From the Yellow Chair Stop the Scatter: Smart Marketing Systems for Home Service Businesses
Most contractors don’t have a marketing problem—they have a systems problem. We sat down with Skip Wilson, CEO of Draft Media Partners and a veteran of iHeart’s digital era, to break down how to replace tactic-hopping with a durable plan that compounds. We start with the core: define a real audience, clarify the action you want (calls, forms, financing inquiries), craft messages people actually care about, and then build a channel mix that won’t collapse when a platform changes the rules.
We get practical fast. If “family-owned” is your headline, you’re blending in. Instead, choose a USP that’s provable and valuable: same-day installs, weekend hours without overtime, or flexible financing. From there, we map a resilient stack that aligns operations with demand: a CRM that can handle volume, automated nurturing to recover no-shows and slow deciders, strong search visibility, and brand-building through video and audio with precise household targeting. One standout tactic: retarget website visitors with oversized direct mail that lands days after they browse—perfect for bigger, non-urgent purchases like tankless water heaters, where timing and recall close the gap.
Measurement is the unlock. We walk through shifting from cost per lead to customer acquisition cost and show how matchbacks connect exposure on CTV, radio, and social to actual new customers. No advanced stack? Use call tracking and a simple monthly CAC baseline to create a meaningful “pass/fail” view. Month one is an educated guess; month two should be optimization, not reinvention. When leads dip, pull pre-planned levers—adjust the audience, rotate offers, move budget up or down the funnel, or trigger targeted mail and outbound—rather than scrambling for “what’s new.”
If you’re ready to stop chasing the most expensive leads in your market and start building a brand people search by name, this conversation is your blueprint. Listen, take notes, and then tell us: what’s your current CAC target, and which lever will you pull next? If the show helped, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a contractor who needs steadier growth.
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From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com
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