Every roofer is looking for new, better ways to market their business. Customer referrals are the most potent form of marketing, but what else can you do to tap into that when you’ve perfected your roofing referral program?
Enter Nextdoor. This social platform takes referrals into the online world so you can rack up new leads in no time.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how Nextdoor works, how to make a Nextdoor business account, post on the app, advertise on Nextdoor, and other tips to maximize your Nextdoor account.
Let’s dive in!
How Does Nextdoor Work?
Nextdoor is a social network built around neighborhoods. Users (called Neighbors) connect with others in their local communities and share recommendations, safety problems, and neighborhood events.
But Nextdoor isn’t just for homeowners. It’s an amazing tool for businesses, especially roofing contractors, to get in front of the people they want to work with.
Think of Nextdoor as your virtual roofing referral program. With over 25% of Nextdoor activity revolving around recommendations, this is one place you want to show up in a positive light.
How to Make a Business Account on Nextdoor
Here’s the step-by-step guide to creating a Nextdoor account for your roofing company. The first five steps are necessary, and the last five are optional.
Step 1. Go to the Nextdoor Business Website
Nextdoor has different sites, depending on who’s using the account. For a roofing company, you’ll create your account at https://business.nextdoor.com/en-us/small-business.
Once you’re there, click “Claim Your Free Business Page.”
Step 2: Add Your Email Address & Set a Password
Your account will be tied to an email address, so you should use your professional business email address here. Or, if you’d rather, you can log in with Facebook, Apple, or Google.
Step 3: Fill in Your Name
You know the drill.
Step 4: Find Your Neighborhood
Since Nextdoor is based around neighborhoods, you’ll have to add your physical address to verify your location.
Step 5: Choose Your Profile Photo
Pick a picture that represents your roofing company well. We suggest using your roofing business’s logo. A team photo could also work if everyone is wearing company swag.
Step 6: Include Your Business Partner(s)
If you have business partners helping run your roofing company, you’ll want to include them. Nextdoor will send updates to your email and any other email addresses you have here.
Step 7: Provide Emergency Contacts
Adding emergency contacts is optional for roofing contractors. If there’s an emergency where you’re injured, Nextdoor will email the contacts you add here.
Step 8: Sync Your Contacts
Nextdoor can sync the contacts in your email whether you use Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, or AOL.
Step 9: Connect with Others in Your Area
You’re practically there! Now you can start adding people who live in or near your neighborhood, kind of like following someone on Instagram or becoming friends with someone on Facebook.
Step 10. Download the Nextdoor App
If you want to use Nextdoor on the go, you might want to download the app to your phone or tablet. You can use Nextdoor on your mobile browser, but the app will function better when you’re out of the office.
How to Post on Nextdoor
You can use Nextdoor to share a company update, promote a sale, or poll people for feedback. You’ll do that by making a post.
When you’re logged into your Nextdoor business account, go to the left side of your feed. There you’ll find a green button that says “Post.” Click that, and it will give you a dropdown of post options.
Add a location
Select your level of privacy (anyone, nearby neighborhoods, or just your neighborhood)
Add a photo or video
Once you’re happy with your post, hit the green button at the top right corner of the text box to post it. Your post is live!
Advertising on Nextdoor
Nextdoor lets you control who can see your ads, making it an incredible platform for advertising your roofing business.
Local Deals is the main form of paid advertising on Nextdoor. You can add a title, description, and details about your deal, then choose how long to have it run (anywhere between a week and 30 days). You can also include a photo, discount code, or terms and conditions to make it exactly what you want.
Lastly, choose your audience. Here you can get nitty gritty with who sees your ad. Say you want to increase sales in Tarrant County, Texas. You can put in the neighborhoods in that county or just include a zip code to cover a 10-mile radius.
Nextdoor will charge you a flat, one-time price for the ad. The cost will depend on how many Nextdoor users fall in that area and the ad run-time, but the average Nextdoor Local Deals ad is about $75.
Tips for Using Nextdoor as a Roofer
Simply setting up a Nextdoor business account and running Local Deals will boost your business. But don’t stop there. You can do a few extra things to really make the most of Nextdoor.
Try out some of these tips to elevate the effectiveness of your Nextdoor account.
- Ask for Nextdoor recommendations
- Reply to Neighbors quickly as a business
- Join your neighborhood (and have each person on your team join their neighborhoods)
- Make regular posts with updates about your business (new products, services, closures, special offers, etc.)
Make Nextdoor Your Next Best Lead Source
If you aren’t using Nextdoor to advertise your roofing company, there’s no better time to start.
Set up your business account, make a few posts, and start advertising with Local Deals to get more referrals (and happier customers). Don’t forget to keep track of all your new leads with JobNimbus roofing software!
Do you have a Nextdoor business account for your roofing company? How are you leveraging it to get more leads? Let us know in the comments below.
