In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, to break down one of the most overlooked (and misunderstood) marketing channels in home services: Nextdoor.
They unpack why Nextdoor feels annoying—but works incredibly well when used the right way. From neighborhood recommendation posts to organic storytelling, this platform behaves less like Google Ads and more like a digital referral engine.
John and Sam discuss why salesy ads and coupons usually flop, while real-world job photos, personal narratives, and community-driven content quietly generate high-intent leads. They also explore how small operators are winning big by treating Nextdoor like a mix of Google Business Profile + Facebook Groups, and why larger companies struggle to replicate that authenticity.
The conversation covers the three ways to win on Nextdoor (ads, organic posting, and commenting), common mistakes contractors make, and how operators can turn technicians into content creators to scale neighborhood trust—without blowing up their marketing budget.
If you’re looking for more phone calls, higher close rates, and marketing that actually feels like referrals—this episode breaks down how to think about Nextdoor the right way.
What You’ll Learn
- Why Nextdoor behaves more like referrals than traditional lead gen
- The three ways to market on Nextdoor (and which ones actually work)
- Why organic, narrative posts outperform coupons and ads
- How small, local operators beat larger brands on trust
- The role of social proof in neighborhood-driven platforms
- How to turn field techs into authentic content creators
- The biggest mistakes that get contractors ignored—or kicked off
Host: John Wilson
Guest: Sam Preston
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💼 Shoutout to ReferPro
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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC
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