard signs.